Dynamically determining a route through one or more switch devices at program execution time

• US 7,017,138 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: White, Jason, Zirojevic, Srdan, Rust, Scott, Liang, Jucao
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kik, Phallaka
• Application Number:
  US10/113,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20030035416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 716/18, 716/16, 716/3, 713/2, 713/100, 710/38, 710/316, 709/221, 709/226, 709/249, 714/725, 714/733, 714/734, 324/763, 324/158.1, 702/119, 702/120, 702/121, 702/122
• US Class Current: 716/128
• 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: H04Q 2213/1302 Relay switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1304 Coordinate switches, crossbar, 4/2 with relays, coupling field
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/545 using a stored programme

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically determining a route through one or more switch devices at program execution time. A program operable to perform a programmatic request to dynamically determine a route may be created. For example, the request may specify a first endpoint (e.g., channel) of a first switch device and a second endpoint (e.g., channel) of a second switch device. In response to the request, the system may dynamically determine a route from the first endpoint to the second endpoint during execution of the program. Information indicating the determined route may be returned to the program.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for runtime determination of a switch device route, the method comprising:

executing a program, said executing comprising performing at least one measurement task;

receiving a programmatic request from the program for determination of a route between a first endpoint of a first switch device and a second endpoint of a second switch device;

determining a route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint in response to the programmatic request from the program, wherein said determining the route is performed during execution of the program to generate a determined route; and

the program performing the measurement task using the determined route.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning information to the program indicating the determined route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first switch device and the second switch device each comprises a plurality of switch device channels;

wherein the route comprises a plurality of connections between the plurality of the switch device channels, wherein the plurality of connections connect the first endpoint of the first switch device to the second endpoint of the second switch device;

wherein said determining the route comprises determining the plurality of connections between the plurality of the switch device channels.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein the first switch device and the second switch device are coupled using one or more hardwires;

and

wherein said determining the route further comprises determining one or more hardwires to use in the determined route to connect the plurality of connections between the switch device channels.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the route passes through a third switch device;

wherein said determining the route comprises;

detenrilning a route from the first endpoint of the first switch device to a channel on the third switch device; and

determining a route from a channel on the third switch device to the second endpoint of the second switch device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

wherein the route from the first endpoint of the first switch device to a channel on the third switch device comprises a first hardwire connection between the first switch device and the third switch device; and

wherein said determining the route from the first endpoint of the first switch device to a channel on the third switch device comprises determining the first hardwire connection between the first switch device and the third switch device;

wherein the route from a channel on the third switch device to the second endpoint of the second switch device comprises a second hardwire connection between the third switch device and the second switch device;

wherein said determining the route from a channel on the third switch device to the second endpoint of the second switch device comprises determining the second hardwire connection between the third switch device and the second switch device.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein said determining the route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint comprises querying one or more switch device drivers to determine route configuration information.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein said determining the route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint comprises using a weight matrix to determine an optimum route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

9. The method of claim 8,

wherein said using a weight matrix to determine the optimum route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint comprises assigning predetermined weights to route paths between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information specifying required signal characteristics of the route;

determining switch device channels having physical characteristics that match the required signal characteristics;

wherein said determining the route comprises determining a route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint that excludes channels not matching the required signal characteristics.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first endpoint of the first switch device comprises a channel of the first switch device;

wherein the second endpoint of the second switch device comprises a channel of the second switch device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating the program, wherein said creating comprises configuring the program to make the programmatic request.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein said creating the program comprises configuring the program to perform the programmatic request for determination of the route between the first endpoint of the first switch device and the second endpoint of the second switch device.

14. The method of claim 13,

wherein the program is a text-based program including a plurality of function calls;

wherein said configuring the program to perform the programmatic request comprises including a first function call among the plurality of function calls, wherein the first function call is operable to perform the programmatic request.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

configuring the first function call with parameter information specifying the first endpoint of the first switch device and the second endpoint of the second switch device.

16. The method of claim 12,

wherein the program is a graphical program including a plurality of interconnected nodes visually indicating functionality of the graphical program;

wherein said configuring the program to perform the programmatic request comprises including a first node among the plurality of interconnected nodes, wherein the first node is operable to perform the programmatic request.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

configuring the first node with information specifying the first endpoint of the first switch device and the second endpoint of the second switch device.

18. The method of claim 16,

wherein the graphical program is a graphical data flow program.

19. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first switch device and the second switch device are the same switch device.

20. The method of claim 1,

wherein the determined route comprises a hardwire connection that couples a channel of the first switch device to a channel of the second switch device.

21. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first switch device and the second switch device are coupled using one or more hardwires, wherein the first switch device and the second switch device each comprise a plurality of switch device channels, wherein each one of the one or more hardwires is operable to couple a channel of the first switch device to a channel of the second switch device;

wherein said determining the route comprises determining one or more switch device channels and one or more hardwires to use in the determined route.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request from the program for determination of a route between a third endpoint of the first switch device and a fourth endpoint of the second switch device;

repeat said determining a route for the third and fourth endpoints.

