An active framework for a WLAN access point using intel's IXP1200 network processor

Abstract

Active Networks provide the user with the capability to inject customized programs into the network. The network nodes should interpret these programs and perform the desired operation on the data flowing through the network. The Network Processor (NP), a special purpose programmable device designed specifically to process packets at high speed with its concurrent packet processing model, forms an ideal platform for the implementation of active networks. This paper presents the development of an active framework using the IXP1200 network processor. This active framework is implemented for a Wireless LAN Access Point that bridges wired and wireless network segments. This framework allows the access point to use different classification, scheduling or queue management algorithms for different applications. The special features of IXP1200 such as multiprocessing, multithreading, block data movement, etc., are exploited to develop the access point and the active framework, with increased processing speed, scalability and flexibility. © Springer-Verlag 2004.