Packet routing switch
First Claim
1. A switch for selectively routing digital information packets received from at least first and second external sources to at least first and second external destinations,at least said first external destination having associated therewith zero, one or more data or copies thereof, each datum or copy thereof corresponding to a unique descriptor by which that datum or copy is referenced,at least one of said first and second external sources including means for generating information packets comprising one or more signals representative of a datum or copy thereof or request therefor and further comprising at least a signal representative of a descriptor,said routing switch comprising:
- A. first and second routing interconnect elements, each includingi) a first input means for receiving an information packet from a respective one of said first and second external sources,ii) a first output means for transmitting an information packet to a respective one of said first and second external destinations,iii) second input means for receiving an information packet from the other of said routing interconnect elements, andiv) second output means for transmitting an information packet to the other of said routing interconnect element,B. each of said routing interconnect elements including directory means having allocated therein zero, one or more entry signals respectively representative of descriptors corresponding to at least one ofi) said zero, one or more data or copies thereof associated with said first external destination,ii) zero, one or more data or copies thereof requested in information packets received by the second input means of that routing interconnect element and routed for transmission by the first output means of that routing interconnect element, andC, each of said routing interconnect elements further including control means for selectively transferring an information packet received by at least one of the first and second input means of the associated routing interconnect element to at least one of the first and second output means of that routing interconnect element based on correspondence, or lack thereof, between the descriptor in that information packet and an entry signal allocated to that directory means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A switch is provided for selectively routing digital information packets received from at least first and second external sources to at least first and second external destinations. At least one of the first sources generates an information packet including a datum, or a request therefore, and a corresponding descriptor. First and second routing interconnects have inputs for receiving packets from respective sources and outputs for transmitting packets to respective destinations. The interconnects are also coupled for transferring packets between one another. Directories within the interconnects store descriptors corresponding to data associated with the first destination, as well as requests routed from the other interconnect. A controller routes packets based on the correspondence, or lack thereof, between the descriptor in that packet and an entry signal allocated to corresponding directory.
109 Citations
83 Claims
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1. A switch for selectively routing digital information packets received from at least first and second external sources to at least first and second external destinations,
at least said first external destination having associated therewith zero, one or more data or copies thereof, each datum or copy thereof corresponding to a unique descriptor by which that datum or copy is referenced, at least one of said first and second external sources including means for generating information packets comprising one or more signals representative of a datum or copy thereof or request therefor and further comprising at least a signal representative of a descriptor, said routing switch comprising: -
A. first and second routing interconnect elements, each including i) a first input means for receiving an information packet from a respective one of said first and second external sources, ii) a first output means for transmitting an information packet to a respective one of said first and second external destinations, iii) second input means for receiving an information packet from the other of said routing interconnect elements, and iv) second output means for transmitting an information packet to the other of said routing interconnect element, B. each of said routing interconnect elements including directory means having allocated therein zero, one or more entry signals respectively representative of descriptors corresponding to at least one of i) said zero, one or more data or copies thereof associated with said first external destination, ii) zero, one or more data or copies thereof requested in information packets received by the second input means of that routing interconnect element and routed for transmission by the first output means of that routing interconnect element, and C, each of said routing interconnect elements further including control means for selectively transferring an information packet received by at least one of the first and second input means of the associated routing interconnect element to at least one of the first and second output means of that routing interconnect element based on correspondence, or lack thereof, between the descriptor in that information packet and an entry signal allocated to that directory means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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7. A switch or selectively routing digital information packets received from at least first and second external sources to at least first and second external destinations,
at least said first external destination having associated therewith zero, one or more data or copies thereof, each datum or copy thereof corresponding to a unique descriptor by which that datum or copy is referenced, at least one of said first and second external sources including means for generating information packets comprising one or more signals representative of a datum or copy thereof or request therefor and further comprising at least a signal representative of a descriptor, said routing switch comprising: -
