Backplane interface adapter with error control and redundant fabric
First Claim
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1. An administrative module for use in a digital switch, wherein the digital switch includes a plurality of blades coupled to a switching fabric, and wherein each blade outputs serial data streams with in-band control information in multiple stripes to said switching fabric, said administrative module comprising:
- a level monitor that monitors the data received at a receiving blade; and
a stripe synchronization error detector that detects a stripe synchronization error based on the amount of data monitored by said level monitor.
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Abstract
A backplane interface adapter with error control and redundant fabric for a high-performance network switch. The redundant fabric transceiver of the backplane interface adapter improves the adapter'"'"'s ability to properly and consistently receive narrow input cells carrying packets of data and output wide striped cells to a switching fabric.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An administrative module for use in a digital switch, wherein the digital switch includes a plurality of blades coupled to a switching fabric, and wherein each blade outputs serial data streams with in-band control information in multiple stripes to said switching fabric, said administrative module comprising:
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a level monitor that monitors the data received at a receiving blade; and
a stripe synchronization error detector that detects a stripe synchronization error based on the amount of data monitored by said level monitor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for detecting stripe synchronization error in a network switch, comprising:
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(a) sorting data received at a receiving slot based on stripe and source information;
(b) storing the sorted data in a set of data structures;
(c) monitoring the levels of data stored in each data structure; and
(d) detecting at least one of an overflow and underflow condition in the amount of data received on a respective stripe from a particular source. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method for maintaining synchronization of striped cell traffic, comprising the steps of:
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(a) sending a common character in striped cells in all lanes for a predetermined number of cycles;
(b) evaluating the common control characters received at stripe receive synchronization queues; and
(c) detecting when an in-synch condition is present that indicates the stripe receive synchronization queues have been cleared.
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11. A method for managing out-of-synchronization traffic flow through a cross-point switch in a switching fabric, comprising:
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(a) monitoring the level of stripe receive synchronization queues;
(b) determining whether an out-of-synchronization condition exists; and
(c) initiating a re-synchronization routine when said out-of-synchronization condition exists. - View Dependent Claims (12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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13. A redundant switching system, comprising:
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two switching blades, each switching blade having a plurality of cross points corresponding to respective stripes of serial data streams; and
at least one blade coupled to each switching blade through a backplane connection, wherein said at least one blade includes a plurality of redundant fabric transceivers which can switch traffic between the cross points on the two switching blades.
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14. A redundant fabric transceiver coupled to a bus interface adapter comprising:
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one or more first ports that communicate similar data in a substantially simultaneous fashion, wherein each of said one or more first ports is coupled to at least one switching fabric module;
a multiplexer that selects communication data from said similar data for transmission, for transmission wherein said similar data can include more than one version of said communication data;
a downlink transceiver that receives, conditions, and transmits said communication data; and
one or more second ports that receives said communication data once transmitted from said multiplexer, wherein said one or more second ports forwards said communication data to a bus interface adapter.
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Specification