Router with de-centralized processing using intelligent ports

• US 6,078,963 A
• Filed: 01/16/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Civanlar, Seyhan, Saksena, Vikram R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/008,493
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 714/4, 714/3, 714/5, 709/200, 709/201, 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/218, 709/238, 709/239
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/742 Route cache; Operation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/101 using crossbar or matrix

Abstract

An improved network router having a plurality of intelligent router ports. Each intelligent router port may have its own routing and/or forwarding engines. Thus, a centralized master routing and forwarding engine, existing in conventional routers, is not necessary. Accordingly, the bottlenecking problems associated with a centralized routing and forwarding engine are significantly reduced.

Claims

1. A router for use in a network comprising:

a switching fabric; and

a plurality of intelligent router ports interconnected via the switching fabric, each of the intelligent router ports including a routing table and a processing unit configured to receive data packets from the network, process the data packets using information in the routing table, forward the data packets via the switching fabric to a selected one of the intelligent router ports responsive to the routing table, and independently generate and maintain a routing table.

2. The router of claim 1 wherein the intelligent router ports are configured to compare an address of at least one of the data packets with the routing table.

3. The router of claim 2 wherein the intelligent router ports each include an external interface for interfacing with the network, the external interface including a first level cache for storing routing information.

4. The router of claim 1 wherein the intelligent router ports each include an internal interface for interfacing with the switching fabric, the internal interface including a multiplexer.

5. The router of claim 1 wherein each of the intelligent router ports includes a cache containing routing information.

6. The intelligent router port of claim 1 wherein the routing table is updated according to contents of a routing protocol packet received by the intelligent router port.

7. An intelligent router port for a router, the intelligent router port having a processor for independently maintaining a routing table and for forwarding a data packet according to the routing table and an address of the data packet.

8. The intelligent router port of claim 7 wherein the routing table is an unsorted routing table.

9. A method of operating a router comprising utilizing a quantum search algorithm to perform a search on an unsorted router table.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the quantum search algorithm includes the Grover search algorithm.

11. A router comprising quantum search logic for searching an unsorted routing table.

12. The router of claim 11 wherein the routing table is maintained in a cache and the quantum search logic includes a plurality of gates.