Buffer to buffer credit flow control for computer network
First Claim
1. A method for providing buffer-to-buffer credit port-level flow control for a computer network in operative communication with a plurality of ingress and egress network processors, each having an egress port and an ingress port that is associated with a buffer-to-buffer credit value corresponding to the current number of frames the ingress port sends, a buffer value corresponding to the current total frame size the ingress port sends, and a pending buffer-to-buffer value corresponding to the pending buffer-to-buffer credits an egress port issues the ingress port, and a set of network processors is associated with a bridge, the method comprising the steps of:
- sending a frame from the ingress port to a destination egress port, if the ingress port has a sufficient buffer-to-buffer credit value and buffer value;
decrementing the buffer-to-buffer credit value associated with the ingress port;
decrementing the buffer value associated with the ingress port;
determining whether to increment the buffer-to-buffer credit value associated with the ingress port by incrementing the buffer-to-buffer credit value associated with the ingress port if the product of one plus the buffer-to-buffer credit value times the maximum frame size in bytes is less than or equal to a minimum egress buffering value;
the minimum egress buffering value corresponds to the minimum amount of egress buffering that is available for any one egress port;
incrementing the pending credit value associated with the ingress port;
determining whether to send a credit message to the ingress port;
the computer network further comprises a switch fabric; and
wherein the network processors are in operative communication with the switch fabric via the associated bridge.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing flow control for a computer network is disclosed. In one embodiment of the present invention, buffer-to-buffer credit flow control is implemented to limit the amount of data a port may send based on the number and size of the frames sent from that port.
166 Citations
6 Claims
-
1. A method for providing buffer-to-buffer credit port-level flow control for a computer network in operative communication with a plurality of ingress and egress network processors, each having an egress port and an ingress port that is associated with a buffer-to-buffer credit value corresponding to the current number of frames the ingress port sends, a buffer value corresponding to the current total frame size the ingress port sends, and a pending buffer-to-buffer value corresponding to the pending buffer-to-buffer credits an egress port issues the ingress port, and a set of network processors is associated with a bridge, the method comprising the steps of:
-
sending a frame from the ingress port to a destination egress port, if the ingress port has a sufficient buffer-to-buffer credit value and buffer value; decrementing the buffer-to-buffer credit value associated with the ingress port; decrementing the buffer value associated with the ingress port; determining whether to increment the buffer-to-buffer credit value associated with the ingress port by incrementing the buffer-to-buffer credit value associated with the ingress port if the product of one plus the buffer-to-buffer credit value times the maximum frame size in bytes is less than or equal to a minimum egress buffering value;
the minimum egress buffering value corresponds to the minimum amount of egress buffering that is available for any one egress port;incrementing the pending credit value associated with the ingress port; determining whether to send a credit message to the ingress port; the computer network further comprises a switch fabric; and wherein the network processors are in operative communication with the switch fabric via the associated bridge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. A system for providing buffer-to-buffer credit port-level flow control for a computer network in operative communication with a plurality of ingress and egress network processors, said system comprising:
-
a plurality of ingress and egress network processors, each of said plurality of network processors having an egress port and an ingress port that is associated with a buffer-to-buffer credit value corresponding to the current number of frames the ingress port sends, a buffer value corresponding to the current total frame size the ingress port sends, and a pending buffer-to-buffer value corresponding to the pending buffer-to-buffer credits an egress port issues the ingress port, and a set of said plurality of network processors is associated with a bridge, wherein; a frame is sent from the ingress port to a destination egress port, if the ingress port has a sufficient buffer-to-buffer credit value and buffer value; the buffer-to-buffer credit value associated with the ingress port is decremented; the buffer value associated with the ingress port is decremented; the buffer-to-buffer credit value associated with the ingress port is determined whether to be incremented, the buffer-to-buffer credit value associated with the ingress port is incremented if the product of one plus the buffer-to-buffer credit value times the maximum frame size in bytes is less than or equal to a minimum egress buffering value, the minimum egress buffering value corresponds to the minimum amount of egress buffering that is available for any one egress port; the pending credit value associated with the ingress port is incremented; a credit message to the ingress port is determined whether to be sent; the computer network further comprises a switch fabric; and wherein the network processors are in operative communication with the switch fabric via the associated bridge. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
-
Specification