Memory and apparatus for input based control of discards in a lossy packet network
First Claim
1. A switch for processing data units, said switch including:
- a plurality of input ports for receiving data units;
a plurality of output ports for releasing data units;
a lossy switch fabric for selectively establishing a plurality of logical pathways between said input ports and said output ports, each logical pathway connecting a certain input port to a certain output port, whereby a data unit received at the certain input port is transported to the certain output port on the logical pathway between said certain output port and said certain input port;
a plurality of transport nodes forming points of transfer of data units to and from said switch fabric, whereby each logical pathway passing through said switch fabric includes at least one transport node of said switch fabric;
a discard control mechanism associated with a certain transport node of said switch for controlling the discard of data units, said discard control mechanism comprising a queue for storage of data units flowing through the certain transport node associated with said discard control mechanism, said discard control mechanism being operative to distinguish and selectively discard data units on a basis of the transport nodes at which the data units have been transferred to said switch fabric.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a lossy switch for processing data units, for example IP data packets. The switch can be implemented as a contained network that includes a plurality of input ports, a plurality of output ports and a lossy switch fabric capable of establishing logical pathways to interconnect a certain input port with a certain output port. A characterizing element of the switch is its ability to control the discard of data packets at a transport point within the switch. This control mechanism prevents and reduces congestion which may occur within the switch fabric and at the level of the input and output ports. The system also supports priorities, routing HI priority request data packets over the switch fabric before LO priority request data packets, and discarding LO priority data packets first when controlling congestion.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A switch for processing data units, said switch including:
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a plurality of input ports for receiving data units;
a plurality of output ports for releasing data units;
a lossy switch fabric for selectively establishing a plurality of logical pathways between said input ports and said output ports, each logical pathway connecting a certain input port to a certain output port, whereby a data unit received at the certain input port is transported to the certain output port on the logical pathway between said certain output port and said certain input port;
a plurality of transport nodes forming points of transfer of data units to and from said switch fabric, whereby each logical pathway passing through said switch fabric includes at least one transport node of said switch fabric;
a discard control mechanism associated with a certain transport node of said switch for controlling the discard of data units, said discard control mechanism comprising a queue for storage of data units flowing through the certain transport node associated with said discard control mechanism, said discard control mechanism being operative to distinguish and selectively discard data units on a basis of the transport nodes at which the data units have been transferred to said switch fabric. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for controlling the transport of data units in a switch, said switch comprising:
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a plurality of input ports for receiving data units;
a plurality of output ports for releasing data units;
a lossy switch fabric for selectively establishing a plurality of logical pathways between said input ports and said output ports, each logical pathway connecting a certain input port to a certain output port, whereby a data unit received at the certain input port is transported to the certain output port on the logical pathway;
a plurality of transport nodes forming points of transfer of data units to and from said switch fabric, whereby each logical pathway passing through said switch fabric includes at least one transport node of said switch fabric;
said method comprising the steps of;
a) storing in a queue data units flowing through a certain transport node; and
b) controlling a discard of data units at the certain transport node at least in part on a basis of the transport nodes at which the data units have been transferred to said switch fabric. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification