Advanced switching mechanism for providing high-speed communications with high quality of service

• US 20020044553A1
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signafor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Signafor Incorporated
• Inventors: Chakravorty, Sham
• Granted Patent: US 7,023,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/205 Quality of Service based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/50 Overload detection or protection within a single switching element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/557 Error correction, e.g. fault recovery or fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/602 Multilayer or multiprotocol switching, e.g. IP switching

Abstract

The method described here provides for high-speed, Quality of Service (QoS) driven, and secure transport of voice, video and data packets for facilitating the convergence of multiple networking facilities into one. The method also allows for incorporating robust management features, including localized failure recovery and congestion avoidance, for locally and remotely managing various nodes such as routers, switches, portable devices and other appurtenances including computers and communication links. The method provides for switching of data packets that comprise Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), and other packets, and includes signaling packet configurations. The method allows for replacing one or more bits in the IP header address fields and replacing them with or adding to them unique virtual connection or virtual circuit (VC) identifiers for node-to-node, that is device-to-device, connectivity as well as for representing values or parameters for packet type, QoS, security, network management and node/link resources. Identifiers for the above parameters are developed and saved at each node as a switching table. The values representing the identifiers from a switching table are used to assign virtual connections as well as control the flows of packets. The applicable flow control processes are activated depending on the corresponding parameter in the packet. The values are also used for allocating processing and memory resources at any given node for prioritizing, controlling and redirecting the flow of packets through the node or when initiated at the node.

Claims

1. A method of switching digital information packets between network nodes, including forming a digital information packet comprising at least one of the following fields in a portion of the digital information packet allocated for Internet Protocol (IP) address fields:

a Packet Number field for indicating whether the packet is the first packet in a chain of packets, or a generic packet for a specific purpose;

at least one virtual connection identifier;

a Quality of Service (QoS) field for identifying parameters of Quality of Service;

a management field containing a management message; and

a security field for indicating security parameters for providing security of packet transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual connection identifier is provided for identifying at least one virtual channel and at least one virtual path, and the virtual channel is a subset of the virtual path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion allocated for IP address fields further comprising a packet type field for identifying the method of switching.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the QoS field includes a Class of Service (COS) field for identifying parameters of Class of Service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one table is provided for storing packet switching information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the table is configured for storing the virtual connection identifier.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the table is configured for storing the security parameters.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the table is configured for storing the management message.

9. A packet switching system for switching digital information packets, comprising

a packet identifying unit for identifying an incoming packet to determine a virtual connection identifier and a type of digital information carried by the incoming packet, the virtual connection identifier is arranged in a portion of the incoming packet allocated for IP address fields;

and

a path selection unit responsive to the virtual connection identifier for selecting a path suitable for the determined type of the digital information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the virtual connection identifier is provided for identifying at least one virtual channel and at least one virtual path, and the virtual channel is a subset of the virtual path.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a control unit responsive to incoming packets for assigning priorities for transmission of the incoming packets.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to allocate transmission bandwidths based on the assigned priorities.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising an input configuration unit responsive to a user input for changing the assigned priorities.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a security unit for setting security parameters.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a switching table for storing virtual connection identifiers of the incoming packets.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the switching table further comprises the security parameters set by the security unit.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the switching table further comprises management parameters for determining packet processing parameters.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the virtual connection identifier is provided for identifying at least one virtual channel and at least one virtual path, and the virtual channel is a subset of the virtual path.

18. A communications system comprising a switching mechanism for switching digital information packets having virtual connection identifiers in portions of the packets allocated for IP addresses, by selecting paths suitable for digital information carried by the packets, based on the virtual connection identifiers.