integration with network processor

[larytet.48654039@bloglines.com]

Hello,



Here is the goal



We have general purpose CPU (MIPS with MMU)
and a simple network processor - all in one ASIC. Microcode running in the
network processor  executes lookups according to the packet address/port 
source/destination,
protocol type, MAC address source/destination. Depending on the outcome of
the lookup network processor can 

- drop the packet

- forward the packet
to one of the interfaces

- forward the packet to the CPU

Microcode is fairly
flexible and can be extended to provide counters of the packets per logical
flow, etc. Network processor works with EMAC packets - handles packets 
containing
MAC header.



We are running 2.6 Linux kernel in the CPU. 



Naturally I
would like to use netfilter for 

management of the network processor and
use 

the fast network processor to forward as many 

packets as possible
without CPU intervention. 



I read through the documentation and started
to 

study the source code. It appears, that it's 

possible to solve the
problem. But I would like to 

avoid solving the same time problem twice.
Is 

there any example(s) of integration of the network 

processor and netfilter
? If there is no code any 

documentation/tips/links could save me lot of


time.





thank you