Portable networking interface method for distributed switching system

• US 7,480,311 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Larsen, Loren Douglas, Alexander, Cedell Adam Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US11/752,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 370/360, 370/392, 370/395.5, 370/395.52, 370/401, 370/402, 370/463, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 709/230, 709/238, 709/250, 719/328, 719/329
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5669 Multiprotocol over ATM [MPOA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/45 Arrangements for providing or supporting expansion

Abstract

An interface method to provide a portable networking interface for distributed switching systems. Two Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are defined for communication to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL). The FDDL sits between network client applications and the switch device driver in order to provide a uniform interface to the switch device driver. Towers may be added to the FDDL to provide additional functionality specific to certain client applications.

Claims

1. A method of providing communications over a network system utilizing a first protocol and a second protocol, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information at a port controller in a first protocol from a first node machine;

communicating the information from the port controller in the first protocol to a switch fabric;

communicating the information from the switch fabric to a switch device driver within an operating system;

communicating the information from the switch device driver to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL); and

communicating the information from the FDDL to a first protocol client;

wherein the FDDL allows each protocol application to distribute its database and functionality to port controllers within the switch fabric, wherein the distribution facilitates hardware forwarding at the port controllers;

wherein said each protocol application defines a specific set of FDDL messages that are exchanged between the protocol application and the switch fabric, wherein the messages are passed to a software running at each of the port controllers.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving additional information at a port controller in a second protocol from the first node machine;

communicating the additional information from the port controller in the second protocol to the switch fabric;

communicating the additional information from the switch fabric to the switch device driver within the operating system;

communicating the additional information from the switch device driver to the Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL); and

communicating the additional information from the FDDL to a second protocol client.