Summary

Assuming no knowledge of industry jargon, this book describes the design of network systems such as routers, bridges, switches, firewalls, and other equipment used in the Internet. It considers the functionality required for protocol processing, and explains how the functionality has been implemented on a range of hardware architectures. The author focuses on network processor technology, a recent development that has become one of the standard tools used by designers. This book explores network processors and surveys network processor architectures, explains design complexity, covers architectural approaches and gives examples of commercial network processors that follow each approach, and uses the Intel IXP 2xxx series of network processors as a detailed example. For network and web designers, implementers, and administrators, and for anyone interested in how the Internet works.