Network switch having a programmable counter

• US 7,643,481 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ambe, Shekhar, Kadambi, Shiri
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh; Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Blanche
• Application Number:
  US11/065,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20050141501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/42 Loop networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4645 Details on frame tagging routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/467 Arrangements for supporting untagged frames, e.g. port-based VLANs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5602 Bandwidth control in ATM Networks, e.g. leaky bucket
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5665 Interaction of ATM with other protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/742 Route cache; Operation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/286 Time to live
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/431 using padding or de-padding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 : ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 : for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/352 : Gigabit ethernet switching [GBPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/354 : for supporting virtual local area networks [VLAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/602 : Multilayer or multiprotocol switching, e.g. IP switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 : Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9073 : Early interruption upon arrival of a fraction of a packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 : Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 : Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields

Abstract

A network switch for switching packets from a source to a destination includes a source port for receiving an incoming packet from a source, a destination port that contains a path to a destination for the packet, and a programmable counter unit for counting a number of packets of selected packet types which are received by the switch.

Claims

1. A network device for switching packets from a source to a destination, said network device comprising:

a source port configured to receive a packet;

a destination port configured to transmit the packet;

a programmable counter configured to count a number of packets of a selected packet type which are received by the network device,

wherein the programmable counter comprises a rules table configured to store rules which control packet flow,

wherein said rules table comprises a counter field, a filter value field, and a filter select field;

wherein a field of the selected packet type comprises a new code point action field.

2. A network device as recited in claim 1, wherein said programmable counter further comprises a filter configured to parse selected fields of an incoming packet and compare a selected field to a table to determine whether the incoming packet is of a selected packet type.

3. A network device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a central processing unit interface configured to connect the network device to a remote central processing unit, wherein said remote central processing unit is configured to program the programmable counter.

4. A network device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an internal memory configured to store first selected incoming packets therein;

a memory management unit comprising an external memory interface configured to interface with an external memory, wherein said external memory interface is configured to send second selected incoming packets to the external memory; and

a communication channel configured to communicate data and messaging information between the source port and the destination port, the internal memory, and the memory management unit.

5. A network device as recited in claim 1, wherein said programmable counter is further configured to provide separate counts of a plurality of incoming packets of different packet types, and to take a different action based upon values for the separate counts of the plurality of incoming packets of different packet types.

6. A network device for switching packets from a source to a destination, said network device comprising:

a source port configured to receive a packet;

a destination port configured to transmit the packet; and

a programmable counter configured to count a number of packets of a selected packet type which are received by the network device, wherein the programmable counter comprises a rules table therein for storing rules which control packet flow,

wherein a field of a selected packet type comprises a new code point action field, and

wherein the new code point action field may be set to a value comprising at least one of no action, assign a new code point, assign the new code point and change a priority of a packet of the selected packet type, and drop the packet of the selected packet type.

7. A network device as recited in claim 6, wherein, when the value for the new code point action field comprises the assign the new code point, the programmable counter is further configured to change a class of service for the packet of the selected packet type.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a packet;

forwarding means for forwarding the packet to a destination; and

counting means for counting a number of packets of a selected packet type which are received by the apparatus,

wherein the counting means comprises storing means for storing rules which control packet flow,

wherein said storing means comprises a counter field, a filter value field, and a filter select field,

wherein a field of the selected packet type comprises a new code point action field.

9. An apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving a packet;

forwarding means for forwarding the packet to a destination; and

counting means for counting a number of packets of a selected packet type which are received by the apparatus,

wherein the counting means comprises storing means therein for storing rules which control packet flow,

wherein a field of the selected packet type comprises a new code point action field, and wherein the new code point action field may be set to a value comprising at least one of no action, assign a new code point, assign the new code point and change a priority of a packet of the selected packet type, and drop the packet of the selected packet type.