computer science

Knowledge-based processor

Knowledge-based processor is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Knowledge-based processor rather than just read about it. In short: Knowledge-based processors (KBPs) are used for processing packets in computer networks. Knowledge-based processors are designed to increase the performance of the IPv6 network.

Key takeaways

Knowledge-based processor belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Knowledge-based processor to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Knowledge-based processor from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Knowledge-based processors (KBPs) are used for processing packets in computer networks. Knowledge-based processors are designed to increase the performance of the IPv6 network. By contributing to the build-out of the IPv6 network, KBPs provide the means for an improved and secure networking system.

Standards All networks are required to perform the following functions:

IPv4/IPv6 multilayer packet/flow classification Policy-based routing and Policy enforcement (QoS) Longest Prefix Match (CIDR) Differentiated Services (DiffServ) IP Security (IPSec) Server Load Balancing Transaction verification All of the above functions must occur at high speeds in advanced networks. Knowledge-based processors contain embedded databases that store information required to process packets that travel through a network at wired speeds. Knowledge-based processors are a new addition to intelligent networking that allows these functions to occur at high speeds and at the same time provide for lower power consumption. Knowledge-based processors currently target the 3rd layer of the 7-layer OSI model which is devoted to packet processing.

Advantages The advantages that knowledge-based processors offer are the ability to execute multiple simultaneous decision-making processes for a range of network-aware processing functions. These include routing, Quality of Service (QOS), access control for both security and billing, as well as the forwarding of voice/video packets. These functions improve the performance of advanced Internet applications in IPv6 networks such as VOD (Video on demand), VoIP (voice over Internet protocol), and streaming of video and audio. Knowledge-based processors use a variety of techniques to improve network functioning such as parallel processing, deep pipelining, and advanced power management techniques. Improvements in each of these areas allow for existing components to carry on their functions at wired speeds more efficiently thus improving the performance of the overall network. The databases in a knowledge-based processor include classification tables, forwarding tables, and exact match tables- all of which are utilized by the CPU and network processors. Knowledge-based processors mainly process packet headers (20% of the packet approximately) which enables network awareness. Content processors, by contrast, allow for packet payload inspection (80% of the packet is data) and therefore must search "deeper" into the packet.

See also Network processor Multi core processor Content processor

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Knowledge-based processor

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Knowledge-based processor claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Knowledge-based processor before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Knowledge-based processor ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Knowledge-based processor

In research: Knowledge-based processor appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Knowledge-based processor in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Knowledge-based processor is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer networks engineering, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Knowledge-based processor outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Knowledge-based processor in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Knowledge-based processor means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Knowledge-based processor out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Knowledge-based processor in simple terms?

Knowledge-based processors (KBPs) are used for processing packets in computer networks. Knowledge-based processors are designed to increase the performance of the IPv6 network.

Why does Knowledge-based processor matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Knowledge-based processor?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Knowledge-based processor.