23. A memory medium comprising program instructions for runtime determination of a switch device route, wherein the program instructions are executable to perform:

receiving a programmatic request from a program during execution of the program for determination of a route between a first endpoint of a first switch device and a second endpoint of a second switch device, wherein the program is executable to perform a task that requires use of the switch device route;

determining a route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint in response to the programmatic request from the program, wherein the route is determined during execution of the program to generate a determined route; and

returning information to the program indicating the determined route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

24. The memory medium of claim 23,

wherein the first switch device and the second switch device each comprises a plurality of switch device channels;

wherein the route comprises a plurality of connections between switch device channels, wherein the plurality of connections connect the first endpoint of the first switch device to the second endpoint of the second switch device; and

wherein said determining the route comprises determining the plurality of connections between the plurality of the switch device channels on the first switch device and the second switch device.

25. The memory medium of claim 23,

wherein the route passes through a third switch device;

wherein said determining the route comprises;

determining a route from the first endpoint of the first switch device to a channel on the third switch device; and

determining a route from a channel on the third switch device to the second endpoint of the second switch device.

26. The memory medium of claim 25, further comprising:

wherein the route from the first endpoint of the first switch device to a channel on the third switch device comprises a first hardwire connection between the first switch device and the third switch device;

wherein said determining the route from the first endpoint of the first switch device to a channel on the third switch device comprises determining the first hardwire connection between the first switch device and the third switch device;

wherein the route from a channel on the third switch device to the second endpoint of the second switch device comprises a second hardwire connection between the third switch device and the second switch device;

wherein said determining the route from a channel on the third switch device to the second endpoint of the second switch device comprises determining the second hardwire connection between the third switch device and the second switch device.

27. The memory medium of claim 23,

wherein said determining the route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint comprises querying one or more switch device drivers to determine route configuration information.

28. The memory medium of claim 23,

wherein said determining the route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint comprises using a weight matrix to determine an optimum route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

29. The memory medium of claim 28,

wherein said using a weight matrix to determine the optimum route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint comprises assigning predetermined weights to route paths between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

30. The memory medium of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving information specifying required signal characteristics of the route;

determining switch device channels having physical characteristics that match the required signal characteristics;

wherein said determining the route comprises determining a route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint that excludes channels not matching the required signal characteristics.

31. The memory medium of claim 23,

wherein the first switch device and the second switch device are the same switch device.

32. The memory medium of claim 23,

wherein the determined route comprises a hardwire connection that couples a channel of the first switch device to a channel of the second switch device.

33. The memory medium of claim 23,

wherein the first switch device and the second switch device are coupled using one or more hardwires, wherein the first switch device and the second switch device each comprise a plurality of switch device channels, wherein each one of the one or more hardwires is operable to couple a channel of the first switch device to a channel of the second switch device;

wherein said determining the route comprises determining one or more switch device channels and one or more hardwires to use in the determined route.

34. A system for runtime determination of a switch device route, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing program instructions;

one or more switch devices, wherein the one or more switch devices each comprises a plurality of switch device channels;

wherein the processor is operable to execute the program instructions to;

receive a programmatic request from a program during execution of the program for determination of a route between a first endpoint of a first switch device and a second endpoint of a second switch device, wherein the program is executable to perform a task that requires use of the switch device route;

determine a route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint in response to the programmatic request from the program, wherein the route is determined during execution of the program;

return information to the program indicating the determined route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint;

wherein the route comprises a hardwire connection that connects a channel of the first switch device to a channel of the second switch device;

wherein said determining the route comprises determining the hardwire connection between the first switch device and the second switch device and determining connections between the plurality of channels on the first switch device and the second switch device.

35. A computer-implemented method for runtime determination of a switch device route, the method comprising:

executing a program, said executing comprising performing at least one task that requires determination of a route between a first switch device and a second switch device;

receiving a programmatic request from the program for determination of a route between a first endpoint of the first switch device and a second endpoint of the second switch device; and

determining a route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint in response to the programmatic request from the program, wherein said determining the route is performed during execution of the program;

wherein the route comprises a hardwire connection that connects a channel of the first switch device to a channel of the second switch device, wherein the first switch device and the second switch device each comprise a plurality of switch device channels;

wherein said determining the route comprises determining a plurality of connections between the plurality of switch device channels, wherein said determining the route further comprises determining the hardwire connection between the first switch device and the second switch device; and

the program performing the at least one task using the determined route.

36. A computer-implemented method for runtime determination of a switch device route, the method comprising:

executing a program, said executing comprising performing at least one task that requires determination of a route between a first switch device and a second switch device, wherein the first switch device and the second switch device are coupled using a plurality of hardwires, wherein the first switch device and the second switch device each comprise a plurality of channels;

receiving a programmatic request from the program for determination of a route between a first endpoint of the first switch device and a second endpoint of the second switch device; and

determining the route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint in response to the programmatic request from the program, wherein said determining the route is performed during execution of the program to generate a determined route;

wherein said determining a route comprises using an algorithm operable to find a route between the first endpoint and the second endpoint, wherein the algorithm is operable to find a path through the plurality of channels on the first switch device and the plurality of channels on the first switch device and couple them using one or more of the plurality of hardwires; and

the program performing the at least one task using the determined route.