Multiple virtual channels for use in network devices

• US 20070237163A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Elzur, Uri, Kalkunte, Mohan, Ambe, Shekhar, Kadambi, Shiri, Talayco, Daniel, Relan, Sandeep, Lund, Martin, Christie, Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/66 Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/16 in connection oriented networks, e.g. frame relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/18 End to end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/266 Stopping or restarting the source, e.g. X-on or X-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/33 using forward notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6205 Arrangements for avoiding head of line blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6225 Fixed service order, e.g. Round Robin
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/205 Quality of Service based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3018 Input queuing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/50 : Overload detection or protection within a single switching element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/508 : Head of Line Blocking Avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 : Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method for establishing a virtual channel between network devices is disclosed. In the case of a local network device establishing a virtual channel with a remote network device, a virtual channel request message is sent from the local network device to the remote network device. A virtual channel acknowledgement message and a remote capability list are received and a virtual channel resume message and a local capability list are sent. The virtual channel is then enabled. In the case of a remote network device establishing a virtual channel with a local network device, a virtual channel request message is received from a local network device by a remote network device. A virtual channel acknowledgement message and a remote capability list are sent and a virtual channel resume message and a local capability list are received. The virtual channel is then enabled.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a virtual channel between network devices comprising:

sending a virtual channel request message from a local network device to a remote network device;

receiving a virtual channel acknowledgement message and a remote capability list;

sending a virtual channel resume message and a local capability list, wherein the local capability list is sent after an acknowledgement is sent by the remote network device and received by the local network device; and

enabling the virtual channel.

2. The method for establishing a virtual channel according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending a virtual channel request message comprises sending an Ethernet frame that is interpreted as a pause frame when the remote network device is not virtual channel capable.

3. The method for establishing a virtual channel according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending a virtual channel request message further comprises waiting a specified period according a request retry timer and resending the virtual channel request message after the specified period when no virtual channel acknowledgement message has been received.

4. The method for establishing a virtual channel according to claim 3, wherein the virtual channel request message is resent a number of times according to a request retry limit value.

5. The method for establishing a virtual channel according to claim 1, wherein the local and remote capability lists comprise link advertisement registers where each bit of the registers refers to specific capabilities of the local and remote network devices, the step of receiving the remote capability list comprises receiving a remote link advertisement register and the step of sending a local capability list comprises sending a local link advertisement register.

6. The method for establishing a virtual channel according to claim 1, wherein the virtual channel request message, the virtual channel acknowledgement message and the virtual channel resume message each have an Ethernet frame format with a source address and a destination address being one of an address of the local network device and an address of the remote network device.

7. A method for establishing a virtual channel between network devices comprising:

receiving a virtual channel request message from a local network device by a remote network device;

sending a virtual channel acknowledgement message and a remote capability list;

receiving a virtual channel resume message and a local capability list, wherein the local capability list is received after an acknowledgement is sent by the remote network device; and

enabling the virtual channel.

8. The method for establishing a virtual channel according to claim 7, wherein the step of receiving a virtual channel request message comprises receiving an Ethernet frame that is interpreted as a pause frame when the remote network device is not virtual channel capable.

9. The method for establishing a virtual channel according to claim 7, wherein the step of sending a virtual channel acknowledgement message further comprises waiting a specified period according an acknowledgement retry timer and resending the virtual channel acknowledgement message after the specified period when no virtual channel resume message has been received.

10. The method for establishing a virtual channel according to claim 9, wherein the virtual channel acknowledgement message is resent a number of times according to a acknowledgement retry limit value.

11. The method for establishing a virtual channel according to claim 7, wherein the local and remote capability lists comprise link advertisement registers where each bit of the registers refers to specific capabilities of the local and remote network devices, the step of receiving the remote capability list comprises receiving a remote link advertisement register and the step of sending a local capability list comprises sending a local link advertisement register.

12. The method for establishing a virtual channel according to claim 7, wherein the virtual channel request message, the virtual channel acknowledgement message and the virtual channel resume message each have an Ethernet frame format with a source address and a destination address being one of an address of the local network device and an address of the remote network device.

13. A virtual channel capable network device comprising:

means for sending or receiving a virtual channel request message from or to a second network device;

means for sending or receiving a virtual channel acknowledgement message and a first capability list;

means for sending or receiving a virtual channel resume message and a second capability list, wherein the second capability list is sent or received after an acknowledgement is sent by the second network device; and

means for enabling the virtual channel;

wherein said first capability list is a capability list for the virtual channel capable network device when the virtual channel acknowledgement message is sent by the virtual channel capable network device and said first capability list is a capability list for the second network device when the virtual channel acknowledgement message is received by the virtual channel capable network device.

14. The virtual channel capable network device according to claim 13, wherein the means for sending or receiving a virtual channel request message comprises means for sending or receiving an Ethernet frame that is interpreted as a pause frame when the second network device is not virtual channel capable.

15. The virtual channel capable network device according to claim 13, wherein the means for sending or receiving a virtual channel request message further comprises a request retry timer and the means for sending or receiving a virtual channel request message is configured to resend the virtual channel request message after a specified period measured by the request retry timer when no virtual channel acknowledgement message has been received.

16. The virtual channel capable network device according to claim 15, wherein the means for sending or receiving a virtual channel request message is configured to resend the virtual channel request message a number of times according to a request retry limit value.

17. The virtual channel capable network device according to claim 13, wherein the means for sending or receiving a virtual channel acknowledgement message further comprises an acknowledgement retry timer and the means for sending or receiving a virtual channel acknowledgement message is configured to resend the virtual channel acknowledgement message after a specified period measured by the acknowledgement retry timer when no virtual channel resume message has been received.

18. The virtual channel capable network device according to claim 17, wherein the means for sending or receiving a virtual channel acknowledgement message is configured to resend the virtual channel acknowledgement message a number of times according to a request retry limit value.

19. The virtual channel capable network device according to claim 15, wherein the local and remote capability lists comprise link advertisement registers where each bit of the registers refers to specific capabilities of the local and remote network devices.

20. The virtual channel capable network device according to claim 15, wherein the virtual channel request message, the virtual channel acknowledgement message and the virtual channel resume message each have an Ethernet frame format with a source address and a destination address being one of an address of the virtual channel capable network device and an address of the second network device.

21. A virtual channel capable network device comprising:

a data port interface, supporting a plurality of data ports transmitting and receiving data;

wherein said data port interface is configured to establish a virtual channel between said virtual channel capable network device and other virtual channel capable network devices through the transmission and receipt of virtual channel messages and configured to exchange virtual channel data to allow for functions of at least one of the virtual channel capable network device and other virtual channel capable network devices to be controlled.

22. The virtual channel capable network device according to claim 21, wherein said data port interface is configured to exchange virtual channel data to control the selective flow of the transmitted and received data in at least one of the virtual channel capable network device and other virtual channel capable network devices.

23. The virtual channel capable network device according to claim 21, wherein said data port interface is configured to exchange virtual channel data to control the operations, administration and maintenance functions of at least one of the virtual channel capable network device and other virtual channel capable network devices.

24. The virtual channel capable network device according to claim 21, wherein said data port interface is configured to exchange virtual channel data to control in-band management functions of at least one of the virtual channel capable network device and other virtual channel capable network devices.