PACKET PREPROCESSING INTERFACE FOR MULTIPROCESSOR NETWORK HANDLER

A network handler uses a DMA device to assign packets to network processors in accordance with a mapping function which classifies packets based on its content, e.g., bits in one or more header fields. Preferably, the mapping function is implemented as a hash function, which uses a predetermined number of bits from packet as inputs. The result of this function specifies the processor to which the packet is assigned. To make implementation manageable in a high-traffic environment, each processor may be equipped with a queue, which holds pointer information. Such a pointer provides an indication of the area in memory where incoming packet resides. The network handler is particularly useful in a Fiber Channel environment, where the hash function may be implemented to assign all packets from the same sequence to the same processor, thereby resulting in improved processing efficiency.