Switching mesh with user-configurable paths

• US 20060182082A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Wakumoto, Shaun Kazuo, Bare, Ballard Claude
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery

Abstract

One embodiment disclosed relates to a method of configuring a traffic-associated path through a switching mesh. A source switch receives a request to associate a type of traffic to a specified path. The source switch is located at the beginning of the path. A path tag is allocated to the path. The path through the mesh is built, and the association between the type of traffic and the allocated path tag is programmed. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a traffic-associated path through a switching mesh, the method comprising:

receiving by a source switch a request to associate a type of traffic to a specified path, wherein the source switch is located at a beginning of the path;

allocating a path tag to the path;

building the path through the switching mesh; and

programming an association between the type of traffic and the allocated path tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an alternate path is defined at each switch along the specified path so as to be usable upon a link failure anywhere along the specified path.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a network management tool for the switching mesh is utilized to specify the type of traffic, the specific path, and the alternate path(s), and wherein the request to associate the type of traffic to the path is sent by the network management tool to the source switch.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether there is an available path tag to allocate; and

aging out a used path tag if there is no available path tag.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the used path tag which is aged out comprises a least recently used path tag.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the path is generated by adding an entry in a tag table at each switch along the path, said entry specifying at least an egress port corresponding to the path tag.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after said programming, applying selection criteria to a packet received by the source switch to determine whether the packet comprises said type of traffic.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said selection criteria depend upon data in the packet.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said selection criteria depend upon information pertaining to a relationship between the packet and the source switch.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said selection criteria depend upon both packet data and information pertaining to a relationship between the packet and the source switch.

11. A switching apparatus able to configure a traffic-associated path through a switching mesh, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of ports; and

a switch control device coupled to the plurality of ports;

a processor for executing instructions;

memory for storing data and instructions for the processor; and

a communication system interconnecting the processor, the memory, and the switch control device,

wherein the memory includes instructions for the processor to receive a request to associate a type of traffic to a specified path beginning at the apparatus, to allocate a path tag to the path, to initiate generation of the path through the switching mesh, and to program an association between the type of traffic and the allocated path tag.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the request to associate the type of traffic to the path is received by the apparatus from a network management tool for the switching mesh.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the network management tool is utilized to specify said type of traffic and said path.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory further includes instructions for the processor to determine whether there is an available path tag to allocate, and to age out a used path tag if there is no available path tag.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the used path tag which is aged out comprises a least recently used path tag.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the path through the mesh is generated by adding an entry in a tag table at each switch along the path, said entry specifying at least an egress port corresponding to the path tag.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory further includes instructions for the processor to apply selection criteria to a subsequently received packet so as to determine whether the packet comprises said type of traffic.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said selection criteria depend upon data in the packet.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said selection criteria depend upon information pertaining to a relationship between the packet and the source switch.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said selection criteria depend upon both packet data and information pertaining to a relationship between the packet and the source switch.

21. A system for providing user-configurable paths through a switching mesh, the system comprising:

means for making a request to associate a type of traffic to a specified path;

means for providing the request to a source switch in the mesh, wherein the source switch is located at a beginning of the path;

means for allocating an available path tag to the path;

means for building the path through the switching mesh; and

means for associating the type of traffic and the allocated path tag.