Router apparatus using ATM switch

• US 6,385,171 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1999
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takase, Akihiko, Wakayama, Koji, Takatori, Masahiro, Miki, Kazuho, Murakami, Masaru, Yoshimoto, Tetsuro, Kunimoto, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US09/410,575
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395, 370/396, 370/397, 370/398, 370/399, 370/400, 370/401, 370/464, 370/465, 370/466, 370/470, 370/471, 395/250, 395/200.62
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5618 Bridges, gateways [GW] or interworking units [IWU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5638 Services, e.g. multimedia, GOS, QOS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5652 Cell construction, e.g. including header, packetisation, depacketisation, assembly, reassembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5658 using the AAL5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5667 IP over ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5674 Synchronisation, timing recovery or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5681 Buffer or queue management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/255 Control mechanisms for ATM switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/606 Hybrid ATM switches, e.g. ATM&STM, ATM&Frame Relay or ATM&IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/608 ATM switches adapted to switch variable length packets, e.g. IP packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

An LAN interface unit and an ATM switch unit cooperate to perform traffic control. A QoS unit monitors circumstances of an input buffer from a multiplexer of the ATM switch by means of a system controller and when an overflow of the input buffer is expected, the LAN interface unit of the multiplexer is instructed to perform traffic control. The LAN interface unit performs traffic control such as limitation of ATM cells inputted in the ATM switch.

Claims

1. A router apparatus using routing of IP packets, comprising:

a plurality of input units to be coupled to a plurality of interfaces which input the IP packets from a network being capable of transferring IP packets for generating corresponding ATM cells from said inputted IP packets, each of said interfaces corresponds to a flow of said IP packet, each of said interfaces including a shaping unit which controls outputting rate of said generated ATM cells to an ATM switch in accordance with the instruction;

an ATM switch which exchanges said ATM cells produced from said interface in accordance with a header in each one of said ATM cells; and

a controller which monitors accumulation of the ATM cells stored in a buffer provided in said ATM switch and which generates instructions to stop sending the generated ATM cells to the ATM switch and to reduce a sending rate of the ATM cells to said ATM switch when a remainder of the buffer of the ATM switch is smaller than a predetermined amount and to discard the ATM cells generated when an overflow of the buffer is indicated.

2. A router as claimed in claim 1, wherein said router has the plurality of interfaces.

3. A router apparatus using routing of IP packets, comprising:

a plurality of input units to be coupled to a plurality of interfaces which input the IP packets from a network being capable of transferring IP packets for generating corresponding ATM cells from said inputted IP packets, each of said interfaces corresponds to a flow of said IP packet, each of said interfaces includes a shaping unit which controls outputting rate of said generated ATM cells to an ATM switch in accordance with the instruction;

an ATM switch which exchanges said ATM cells produced from said interface in accordance with a header included in each one of said ATM cells; and

a controller which monitors the transmission rate for each VPI and VCI corresponding to the flow of IP packets, and generates instructions to control said transmission rate of each the VPI and VCI so as not to exceed a predetermined level.

4. A router as claimed in claim 3, wherein said router has the plurality of interfaces.

5. A router apparatus using routing of IP packets, comprising:

a plurality of interfaces which input the IP packets from a network being capable of transferring IP packets for generating corresponding ATM cells from said inputted IP packets, each of said interfaces corresponds to a flow of said IP packet, each of said interfaces includes a shaping unit which controls outputting rate of said generated ATM cells to an ATM switch in accordance with the instruction;

an ATM switch which exchanges said ATM cells produced from said interface in accordance with a header included in each one of said ATM cells;

a controller which monitors accumulation of said ATM cells stored in a buffer provided in said ATM switch and which generates instructions to stop sending said generated ATM cells to said ATM switch and to reduce a sending rate of said ATM cells to said ATM switch when a remainder of said buffer of said ATM switch is smaller than a predetermined amount and to discard said ATM cells generated when an overflow of said buffer is indicated; and

wherein each of said interfaces stops sending said ATM cells generated from the received IP packets and discards said ATM cells in accordance with the instruction from the controller.

6. A router apparatus using routing of IP packets, comprising:

a plurality of interfaces which input the IP packets from a network being capable of transferring IP packets for generating corresponding ATM cells from said inputted IP packets, each of said interfaces corresponds to a flow of said IP packet, each of said interfaces includes a shaping unit which controls outputting rate of said generated ATM cells to an ATM switch in accordance with the instruction;

an ATM switch which exchanges the ATM cells produced from the interface in accordance with a header included in each one of the ATM cells; and

a controller which monitors the transmission rate for each VPI and VCI corresponding to the flow of IP packets, and generates instructions to control said transmission rate of each the VPI and VCI so as not to exceed a predetermined level.

7. A router apparatus using routing of IP packets, comprising:

a plurality of input units to be coupled to a plurality of interfaces which input the IP packets from a network being capable of transferring IP packets for generating corresponding ATM cells from said inputted IP packets,

an ATM switch which exchanges said ATM cells produced from said interface in accordance with a header included in each one of said ATM cells; and

a controller which monitors accumulation of said ATM cells stored in a buffer provided in said ATM switch and which generates instructions to said interface to control outputting rate of said generated ATM cells in accordance with the accumulation of said buffer.

8. A router as claimed in claim 7, wherein said router has the plurality of interfaces.

9. A router apparatus using routing of IP packets, comprising:

a plurality of interfaces which input the IP packets from a network being capable of transferring IP packets for generating corresponding ATM cells from the inputted IP packets,

an ATM switch which exchanges said ATM cells produced from said interface in accordance with a header included in each one of said ATM cells;

a controller which monitors accumulation of said ATM cells stored in a buffer provided in said ATM switch and which generates instructions to said interface to control outputting rate of said generated ATM cells in accordance with the accumulation of said buffer; and

wherein each of said interfaces forms an ATM cell from a flow of said IP packets received from the connected network and transmits to said ATM switch said ATM cell with specific VPI and VCI set to the flow in cooperation with said controller and limits transmission of said ATM cells to said ATM switch when traffic control is instructed from said controller.