System and method for performing switching in multipoint-to-multipoint multicasting
First Claim
1. In a communications network comprised of interconnected switching nodes and transmission paths therein, wherein the communications network is arranged to carry discrete segments of information between information sources and information receivers, a unique multicast group identifier being associated with a subset of information sources and information receivers, the subset of information sources and receivers constituting a multicast group, a method for multipoint-to-multipoint multicast routing of information segments at the switching nodes including an output-buffered switch or shared-memory switch using a spanning tree and having a buffer associated with each output port, said method comprising:
- (a) routing a set of information segments to an output port buffer, the set of information segments having a plurality of multicast group identifiers, each information segment having a plurality of portions including a terminal portion, each portion having a multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers; and
(b) establishing, at the output port buffer to which the set of information segments having at least two multicast group identifiers are routed, at least two queues, each queue corresponding to an individual multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for utilizing buffered switches to perform multipoint-to-multipoint multicasting within a telecommunication network. A switching feature known as cut-through forwarding is implemented for output-buffered switches, shared-memory switches and input-buffered switches.
164 Citations
32 Claims
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1. In a communications network comprised of interconnected switching nodes and transmission paths therein, wherein the communications network is arranged to carry discrete segments of information between information sources and information receivers, a unique multicast group identifier being associated with a subset of information sources and information receivers, the subset of information sources and receivers constituting a multicast group, a method for multipoint-to-multipoint multicast routing of information segments at the switching nodes including an output-buffered switch or shared-memory switch using a spanning tree and having a buffer associated with each output port, said method comprising:
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(a) routing a set of information segments to an output port buffer, the set of information segments having a plurality of multicast group identifiers, each information segment having a plurality of portions including a terminal portion, each portion having a multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers; and (b) establishing, at the output port buffer to which the set of information segments having at least two multicast group identifiers are routed, at least two queues, each queue corresponding to an individual multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a communications network comprised of interconnected switching nodes and transmission links defining transmission paths therein, wherein the communications network is arranged to carry discrete segments of information between information sources and information receivers, a unique multicast group identifier being associated with a subset of information sources and information receivers, the subset of information sources and receivers constituting a multicast group, a buffered switch for multipoint-to-multipoint multicast routing of information segments at the switching nodes, said buffered switch including an output-buffered switch or shared-memory switch using a spanning tree, said buffered switch comprising:
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a plurality of input ports interconnected to a plurality of output ports; a plurality of buffers, each buffer being uniquely associated with one of said plurality of output ports, a set of information segments being routed to an output port buffer from the plurality of output port buffers, the set of information segments having a plurality of multicast group identifiers, each information segment having a plurality of portions including a terminal portion, each portion having a multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers, the output port buffer to which the set of information segments having at least two multicast group identifiers are routed establishing at least two queues, each queue corresponding to an individual multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a communications network comprised of interconnected switching nodes and transmission links defining transmission paths therein, wherein the communications network is arranged to carry discrete segments of information between information sources and information receivers, a unique multicast group identifier being associated with a subset of information sources and information receivers, the subset of information sources and receivers constituting a multicast group, a method for multipoint-to-multipoint multicast routing of information segments at the switching nodes including an input-buffered switch having a buffer associated with each input port, said method comprising:
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(a) receiving a set of information segments at an input port buffer, the set of information segments having a plurality of multicast group identifiers, each information segment having a plurality of portions including a terminal portion, each portion having a multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers; and (b) establishing, at the input port buffer at which the set of information segments having at least two multicast group identifiers are received, at least two queues, each queue corresponding to an individual multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. In a communications network comprised of interconnected switching nodes and transmission links defining transmission paths therein, wherein the communications network is arranged to carry discrete segments of information between information sources and information receivers, a unique multicast group identifier being associated with a subset of information sources and information receivers, the subset of information sources and receivers constituting a multicast group, an input-buffered switch for multipoint-to-multipoint multicast routing of information segments at the switching nodes, comprising:
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a plurality of input ports interconnected to a plurality of output ports; a plurality of buffers, each buffer being uniquely associated with one of said plurality of input ports, a set of information segments being received at an input port buffer from the plurality of input port buffers, the set of information segments having a plurality of multicast group identifiers, each information segment having a plurality of portions including a terminal portion, each portion having a multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers, the input port buffer at which the set of information segments having at least two multicast group identifiers are received establishing at least two queues, each queue corresponding to an individual multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for multipoint-to-multipoint multicast routing of information packets at a switching node having a buffer associated with each output port, said method comprising:
performing, at an output port buffer to which a set of information packets having a plurality of multicast group identifiers are routed, the following; (a) establishing at least two queues at the output port buffer, each queue corresponding to an individual multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers, each information packet having a plurality of cells including a terminal cell, each cell having a multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers; and (b) buffering each cell from the set of information packets in the queue corresponding to the multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers associated with that cell.
