Means and apparatus for a scaleable congestion free switching system with intelligent control
First Claim
1. An interconnect structure having at least two input ports A and B, a plurality of output ports and a message MA at input port A, wherein a decision to inject all or part of message MA into the interconnect structure depends at least in part on the arrival of one or more messages at input port B.
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Abstract
This invention is directed to a parallel, control-information generation, distribution and processing system. This scalable, pipelined control and switching system efficiently and fairly manages a plurality of incoming data streams, and applies class and quality of service requirements. The present invention also uses scalable MLML switch fabrics to control a data packet switch, including a request-processing switch used to control the data-packet switch. Also included is a request processor for each output port, which manages and approves all data flow to that output port, and an answer switch which transmits answer packets from request processors back to requesting input ports.
117 Citations
48 Claims
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1. An interconnect structure having at least two input ports A and B, a plurality of output ports and a message MA at input port A, wherein a decision to inject all or part of message MA into the interconnect structure depends at least in part on the arrival of one or more messages at input port B.
- 2. An interconnect structure having a plurality of input ports including an input port A and a plurality of output ports including an output port X and all or part of a message MA arriving at input port A, wherein a decision to inject message MA into the interconnect structure is based at least in part on logic associated with output port X.
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6. An interconnect structure S having a plurality of input ports into the structure and a plurality of output ports from the structure and a message MP at input port P targeted to an output port O of the interconnect structure and means for sending a request from input port P to a logic L associated with output port O, said request asking for input port P to send message MP to output port O.
- 7. An interconnect structure comprising a plurality of data input ports and a plurality of data output ports and means for jointly monitoring incoming data packets at more than one of the plurality of data input ports.
- 17. An interconnect structure N which selectively transfers data packets from a plurality of data input ports to a data output port Z, including a logic LZ, associated with output port Z which controls the entry into interconnect structure N of data packets targeted to output port Z.
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27. An interconnect structure S including a plurality of input ports to the interconnect structure and a plurality of output ports from
the interconnect structure with P and Q being input ports to the structure and means for jointly monitoring the flow of messages into input ports P and Q.
- 32. An interconnect structure S including a plurality of input ports to the interconnect structure and a plurality of output ports to the interconnect structure and a message MP at an input port P of the interconnect structure with message MP targeted to an output port O of the interconnect structure and apparatus designed to send a request from input port P to logic L associated with output port O with the request being for input port P to send message MP to output port O.
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42. A method for sending a message MA through an interconnect structure, said interconnect structure having at least two input ports A and B, the message MA arriving at input port A, the method comprising the steps of:
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monitoring the arrival of one or more messages at input port B; and
basing a decision to inject all or part of message MA into the interconnect structure, at least in part on the monitoring of messages arriving at input port B.
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43. A method for sending a message MA through an interconnect structure, said interconnect structure having an input port A and a plurality of output ports including an output port X, and all or part of message MA arriving at input port A, the method comprising the steps of:
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monitoring logic associated with output port X; and
basing a decision to inject message MA into the interconnect structure, at least in part on information concerning a message MB targeted for X and entering the interconnect structure at an input other than A
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44. A method for sending a data packet through an interconnect structure having a plurality of data input ports, and a plurality of data output ports, said method comprising the step of jointly monitoring incoming data packets at more than one of the plurality of data input ports.
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45. A method for selectively transferring data packets through an interconnect structure N from a plurality of data input ports, to a data output port Z, the method comprising the step of monitoring a logic LZ, associated with an output port Z to control entry into the interconnect structure N of data packets targeted to output port Z.
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46. A method for sending messages through an interconnect structure S, said interconnect structure including a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, with a message MP at input port P targeted to an output port O, the method comprising the steps of:
sending a request from input port P to logic L associated with output port O, and monitoring logic L to grant or deny the request to send message MP from input port P to output port O.
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47. An interconnect system consisting of a plurality of modules including the module M and the module N that is an inactive part of the structure wherein:
there is a method of determining if the module M is defective and in case it is defective, it is automatically exchanged for the module N.
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48. An interconnect structure wherein a message segment M1 of length L1 is routed through the structure and a message segment M2 of length L2 is routed through the structure and L1 and L2 are not equal and there are interconnect lines reserved for message segments of length L1 and separate interconnect lines reserved for messages of length L2.
Specification