Generic backplane system which is configurable to serve different network access methods simultaneously

• US 5,530,842 A
• Filed: 03/31/1994
• Issued: 06/25/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Yongbum, Shohet, Yuval, Carmi, Ilan, Herman, Alex, Bartolini, David, Linde, Yoseph, Saussy, Gordon, Abraham, Menachem, Hart, Ira, Zhovnirovski, Igor, Horowitz, Steven E., Rehberg, Richard, Ramelson, Brian, Cook, John L. III, Ben-Meir, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, MENG AI T
• Application Number:
  US08/221,383
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/200, 395/500, 395/325, 395/275, 395/725, 395/775, 395/200.01, 395/200.10, 395/200.15, 395/200.21, 395/, 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 370/58.1
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/908 Local area network

Abstract

A local net area network, or LAN, configuration is provided with a multiple generic LAN channel architecture which can be logically and dynamically changed. The configuration control can be applied to each module of the network and to each port of a module of a LAN hub. The architecture provides multiple LAN protocols to be used simultaneously, as needed, through protocol specific functions. Industry standard protocol such as: token bus, token ring, and fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), can be implemented using the generic channel architecture and its characteristics providing respective network functions. The architecture also provides a digital collision detection method and provides information necessary for precise network statistics monitoring. The token passing ring architecture provides a logical ring formation within the generic channel. A token passing bus architecture uses modified Ethernet™ architecture, and a hub management provides control for the generic multichannel and the LAN management provides protocol dependent network management. The architecture provided allows multiple hub management entities via hub mastership arbitration to provide a unique master for the hub management function.

Claims

1. A communication system concentrator, comprising:

a plurality of media modules each having one or more ports, each of said plurality of media modules being provided for one or more physical local area network media type such as fiber optic medium, coaxial cable or twisted pair cable and each of said ports being provided for a specific network access method including one of Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) and TokenRing;

a generic passive backplane element with multiple physical circuits which are assigned as physical paths for data exchange between said plurality of media modules said ports of said media modules for connection to said generic passive backplane element, said generic passive backplane element providing multiple, simultaneous data transfer on different physical paths of said generic passive backplane element;

switching means connected to each of said media modules for connecting or disconnecting one or more of said ports of each of said media modules with said generic passive backplane element; and

management means connected to said plurality of media modules for managing said switching means for switching one or more of said ports to connect said ports to said multiple physical circuits for configuring and reconfiguring said physical paths to provide a physical communication path between said ports of a like network access method, whereby said generic passive backplane element is configurable to serve different network acccess methods simultaneously.

2. A communication system concentrator according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said plurality of media modules includes switching means for isolating said ports from said multiple physical circuits of said generic passive backplane element for simultaneous and separate communication.

3. A communication system concentrator according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said plurality of media modules includes module switching means for connecting or disconnecting said media module with said generic backplane, said module switching means including hardware switches controlled by software for creating a logical network topology by selectively connecting and disconnecting said media modules from said generic passive backplane.

4. A communication system concentrator according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said media modules includes port switching means for connecting and disconnecting individual ports to one of said physical circuits of said generic passive backplane element and connecting and disconnecting individual ports to other individual ports and for isolating connected individual ports from said physical circuits of said generic passive backplane element for communication only between connected individual ports, said port switching means including hardware switches controlled by software for creating a logical network topology by selectively connecting and disconnecting ports from said physical paths of said generic passive backplane element.

5. A communication system concentrator according to claim 1, further comprising:

local area network management modules for monitoring and controlling communication on said physical paths of said generic passive backplane element, one of said local area network management modules acting as a hub master for controlling and monitoring physical aspects of communication;

said local area network management modules providing management election means for electing one local area network management module to serve as said hub master;

said hub master continuously exercising said controlling and monitoring of physical aspects of communication, and said election means causing a new election of a hub master upon a break in said continuous exercising of controlling and monitoring physical aspects of communication.

6. A communication system concentrator according to claim 5, wherein:

each of said plurality of media modules includes SLOT-ID transmit means for enabling a unique SLOT-ID of an associated media module onto one of said physical paths of said generic passive backplane element when one of said modules transmits on one of said physical paths of said generic passive backplane element; and

SLOT-ID receive means associated with each of said plurality media modules for comparing a SLOT-ID read from said generic passive backplane with said unique SLOT-ID of said media module to determine contention.

