Method and system for switching packets
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Abstract
A system for switching variable size packets in a network is disclosed. The system comprises at least one ingress controller which receives a plurality of packets and which segments each of the packets into fixed sized fragments. The at least one ingress controller has a time-clock. The time clocks of all ingress controllers are synchronized to within a tolerance. Each fragment is tagged with at least a unique source of ID, time-stamp, and a fragment-number to form a cell. Each cell belongs to one packet having the same time-stamp value. The ingress controller sends each of the cells through a link such that a cell'"'"'s destination is reachable through that link. The system includes a fabric element which receives cells from a plurality of inputs links. The cells are ordered. The fabric element sends ordered cells through a plurality of outputs and through which the destination of the cells is reachable. The cell order is defined such that a cell ahead of another either has a lagging time stamp, or if the timestamp is the same the cell ahead of another has a source-id which has a predetermined priority, or if both the timestamp and the source-id are the same the cell ahead of another has a lagging fragment-number. The system finally includes at least one egress controller which receives the ordered cells from the plurality of input links, and sends the ordered cells through an output where such order results in complete packets. A packet switching device in accordance with the present invention solves the cell ordering and packet reassembly issues using a unified distributed method in a multi-stage interconnect network.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1-17. -17. (canceled)
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18. A method of switching, via a plurality of links of an interconnect network, a plurality of packets, which are received by a plurality of ingress controllers, to a plurality of output ports of a plurality of egress controllers, the method comprising:
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segmenting said plurality of packets into a plurality of packet fragments;
generating a plurality of cells, each including one of said packet fragments, a global time stamp, an ingress identification, a destination identification, and a fragment number; and
sending said cells to said plurality of output ports via said links based on a prioritization scheme which is based on said global time stamp, said ingress identification, and said fragment number. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for switching a plurality of packets to a plurality of destinations via links of a network, the system comprising:
a plurality of ingress controllers to receive said plurality of packets, to segment said plurality of packets into a plurality of packet fragments, and to generate a plurality of cells each including one of said packet fragments, a global time stamp, an ingress identification, a destination identification, and a fragment number. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
Specification