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28. A method for multipoint-to-multipoint multicast routing of information packets at a switching node having a buffer associated with each output port, said method comprising:
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(a) performing, at an output port buffer to which a set of information packets having a plurality of multicast group identifiers are routed, the following; i) establishing at least two queues at the output port buffer each queue corresponding to an individual multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers, each information packet having a plurality of cells including a terminal cell, each cell having a multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers; ii) buffering each cell from the plurality of information packets in the queue corresponding to the multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers associated with that cell; and b) forwarding all portions of a first information packet from the set of information packets having a first multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers prior to forwarding any portion of another information packet having the first multicast group identifier;
said forwarding step (c) being performed without coordination among output ports.
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29. A buffered switch, comprising:
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a plurality of input ports interconnected to a plurality of output ports; and a plurality of buffers, each buffer being uniquely associate with one of said plurality of output ports, a set of information packets being routed to an output port buffer from the plurality of output port buffers, the set of information packets having a plurality of multicast group identifiers, each information packet having a plurality of cells including a terminal cell, each cell having a multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers, the output port buffer to which information segments having at least two multicast group identifiers are routed establishing at least two queues, each queue corresponding to an individual multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers.
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30. A buffered switch, comprising:
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a plurality of input ports interconnected to a plurality of output ports; a plurality of buffers, each buffer being uniquely associated with one of said plurality of output ports, a set of information packets being routed to an output port buffer from the plurality of output port buffers, the set of information packets having a plurality of multicast group identifiers, each information packet having a plurality of cells including a terminal cell, each cell having a multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers, the output port buffer to which the set of information packets having at least two multicast group identifiers are routed establishing at least two queues, each queue corresponding to an individual multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers; and a plurality of controllers, each controller being connected between one of said plurality of buffers and its associated output port, each controller forwarding all portions of a first information packet from the set of information packets having a first multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers prior to forwarding any portion of another information packet having the first multicast group identifier and forwarding without coordination among controllers.
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31. A method for multipoint-to-multipoint multicast routing of information packets at an input-buffered switch having a buffer associated with each input port, said method comprising:
performing, at an input port buffer to which a set of information packets having a plurality of multicast group identifiers are received, the following; (a) establishing at least two queues at the input port buffer, each queue corresponding to an individual multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers, each information packet having a plurality of cells including a terminal cell, each cell having a multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers; and (b) buffering each cell from the set of information packets in the queue corresponding to the multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers associated with that cell.
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32. An input-buffered switch for multipoint-to-multipoint multicast routing of information packets, comprising:
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a plurality of input ports interconnected to a plurality of output ports; a plurality of buffers, each buffer being uniquely associated with one of said plurality of input ports, a set of information packets being received at an input port buffer from the plurality of input port buffers, the set of information packets having a plurality of multicast group identifiers, each information packet having a plurality of cells including a terminal cell, each cell having a multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers, the input port buffer at which the set of information packets having at least two multicast group identifiers are received establishing at least two queues, each queue corresponding to an individual multicast group identifier from the plurality of multicast group identifiers associated with the cell.
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Specification