7. A communication system concentrator according to claim 6, wherein:

said SLOT-ID receive means issues a collision enforcement signal if said SLOT-ID read from said generic passive backplane does not match with said unique SLOT-ID, said management module using said collision enforcement signal to distinguish between local and remote collisions and said management module recording collision statistics.

8. A communication system concentrator, comprising:

a plurality of media modules each having ports and each said port being provided for a bus network access method or for a ring network access method;

a backplane, said plurality of media modules being connected to said backplane, said backplane providing multiple physical circuits which are assigned as physical paths for data exchange between said ports of said plurality of media modules, said ports of said plurality of said media modules for connection to said backplane, said backplane being generic and non configured for data exchange between media modules to provide multiple, simultaneous data transfer on different physical paths of said backplane;

switching means connected to each of said media modules for connecting or disconnecting one or more of said ports of each of said media modules with said backplane; and

configuring and reconfiguring means connected to said plurality of media modules for connecting said ports to said multiple physical circuits for configuring and reconfiguring said backplane as physical paths of said bus network access method and/or configuring and backplane as physical paths of said ring network access method for data exchange among media modules, wherein said physical paths of said backplane are configured for direct, transparent, simultaneous independent communication and real time data exchange among media modules allowing different access methods, simultaneously to be served.

9. A concentrator for a local-area-networks, comprising:

a plurality of media modules having one or more ports, each of said plurality of media modules being provided for one or more physical local area network media type such as fiber optic medium, coaxial cable or twisted pair cable and ports of each media module being provided for either a bus network access method or a ring network access method;

a generic passive backplane element with multiple physical circuits which are assigned as physical paths for data exchange between said plurality of media modules, said plurality of media modules being connected to said generic passive backplane providing multiple, simultaneous data transfer on different physical paths of said generic passive backplane element;

switching means connected to each of said media modules for connecting or disconnecting one or more of said ports of each of said media modules with said generic passive backplane element;

management means connected to said plurality of media modules for managing said switching means for switching one or more of said ports to connect said multiple physical circuits for configuring and reconfiguring said physical paths to provide a plurality set of physical communication paths between said ports of a like network access method whereby said generic passive backplane element is configurable to serve different network access methods simultaneously; and

ID means for identifying a source of a transmission from one of said plurality of media modules.

10. A concentrator for a local-area-networks according to claim 9, wherein:

said ID means includes slot-ID transmit means associated with each of said plurality of modules for enabling a unique slot-ID onto one set of said plurality of communication paths when each of said plurality of media modules transmits on one of said physical communication paths;

slot-ID receive means associated with each module for reading said one of said physical communication paths when each of said plurality of media modules is transmitting, said slot-ID receiving means comparing a received slot-ID read from said physical communication path with said unique slot-ID to determine contention.

11. A concentrator in accordance with claim 10, wherein:

said slot-ID receive means issues a collision enforcement signal if said received slot-ID does not compare to said unique slot-ID of a corresponding one of said plurality of media modules, and said management means uses said collision enforcement signal to distinguish between local and remote collisions.

12. A concentrator in accordance with claim 11, further comprising

management means recording collision statistics for said ports and said plurality of media modules based on said port ID.

13. A concentrator in accordance with claim 12, further comprising:

Ethernet™

controller means for controlling and monitoring communication, and recording communication statistics, said Ethernet™

controller means associating all received data packets with a corresponding slot-ID and port-ID for consistency and accuracy of in said recording of said communication statistics.

14. A concentrator in accordance with claim 13, wherein:

said slot-ID and port-ID are used by said Ethernet™

controller means to associate each of said received data packet with an origin.

15. A concentrator in accordance with claim 13, wherein:

said management means controls and monitors said Token Ring protocal on said plurality of communication paths, said management means establishes a logical ring based on said unique slot-ID.

16. A concentrator in accordance with claim 15, wherein:

said logical ring is established by each of said plurality of modules choosing a closest module having a largest slot-ID less than said choosing module, if there is not such module then such choosing module chooses a module with a slot-ID greater than or equal to said slot-ID of said choosing module.

17. A concentrator in accordance with claim 16, further comprising:

rate detection means for detecting a rate of communication on said physical communication path, said logical ring is established by using slot-ID'"'"'s and selecting said ones of said plurality of media modules having similar communication rates.

18. A concentrator in accordance with claim 16, further comprising:

module switches connecting said modules to said generic passive backplane element; and

said management means also establishing said logical ring by controlling said module switches.