Method of routing network traffic
First Claim
1. A network switch, comprising:
- an input layer including N input layer circuits, each input layer circuit including an input layer circuit input port and N queues corresponding to N output terminals;
an intermediate layer including N intermediate layer circuits, each intermediate layer circuit including N buffers positioned between N intermediate layer circuit input terminals and N intermediate layer circuit output terminals; and
an output layer including N output layer circuits, each output layer circuit having N output layer circuit input terminals and an output layer circuit output port, said N output layer circuit input terminals corresponding to individual intermediate layer circuit output terminals of said N intermediate layer circuits.
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Abstract
A network switch includes an input layer to receive a data stream with a set of cells. Each cell includes data and a header to designate a destination device. The input layer includes a set of input layer circuits. A selected input layer circuit of the set of input layer circuits receives the data stream. The selected input layer circuit includes a set of queues corresponding to a set of destination devices. The selected input layer circuit is configured to assign a selected cell from the data stream to a selected queue of the set of queues. The selected queue corresponds to a selected destination device specified by the header of the selected cell. An intermediate layer includes a set of intermediate layer circuits, each intermediate layer circuit has a set of buffers corresponding to the set of destination devices. A selected intermediate layer circuit of the set of intermediate layer circuits receives the selected cell and assigns the selected cell to a selected buffer corresponding to the selected destination device. An output layer includes a set of output layer circuits corresponding to the set of destination devices. A selected output layer circuit of the set of output layer circuits stores the selected cell prior to routing the selected cell to a selected output layer circuit output node.
70 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A network switch, comprising:
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an input layer including N input layer circuits, each input layer circuit including an input layer circuit input port and N queues corresponding to N output terminals;
an intermediate layer including N intermediate layer circuits, each intermediate layer circuit including N buffers positioned between N intermediate layer circuit input terminals and N intermediate layer circuit output terminals; and
an output layer including N output layer circuits, each output layer circuit having N output layer circuit input terminals and an output layer circuit output port, said N output layer circuit input terminals corresponding to individual intermediate layer circuit output terminals of said N intermediate layer circuits. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A network switch, comprising:
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an input layer to receive a data stream including a set of cells, each cell including data and a header to designate a destination device, said input layer including a set of input layer circuits, a selected input layer circuit of said set of input layer circuits receiving said data stream, said selected input layer circuit including a set of queues corresponding to a set of destination devices, said selected input layer circuit being configured to assign a selected cell from said data stream to a selected queue of said set of queues, said selected queue corresponding to a selected destination device specified by said header of said selected cell;
an intermediate layer including a set of intermediate layer circuits, each intermediate layer circuit including a set of buffers corresponding to said set of destination devices, a selected intermediate layer circuit of said set of intermediate layer circuits receiving said selected cell and assigning said selected cell to a selected buffer corresponding to said selected destination device; and
an output layer including a set of output layer circuits corresponding to said set of destination devices, a selected output layer circuit of said set of output layer circuits storing said selected cell prior to routing said selected cell to a selected output layer circuit output node. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A network switch, comprising:
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an input layer including N input circuits each coupled to an input port and having N buffers therein corresponding to N output terminals;
an intermediate layer including N intermediate circuits each having N input terminals and N output terminals, where the first output terminal of each input circuit is coupled to the first intermediate circuit and the Nth output terminal of each input circuit is coupled to the Kth intermediate circuit, where K={1, 2, . . . N}; and
an output layer including N output circuits each having N input terminals and an output port, where the first output terminal of each intermediate circuit is coupled to the first output circuit and the Nth output terminal of each intermediate circuit is coupled to the Lth output circuit, where L={1, 2, . . . N}. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29)
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26. A network switch, comprising:
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an input layer including N input layer circuits, each input layer circuit including an input layer circuit input port and N queues corresponding to N output terminals;
an intermediate layer including N intermediate layer circuits, each intermediate layer circuit including N buffers positioned between N intermediate layer circuit input terminals and N intermediate layer circuit output terminals; and
an output layer including N output layer circuits, each output layer circuit having N output layer circuit input terminals and an output layer circuit output port, said N output layer circuit input terminals corresponding to individual intermediate layer circuit output terminals of said N intermediate layer circuits;
wherein said input layer, said intermediate layer, and said output layer are formed on a single semiconductor substrate, said network switch being configurable to enable a first region of said single semiconductor substrate selected from said input layer, said intermediate layer and said output layer, while disabling two regions of said single semiconductor substrate selected from said input layer, said intermediate layer and said output layer.
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30. A network switch, comprising:
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an input layer including N input layer circuits, each input layer circuit including;
an input layer circuit input port and N queues corresponding to N output terminals, a sorting circuit to route incoming cells to one of N destinations, each destination of said N destinations having a corresponding queue within said input layer circuit, and a transposer circuit coupled to said N queues and said N output terminals, said transposer circuit being configured to transpose cells stored in said N queues for delivery to said N output terminals. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 35, 37, 39, 40, 41)
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34. A network switch, comprising:
an intermediate layer including N intermediate layer circuits, each intermediate layer circuit including N buffers positioned between N intermediate layer circuit input terminals and N intermediate layer circuit output terminals, said N intermediate layer circuits asynchronously receiving cells at said intermediate layer circuit input terminals and asynchronously delivering cells to said intermediate layer circuit output terminals.
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36. A network switch, comprising:
an output layer including N output layer circuits, each output layer circuit having N output layer circuit input terminals and an output layer circuit output port, each output layer circuit asynchronously receiving cells at said N output layer circuit input terminals and producing a serial cell stream at said output layer circuit output port.
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38. A method of routing network traffic, comprising:
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receiving a data stream of cells at an input layer, each cell of said data stream of cells including data and a header to designate a destination device;
routing a selected cell from said input layer to a selected intermediate layer circuit within a set of intermediate layer circuits, said routing including routing said selected cell to a specified buffer within said selected intermediate layer circuit that corresponds to said destination device of said selected cell; and
delivering said selected cell from said selected intermediate layer circuit to a selected output layer circuit within a set of output layer circuits, said selected output layer circuit corresponding to said destination device of said selected cell.
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42. A method of routing network traffic, said method comprising:
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receiving a data stream with a set of cells, each cell including data and a header to designate a destination device;
assigning a selected cell of said set of cells to a selected queue of a set of queues within an input layer circuit, said selected cell specifying a selected destination device, said selected queue corresponding to said selected destination device;
routing said selected cell to a selected intermediate layer circuit within a set of intermediate layer circuits, said selected intermediate layer circuit including a set of buffers corresponding to a set of destination devices, said selected intermediate layer circuit assigning said selected cell to a selected buffer of said set of buffers, said selected buffer corresponding to said selected destination device; and
sending said selected cell to a selected output layer circuit within a set of output layer circuits, said selected output layer circuit corresponding said selected destination device, said selected output layer circuit storing said selected cell prior to delivering said selected cell to an output node. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification