editor's blog
Subscribe Now

The Other KBP

We looked today at Netlogic’s NETL7 “knowledge-based processors” (KBPs). But the KBP category contains more than just this family: it also contains one called Sahasra.

But the Sahasra products aren’t just more of the same of what’s in NETL7. NETL7 deals with packets all the way to the application layer (layer 7) in the OSI stack. That’s the essence of deep packet inspection (DPI): you’re not just looking at various enclosing headers, you’re diving all the way in. That’s equivalent to moving all the way up the stack to the original application payload.

By contrast, the Sahasra products only deal with layers 2-4. These are fundamentally for packet and flow routing. The Sahasra KBPs are intended to speed things up by implementing very specific tables or databases that are specific to a particular layer or protocol. IP routing tables are a simple example of this sort of thing.

So while the NETL7 KBPs consist of engines processing match patterns, the Sahasra KBPs essentially provide dedicated fast lookup of the kinds of things needed to route packets.

I guess they’re both “processors” that work based on some knowledge – rules in one case, route or other packet information in the other – but, aside from that, they’re different beasts.

And, quite by chance (from a coincidental timing standpoint), they just announced this week volume production of their IPv6 KBP

Leave a Reply

featured blogs
Jul 11, 2025
Can you help me track down the source of the poem titled 'The African Tigger is Fading Away'?...

Libby's Lab

Libby's Lab - Scopes out Littelfuse C&K Aerospace AeroSplice Connectors

Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Littelfuse

Join Libby and Demo in this episode of “Libby’s Lab” as they explore the Littelfuse C&K Aerospace Aerosplice Connectors, available at Mouser.com! These connectors are ideal for high-reliability easy-to-use wire-to-wire connections in aerospace applications. Keep your circuits charged and your ideas sparking!

Click here for more information

featured paper

Maximize Power Efficiency in Embedded Applications with Agilex™ 5 E-Series FPGAs and SoCs Memory Solutions

Sponsored by Altera

Learn how Altera Agilex™ 5 FPGAs and SoCs deliver up to 1.9× lower system power than Zynq UltraScale+ without sacrificing performance. This white paper dives into real benchmark data, memory interface efficiency, and architectural advantages that make Agilex 5 the smart choice for embedded, vision, and AI edge applications. Optimize for power, performance, and design simplicity.

Click to read more

featured chalk talk

Power Modules and Why You Should Use Them in Your Next Power Design
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Amelia Dalton and Christine Chacko from Texas Instruments explore a variety of power module package technologies, examine the many ways that power modules can help save on total design solution cost, and the unique benefits that Texas Instruments power modules can bring to your next design.
Aug 22, 2024
43,298 views