[e2e] Question about fast path / slow path and IPv6

[RJ Atkinson]

On Saturday, Aug 30, 2003, at 05:43 America/Montreal, Michael Welzl 
wrote:
> This goes to the router people out there:
>
> Is IP fast path / slow path processing (for packets carrying
> IP options) similar for IPv4 and IPv6 in most current routers?

The answer depends *entirely* on which hardware one is talking about.

Some products can handle IP packets (with or without options)
at wire speed (usually because this is done in hardware).

Other products cannot do so -- in which case only packets without
options are "fast path" and packets with options are "slow path".
This last case includes all (or nearly all) routers that use
CPU-based packet forwarding.

"Most" could mean the the largest-volume deployments of a single
router model, in which case ask your nearest vendor C salesperson
what they do.  I'm assuming "most" means "most vendors" in the
quoted text above.

Ran
rja at extremenetworks.com