Self-routing packet switching network with intrastage packet communication
First Claim
1. A packet switching network for communicating packets each comprising routing information from network input ports to network output ports, said network comprising:
- a plurality of stages each comprising a plurality of switch nodes;
inter-node and intra-node links connecting one of said switch nodes of one of said stages to a set of switch nodes in another stage;
each of said intra-node links intra-connecting said one of said switch nodes to a switch node of said other stage via another switch node of said one of said stages and another inter-node link from said other switch node of said one of said stages to said switch node of said other one of said stages;
said one of said switch nodes comprising means responsive the routing information of one of said packets for selecting a subset of said inter-node and intra-node links;
means for generating signals to designate one of said subset of said inter-node and intra-node links for communication of said one of said packets; and
means responsive to said signals for routing said one of said packets to one of said set of said switch nodes of said other one of said stages.
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Abstract
A communication method and packet switching network in which self-routing packets are communicated through the network by intra-communication of the packets within stages of the network as well as inter-communication of the packets among stages. The stages each having a plurality of pairs of switch nodes with each pair having an intra-node link between the pair of nodes. Each of the switch nodes comprises input controllers and output controllers. The input controller of a node is responsive to the receipt of a packet for interrogating the address field of the packet to determine the destination of the packet. The input control on the basis of the destination determination commmunicates the packet towards the destination via either an inter-stage link or an intra-node link on the basis of availability of the links and an internal control circuit. If a packet is transmitted via an intra-node link to the paired node the latter then transmits the packet via its output controller to the next stage via an inter-stage link. If both the intra-node link and the inter-stage link are available, the internal control circuit then determines which link should be utilized in communicating the packet. The internal destination circuit performs this designating function on the basis of a random number generator.
110 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A packet switching network for communicating packets each comprising routing information from network input ports to network output ports, said network comprising:
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a plurality of stages each comprising a plurality of switch nodes; inter-node and intra-node links connecting one of said switch nodes of one of said stages to a set of switch nodes in another stage; each of said intra-node links intra-connecting said one of said switch nodes to a switch node of said other stage via another switch node of said one of said stages and another inter-node link from said other switch node of said one of said stages to said switch node of said other one of said stages; said one of said switch nodes comprising means responsive the routing information of one of said packets for selecting a subset of said inter-node and intra-node links; means for generating signals to designate one of said subset of said inter-node and intra-node links for communication of said one of said packets; and means responsive to said signals for routing said one of said packets to one of said set of said switch nodes of said other one of said stages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A packet switching network for communicating packets each comprising address routing information from network input ports to network output ports, said network comprising:
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a plurality of switching stages; a plurality of inter-node links interconnecting said stages; each of said stages comprising a plurality of switch nodes and intra-node links connecting subsets of said plurality of switch nodes; one of said switch nodes of one of said subsets of one of said stages responsive to the address routing information of one of said packets for communicating said one of said packets to a switch node of another one of said stages via a second one of said switch nodes of said one of said subsets and one of said intra-node links; and one of said switch nodes of one of said stages responsive to address information of another one of said packets for communicating said other one of said packets to another switch node of said other one of said stages via one of said inter-node links. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A packet switching network for communicating packets each comprising address routing information from network input ports to network output ports, said network comprising:
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a plurality of switching stages; a plurality of inter-node links interconnecting said stages; each of said stages comprising pairs of switching nodes; a plurality of sets of intra-node links each connecting an individual pair of said switching nodes; one of said nodes of one of said pairs comprising means for controlling an input set of said inter-node links connected to a preceding stage; means for controlling an output set of said inter-node links connected to a next sequential stage; said input control means comprises means for controlling the set of intra-node links connected to the other one of said one of said pair; said input control means further comprises means responsive to the address information of one of said packets for selecting one inter-node link of the output set of said inter-node links and one intra-node link of said set of intra-node links connected to said input control means; said input control means further comprises means for generating a first set of signals designating intranode links and a second set of signals designating internode links; and said input control means further comprises first means responsive to said first set of signals and said selecting means for communicating one of said packets to the selected intra-node link of said intra-node links and further comprises second means responsive to said second set of signals and said selecting means for communicating said packet to the selected inter-node link of said set of inter-node links. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of switching packets through a packet switching network comprising a plurality of stages each having a plurality of switch nodes with inter-node and intra-node links connecting one of said nodes of one of said stages to a switch node in another stage and each of said intra-node links intra-connecting said one of said switch nodes to a switch node of said other stage via another switch node of said one of said stages and another inter-node link, and comprising the steps of
selecting a subset of said inter-node and intra-links by said one of said switch nodes responding to routing information of one of said packets; -
designating one of said subset of said internode and intra-node links for communication of said one of said packets; and routing said one of said packets to one of said set of said switch nodes of said other one of said stages via the designated link. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A packet switching network for communicating packets, each packet comprising routing information from network input ports to network output ports, said network comprising:
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a plurality of stages each comprising a plurality of switch nodes; inter-node links connecting one of said switch nodes of said stages to a set of switch nodes in another stage; intra-node links interconnecting switch nodes of the same stage; each of said intra-node links intra-connecting said one of said switch nodes of said one of said stages to a switch node of said other stage via another switch node of said one of said stages and another inter-node link from said other switch node of said one of said stages to said switch node of said other one of said stages; said one of said switch nodes comprises; output control means inter-connected by said inter-node links to said set of switch nodes in said other stage; input control means responsive to said routing information of one of said packets for selecting a subset of said inter-node and intra-node links; said input control means comprises; controller means for generating signals to designate one of said subset of said inter-node and intra-node links for transmission of said one of said packets; and multiplexer means responsive to the generated signals for routing said one of said packets to one of said set of said switch nodes of said other one of said stages. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of switching packets through a packet switching network comprising a plurality of stages each having a plurality of switch nodes with inter-node and intra-node links connecting one of said nodes of one of said stages to a switch node in another stage and each of said intra-node links intra-connecting said one of said switch nodes to a switch node of said other stage via another switch node of said one of said stages and another inter-node link, and comprises the steps of
selecting a subset of said inter-node and intra-links by said one of said switch nodes responding to routing information of one of said packets; -
designating one of said subset of said inter-node and intra-node links for communication of said one of said packets; and routing said one of said packets to one of said set of said switch nodes of said other one of said stages. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification