Path allocation system and method having double link list queues implemented with a digital signal processor (DSP) for a high performance fiber optic switch
First Claim
1. A path allocation system for allocating paths through a fiber optic switch for interconnecting fiber optic ports, comprising:
- a queue corresponding to each of said ports, each said queue for storing addresses received from said ports and identifying data destined for a corresponding port, said addresses being arranged in an order by a link list wherein each of said addresses has an associated pointer indicating a successive address; and
a processor for controlling said queues, said processor for storing said addresses received from said ports in said queues, said processor for generating and storing said pointers in said queues, said processor for retrieving addresses from said queues in said order defined by said link list, and said processor for causing transfer of data corresponding to said addresses to corresponding ports.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fiber optic switch interconnects ports (p1-pi) for connection with respective fiber optic channels so that a fiber optic network is realized. Channel modules provide the ports. Each channel module has a port intelligence mechanism for each port and a memory interface system for temporarily storing data passing to and from the ports. A switch module having a main distribution network, an intermix distribution network, and a control distribution network interconnects the memory interface systems and permits exchange of data among the ports and memory interface systems. A path allocation system controls the switch module and allocates the data paths therethrough. The path allocation system has a scheduler which maintains a destination queue (Qp1 -Qpi) for each of the ports. The destination queues are implemented with a double link list in a single memory configuration so that a separate queue structure in hardware is not necessary. Moreover, the scheduler is implemented with a digital signal processor (DSP) with on-chip memory so that the queues are implemented within the on-chip memory and can be accessed at high speed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A path allocation system for allocating paths through a fiber optic switch for interconnecting fiber optic ports, comprising:
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a queue corresponding to each of said ports, each said queue for storing addresses received from said ports and identifying data destined for a corresponding port, said addresses being arranged in an order by a link list wherein each of said addresses has an associated pointer indicating a successive address; and a processor for controlling said queues, said processor for storing said addresses received from said ports in said queues, said processor for generating and storing said pointers in said queues, said processor for retrieving addresses from said queues in said order defined by said link list, and said processor for causing transfer of data corresponding to said addresses to corresponding ports. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for implementing a high performance fiber optic switch for a fiber optic network, comprising:
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a plurality of fiber optic ports; receive memory means for storing incoming data from said ports; a switch means for communicating data from said memory means to said ports; a queue corresponding to each of said ports, each said queue for storing addresses received from said ports and identifying data destined for a corresponding port, said addresses being arranged in an order by a link list wherein each of said addresses has an associated pointer indicating a successive address; and a scheduler configured to control said queues and said switch means, said scheduler configured to store said addresses received from said ports in said queues, said scheduler configured to generate and store said link list, said scheduler configured to retrieve said addresses from said queues in said order defined by said link list, and said scheduler configured to initiate transfer of data corresponding to said addresses to corresponding ports via said switch means. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for implementing a high performance fiber optic switch for interconnecting fiber optic channels in a fiber optic network, comprising the steps of:
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receiving data and a destination indicator from a source port, said destination indicator identifying a destination port; storing said data at a location; storing a queue entry in a queue corresponding to said destination port, said queue entry identifying said location; defining said queue with a link list; retrieving said entry from said queue based upon an order defined by said link list; and communicating data corresponding to said entry from said source port to said destination port. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification