Multi-portal bridge for providing network connectivity

• US 6,772,267 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smsc Holdings Sarl
• Original Assignee: BridgeCo AG (RIEDEL Communications GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Stadler, Manfred, Boesch, Thomas, Dasen, Marcel, Heidelberger, Christoph, Dickmann, Georg, Thaler, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Application Number:
  US09/784,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 710/306, 710/62, 710/312, 710/72, 710/315, 710/316, 710/100, 709/250, 709/223, 709/200, 709/218, 709/249, 709/253, 370/401, 370/402, 370/465, 370/354, 370/466, 370/911, 370/912, 370/901, 370/908, 713/400
• US Class Current: 710/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/14 Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40052 High-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus bus transfer protocol on a daisy chain bus using an embedded synchronisation G06F13/426
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40091 Bus bridging LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40097 Interconnection with other networks LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge

Abstract

Split IEEE 1394 bridges utilize individual portals or bundles of portals to communicate over a non-full-featured IEEE 1394 network such as a local or wide area network in combination with IEEE 1394 multi-portal bridges. Multi-portal bridges may be formed through the connection of several split bridges each with one or more IEEE 1394 portals over a core net. The core net is invisible to the IEEE 1394 nodes with respect to traffic originating from an IEEE 1394 bus for a destination in an IEEE 1394 bus, and the network elements allow for increased network scalability in both terms of physical size and levels of hierarchy. Useful properties of a core net such as availability of high-performance switches or increased reach are incorporated into an IEEE 1394 network.

Claims

1. A multi-portal bridge for providing network connectivity, the multi-portal bridge comprising:

a plurality of split bridges, with each split bridge including a first type of portal;

and a network connected to the plurality of split bridges, wherein the network includes a second type of portal and a synchronization unit for performing bus synchronization across and between the network and the plurality of split bridges.

2. The multi-portal bridge of claim 1, wherein the first type of portal is IEEE 1394-compliant.

3. The multi-portal bridge of claim 1, wherein the second type of portal is Ethernet-compliant.

4. The multi-portal bridge of claim 1, wherein at least one split bridge of the plurality of split bridges includes a first node associated with the first type of portal;

wherein the network includes a second node associated with the second type of portal; and

wherein communication signals are transmitted between the first and second nodes over the plurality of split bridges and the network.

5. The multi-portal bridge of claim 1, wherein the network, connected to the plurality of split bridges, provides quality of service (QoS) associated with the first type of portal.

6. The multi-portal bridge of claim 5, wherein the network transmits communications signals to a first split bridge of the plurality of split bridges;

and wherein a QoS of the network is provided to the first split bridge receiving the communications signals.

7. The multi-portal bridge of claim 6, wherein the communications signals are packets.

8. The multi-portal bridge of claim 1, wherein the network is an adaptation fabric providing inter-portal connectivity between the plurality of split bridges with each other and with an external network having the second type of portal.

9. The multi-portal bridge of claim 8, wherein the external network is a Ethernet-based network.

10. A system comprising:

a first network operating using a first type of communications protocol;

a second network operating using a second type of communications protocol different from the first type of communications protocol;

and a split bridge having;

a first portal, connected to the first network, for conveying communications using the first type of communications protocol;

a second portal, connected to the second network, for conveying communications using the second type of communications protocol; and

a synchronization unit for performing synchronization across and between the networks and the split bridge.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a switch, connected to the second network, for receiving the communications from the first network via the split bridge.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first type of communications protocol is an IEEE 1394-based protocol.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first type of communications protocol is an Ethernet-based protocol.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein quality of service (QoS) is maintained for communications between the first and second networks using the first and second types of communications protocols, respectively.

15. A method for providing communications over different types of networks, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a communications signal from a first network to a bridge unit using a first type of communications protocol to a bridge unit;

receiving the communications signal at a first portal of the bridge unit, the first portal being compliant with the first type of communications protocol;

converting the communications signal from the first type of communications protocol to a second type of communications protocol different from the first type, including performing framing/de-framing operations on the communications signal using a framing/de-framing unit for selective processing of the communications signal according to the format of the communications signal;

transmitting the converted communications signal from a second portal of the bridge unit, with the second portal being compliant with the second type of communications protocol; and

receiving the converted communications signal at a second network using the second type of communications protocol.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first type of communications protocol is an IEEE 1394-based protocol.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first type of communications protocol is an Ethernet-based protocol.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the steps of transmitting, receiving, and converting includes the step of:

maintaining quality of service (QoS) of the communications signal for transmission and reception by the first and second networks, respectively.