A. first and second routing interconnect elements, each including i) a first input means for receiving an information packet from a respective one of said first and second external sources, ii) a first output means for transmitting an information packet to a respective one of said first and second external destinations, iii) second input means for receiving an information packet from the other of said routing interconnect elements, and iv) second output means for transmitting an information packet to the other of said routing interconnect element, B. each of said routing interconnect elements including directory means having allocated therein zero, one or more entry signals respectively representative of descriptors corresponding to at least one of i) said zero, one or more data or copies thereof associated with said first external destination, ii) zero, one or more data or copies thereof requested in information packets received by the second input means of that routing interconnect element and routed for transmission by the first output means of that routing interconnect element, C. each of said routing interconnect elements further including control means for selectively transferring an information packet received by at least one of the first and second input means of the associated routing interconnect element to at least one of the first and second output means of that routing interconnect element based on correspondence, or lack thereof, between the descriptor in that information packet and an entry signal allocated to that directory means, and D. said control means of the second routing interconnect element includes at least one of i) means responsive to receipt, at the second input means of that routing interconnect element, of a packet including a request for a datum or copy thereof referenced by a descriptor that does not correspond to an entry signal allocated to the directory means of that routing interconnect element for a datum or copy thereof associated with said first external destination for routing that packet from that second input means to the first output means of that routing interconnect element, and ii) means responsive to receipt, at the second input means of that routing interconnect element, of a packet including a request for a datum or copy thereof referenced by a descriptor that corresponds to a valid entry signal allocated to the directory means of that routing interconnect element for a datum or copy thereof associated with said first external destination for routing that packet from that second input means to the second output means of that routing interconnect element. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15)
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51. A method for routing digital information packets received from at least first and second external sources to at least first and second external destinations,
at least said first external destination having associated therewith zero, one or more data or copies thereof, each datum or copy thereof corresponding to a unique descriptor by which that datum or copy is referenced, at least one of said first and second external sources including means for generating information packets comprising one or more signals representative of a datum or copy thereof or request therefor and further comprising at least a signal representative of a descriptor, said method comprising: -
A. providing first and second routing interconnect elements, each including i) a first input for receiving an information packet from a respective one of said first and second external sources, ii) a first output for transmitting an information packet to a respective one of said first and second external destinations, iii) second input for receiving an information packet from the other of said routing interconnect elements, and iv) second output for transmitting an information packet to the other of said routing interconnect element, B. allocating in a directory of each of said routing interconnect elements zero, one or more entry signals respectively representative of descriptors corresponding to at least one of i) said zero, one or data or copies thereof associated with said first external destination, ii) zero, one or more data or copies thereof requested in information packets received by the second input of that routing interconnect element and routed for transmission by the first output of that routing interconnect element, and C. selectively transferring an information packet received by at least one of the first and second input of each of said routing interconnect elements to at least one of the first and second output of that routing interconnect element based on correspondence, or lack thereof, between the descriptor in that information packet and an entry signal allocated to that directory. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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57. A method for routing digital information packets received from at least first and second external sources to at lest first and second external destinations,
at least said first external destination having associated therewith zero, one or more data or copies thereof, each datum or copy thereof corresponding to a unique descriptor by which that datum or copy is referenced, at least one of said first and second external sources including means for generating information packets comprising one or more signals representative of a datum or copy thereof or request therefor and further comprising at least a signal representative of a descriptor, said method comprising: -
A. providing first and second routing interconnect elements, each including i) a first input for receiving an information packet from a respective one of said first and second external sources, ii) a first output for transmitting an information packet to a respective one of said first and second external destinations, iii) second input for receiving an information packet from the other of said routing interconnect elements, and iv) second output for transmitting an information packet to the other of said routing interconnect element, B. allocating in a directory of each of said routing interconnect elements zero, one or more entry signals respectively representative of descriptors corresponding to at least one of i) said zero, one or more data or copies thereof associated with said first external destination, ii) zero, one or more data or copies thereof requested in information packets received by the second input of that routing interconnect element and routed for transmission by the first output of that routing interconnect element, and C. selectively transferring an information packet received by at least one of the first and second input of each of said routing interconnect elements to at least one of the first and second output of that routing interconnect element based on correspondence, or lack thereof, between the descriptor in that information packet and an entry signal allocated to that directory, D. said selectively transferring step including the steps of i) responding to receipt, at the second input of that routing interconnect element, of a packet including a request for a datum or copy thereof referenced by a descriptor that does not correspond to an entry signal allocated to the directory of that routing interconnect element for a datum or copy thereof associated with said first external destination for routing that packet from that second input to the first output of that routing interconnect element, and ii) responding to receipt, at the second input of that routing interconnect element, of a packet including a request for a datum or copy thereof referenced by a descriptor that corresponds to a valid entry signal allocated to the directory of that routing interconnect element for a datum or copy thereof associated with said first external destination for routing that packet from that second input to the second output of that routing interconnect element. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61)
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Specification