Method and system for routing information between nodes in a communication network
First Claim
1. A method for routing packets from a first end node to a second end node in a communication network comprising a plurality of nodes having input/output ports, through which the packets are routed and means for establishing a route to be followed by the packets sent from the first end node to the second end node, thereby identifying the nodes to be passed by the packets and in each node the ports through which the packets will enter the node and exit it, said input/output ports having port addresses, said method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
- a) for each node, combining by the means for establishing the route the port addresses of the node input port and node output port in order to obtain a routing code which is specific to the node, and arranging the routing codes obtained for the successive nodes of the route into a routing code list (RL),b) transmitting from said first end node each packet including the routing list,c) receiving the packets at each node of the route and extracting from the routing list the routing code specific to the node, determining the address of the output port of the node from the routing code and the input port address, and providing the packet to the so-determined output port.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for routing packets through a multinode communication network includes a packet format with a sub-field in which a routing list (RL) having entry addresses and exit addresses for ports of nodes, through which the packet must be routed. Each node on receiving a packet, extracts routing information specific to the node and forwards the packet according to the extracted routing information.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method for routing packets from a first end node to a second end node in a communication network comprising a plurality of nodes having input/output ports, through which the packets are routed and means for establishing a route to be followed by the packets sent from the first end node to the second end node, thereby identifying the nodes to be passed by the packets and in each node the ports through which the packets will enter the node and exit it, said input/output ports having port addresses, said method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
-
a) for each node, combining by the means for establishing the route the port addresses of the node input port and node output port in order to obtain a routing code which is specific to the node, and arranging the routing codes obtained for the successive nodes of the route into a routing code list (RL), b) transmitting from said first end node each packet including the routing list, c) receiving the packets at each node of the route and extracting from the routing list the routing code specific to the node, determining the address of the output port of the node from the routing code and the input port address, and providing the packet to the so-determined output port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. An apparatus for routing packets from a first end node (A) to a second end node (E) in a communication network comprising a plurality of nodes (A to E) having input/output ports (0 to 7), through which the packets are routed and means (64) for establishing a route to be followed by the packets sent from the first end node to the second end node, thereby identifying the nodes to be passed by the packets and in each node the ports through which the packets will enter the node and exit it, said input/output ports having port addresses;
- said apparatus being characterized in that;
the means for establishing the route combines for each node of the route the port addresses of the node input port and node output ports for obtaining a routing code (RC) which is specific to the node and arranges the routing codes obtained for the successive nodes of the route into a routing code list (RL), which is provided to the first end node and transmitted with the packets, and in that each node comprises for each input/output port; receiving means (70) for receiving the packets from the input port, means (122, 162,
166) for reading the routing code specific to the node from the routing list of the packet,combining means (176,174) for combining the read routing code with the address of the node input port for determining the address of the node output port, and transmitting means (152,182,
82) for transmitting the packets to the output port having the address determined by the combining means. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
- said apparatus being characterized in that;
-
10. In a communications network comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes having input/output ports for routing packets of data sent from a first node to a second node with one of the nodes specifying a route including nodes through which the packets are to be transported and output address of exit ports from which the packets exit each node, a method for routing the packets of data comprising the steps of:
-
generating at a node, wanting to send information, a data packet including a Routing List (RL) containing Routing Codes each one being specific to a node in the route and formed by combining the port addresses of the input port and output port of the node in the route; and forwarding the generated data packet onto the communications network so that other nodes in the route use the Routing Code (RC) to identify node ports whereat the data packet exits a node. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. In a communications network comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes having input/output ports for routing packets of data sent from a first node to a second node with one of the nodes specifying a route including nodes through which the packets are to be transported and output address of exit ports from which the packets exit each node, a means for routing the packets of data comprising:
-
first means for generating, at a node, a data packet including a Routing List (RL) containing Routing Codes each one being specific to a node in the route and formed by means for combining the port addresses of the node input port and the node output port; and second means for forwarding the generated data packet onto the communications network so that other nodes in the route use the Routing Code (RC) to identify node ports whereat the data packet exits a node. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A communications network comprising:
-
a plurality of interconnected nodes having input/output ports for routing packets of data sent from a first node to a second node with one of the nodes specifying a route including nodes through which the packets are to be transported and output address of exit ports from which the packets exit each node; generating means at a node for generating a data packet including a Routing List (RL) containing Routing Codes each one being specific to a node in the route and formed by means for combining the port addresses of the node input port and the node output port; and means for forwarding the generated data packet onto the communications network so that other nodes in the route use the Routing Code (RC) to identify node ports whereat the data packet exits a node. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
-
-
23. A node adapter comprising:
-
a framing control IN circuit means for managing a serial bit input data flow; a framing control OUT circuit means for managing a serial bit output data flow; a routing circuit means for processing a routing list including rotating said list; a feedback circuit means coupled to the routing circuit means for feeding back packets from an input link to an output link; and a bus interface means for interfacing the adapter to the switch fabric.
-
Specification