PORTABLE NETWORKING INTERFACE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTED SWITCHING SYSTEM

• US 20070245360A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Alexander, Cedell, Larsen, Loren
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5669 Multiprotocol over ATM [MPOA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/45 Arrangements for providing or supporting expansion

Abstract

An apparatus and method to provide a portable networking interface for distributed switching systems. Two Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are defined for communication to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL). The FDDL sits between network client applications and the switch device driver in order to provide a uniform interface to the switch device driver. Towers may be added to the FDDL to provide additional functionality specific to certain client applications.

Claims

1. A network switch comprising:

a CPU;

a memory system having circuitry operable to attach to the CPU;

a switch fabric system having circuitry operable to attach to the CPU;

a port controller having circuitry operable to attach to the switch fabric system;

a software application operable to execute on the CPU;

a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL) system operable to execute on the CPU; and

a switch device driver operable to execute on the CPU,

wherein the software application is operable to communicate with the FDDL system, the FDDL system is operable to communicate with the switch device driver, and the switch device driver is operable to communicate with the switch fabric.

2. The network switch of claim 1 further comprising a second software application operable to execute on the CPU, wherein the second software application communicates with the FDDL system.

6. The network switch of claim 1 further comprising:

an independent software application operable to execute on the CPU; and

an independent software application shim operable to execute on the CPU, wherein the independent software application communicates with the independent software application shim and the independent software application shim communicates with the switch device driver.

3-5. -5. (canceled)

7-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A network switch comprising:

a CPU;

a memory system having circuitry operable to attach to the CPU;

a switch fabric system having circuitry operable to attach to the CPU;

a port controller having circuitry operable to attach to the switch fabric system;

a protocol means for providing a service to a network system;

a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL) means for communicating with the protocol means; and

a switch device driver means for communicating with the FDDL means and the port controller.

10. The network switch of claim 9 further comprising a second protocol means for providing a second service to the network system, wherein the FDDL means communicates with the second protocol means.

14. The network switch of claim 9 further comprising:

an independent protocol means for providing an independent service to the network system; and

an independent protocol shim for communicating with the independent protocol means and the switch device driver means.

15. The network switch of claim 14 further comprising a second protocol means for providing a second service to the network system, wherein the FDDL means communicates with the second protocol means.

11-13. -13. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. A method of providing communications over a network system utilizing a first protocol and a second protocol, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information at a port controller in a first protocol from a first node machine;

communicating the information from the port controller to a switch fabric;

communicating the information from the switch fabric to a switch device driver within an operating system;

communicating the information from the switch device driver to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL); and

communicating the information from the FDDL to a first protocol client.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

receiving additional information at a port controller in a second protocol from a first node machine;

communicating the additional information from the port controller to a switch fabric;

communicating the additional information from the switch fabric to a switch device driver within an operating system;

communicating the additional information from the switch device driver to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL); and

communicating the additional information from the FDDL to a second protocol client.

19-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

receiving information at a port controller in a first protocol from a first node machine;

communicating the information from the port controller to a switch fabric;

communicating the information from the switch fabric to a switch device driver within an operating system;

communicating the information from the switch device driver to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL); and

communicating the information from the FDDL to a first protocol client.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 having further stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

receiving additional information at a port controller in a second protocol from a first node machine;

communicating the additional information from the port controller to a switch fabric;

communicating the additional information from the switch fabric to a switch device driver within an operating system;

communicating the additional information from the switch device driver to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL); and

communicating the additional information from the FDDL to a second protocol client.

24-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A network system comprising:

a network switch comprising a CPU, a memory system having circuitry operable to attach to the CPU, a switch fabric system having circuitry operable to attach to the CPU a port controller having circuitry operable to attach to the switch fabric system, a software application operable to execute on the CPU, a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL) system operable to execute on the CPU, and a switch device driver operable to execute on the CPU, wherein the software application is operable to communicate with the FDDL system, the FDDL system is operable to communicate with the switch device driver, and the switch device driver is operable to communicate with the switch fabric;

a backbone; and

a workstation,

wherein the workstation is logically connected to the backbone, and

wherein the backbone is logically connected to the port controller of the network switch.

28. The network system of claim 27 further comprising a second software application operable to execute on the CPU, wherein the second software application communicates with the FDDL system.

32. The network system of claim 27 further comprising:

an independent software application operable to execute on the CPU; and

an independent software application shim operable to execute on the CPU,

wherein the independent software application communicates with the independent software application shim and the independent software application shim communicates with the switch device driver.

29-31. -31. (canceled)

33-34. -34. (canceled)