System and Method for Implementing Dynamic Scheduling of Data in a Non-Blocking All-Optical Switching Network

• US 20090028560A1
• Filed: 08/04/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: YT Networks Capital LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rudin, John R. III, Watson, Jeff L., Fabbri, Alessandro, Tamil, Lakshman S., Hu, Rose Q., Best, Robert E., Chandrasekaran, Ramaswamy
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0066 Provisions for optical burst or packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0024 using space switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0039 Electrical control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/005 Arbitration and scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0052 Interconnection of switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0064 Arbitration, scheduling or medium access control aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0077 Labelling aspects, e.g. multiprotocol label switching [MPLS], G-MPLS, MPAS

Abstract

A non-blocking optical matrix core switching method that includes maintaining a schedule for routing data through an optical matrix core and receiving and analyzing reports from peripheral devices. The method determines whether the schedule is adequate for the current data traffic patterns and if the schedule is not adequate a new schedule is implemented. The new schedule is then transferred to the peripheral devices for implementation and the new schedule is transferred to the optical matrix core scheduler. Implementation of the new schedule as the schedule on the peripheral devices and the optical matrix core scheduler is then performed.

Claims

1-42. -42. (canceled)

43. An apparatus comprising:

at least one data communication port;

an edge scheduler to aggregate schedule sufficiency data from said at least one data communication port and to provide periodic schedule sufficiency reports to a switching core scheduler, wherein the edge scheduler is distinct from the switching core scheduler, the edge scheduler further, upon request of the switching core scheduler, to obtain demand-related information from the at least one data communication port, to provide a demand report to the switching core scheduler, and to receive and implement new scheduling information from the switching core scheduler.

44. The apparatus according to claim 43, further comprising:

a machine-accessible medium coupled to the edge scheduler to store at least one schedule.

45. The apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said machine-accessible medium comprises a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

46. The apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the information on sufficiency and/or demand is based upon at least one quality-of-service (QoS) criterion.

47. A method comprising:

aggregating schedule sufficiency data from at least one data communication port;

providing periodic schedule sufficiency reports to a switching core scheduler;

obtaining demand-related information from the at least one data communication port, upon request of the switching core scheduler, and providing a demand report to the switching core scheduler; and

receiving and implementing new scheduling information from the switching core scheduler.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein the information on sufficiency and/or demand is based upon at least one quality-of-service (QoS) criterion.

49. The method according to claim 47, further comprising:

storing at least one set of scheduling information.

50. An apparatus comprising:

means for aggregating schedule sufficiency data from at least one data communication port;

means for providing periodic schedule sufficiency reports to a switching core scheduler;

means for obtaining demand-related information from the at least one data communication port, upon request of the switching core scheduler;

means for providing a demand report to the switching core scheduler; and

means for receiving and implementing new scheduling information from the switching core scheduler.

51. The apparatus according to claim 50, wherein the information on sufficiency and/or demand is based upon at least one quality-of-service (QoS) criterion.

52. The apparatus according to claim 50, further comprising:

means for storing at least one set of scheduling information.