Packet-layer transparent packet-switching network
First Claim
1. A method for delivering data packets over a network, the method comprising:
- receiving a data packet, the data packet including a stack of two or more forwarding instruction tags (FITs) and a set of active tag identifiers (ATIs), wherein the set of ATIs indicate one of the FITs in the stack as an active FIT to be used at a next stage of forwarding;
scanning the stack of FITs until a FIT indicated by the ATIs as the active FIT is found, wherein, if it is determined that the topmost FIT is not the active FIT, said scanning continues through one or more subsequent FITs in the stack;
determining a next hop destination corresponding to the active FIT;
modifying the ATIs to indicate a subsequent active FIT, if any, in the stack; and
forwarding the data packet to the determined next hop destination.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Packet forwarding systems and methods allow packet-layer transparent, multi-stage packet forwarding among a set of network access points. Packet forwarding across networks utilizing the invention is directly controllable through the upper-layer nodes, e.g. routers, interconnected by such transparent packet forwarding networks. The systems and methods provide packet-layer routing, switching and forwarding look-up-table free and transparent forwarding of label-encapsulated multi-protocol packet traffic among a set of routers. The invention enables flexible and efficient packet multicast and anycast capabilities along with real-time dynamic load balancing and fast packet-level traffic protection rerouting. The invention replaces the need for packet forwarding look-up-tables in a router interconnect network by a set of rules using which such network forwards packets directly based on their forwarding labels inserted in the packet headers by the routers exchanging packets through said network, thus simplifying network management and equipment implementation, and facilitating optimization of packet traffic flow across communications networks.
25 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for delivering data packets over a network, the method comprising:
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receiving a data packet, the data packet including a stack of two or more forwarding instruction tags (FITs) and a set of active tag identifiers (ATIs), wherein the set of ATIs indicate one of the FITs in the stack as an active FIT to be used at a next stage of forwarding; scanning the stack of FITs until a FIT indicated by the ATIs as the active FIT is found, wherein, if it is determined that the topmost FIT is not the active FIT, said scanning continues through one or more subsequent FITs in the stack;
determining a next hop destination corresponding to the active FIT;
modifying the ATIs to indicate a subsequent active FIT, if any, in the stack; and
forwarding the data packet to the determined next hop destination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A network system for delivering data packets, wherein one or more of the data packets has a header including a stack of two or more forwarding instruction tags (FITs) and a set of active tag identifiers (ATIs) that mark one of the FITs as an active FIT, the network system comprising:
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a set of network devices, scanning the stack of FITs until a FIT indicated by the ATIs as the active FIT is found, wherein, if it is determined that the topmost FIT is not the active FIT, said scanning continues through one or more subsequent FITs in the stack; at least at one of the network devices, hardware logic at a forwarding engine configured to i) forward a packet received over an external interface based at least in part on the active FIT, and ii) modify the ATIs to mark as active a subsequent FIT for a subsequent stage of forwarding in the network system, if any such stage exists. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A network device for forwarding data packets, wherein one or more of the data packets has a header including a stack of two or more forwarding instruction tags (FITs) and a set of active tag identifiers (ATIs) that mark one of the FITs as an
active FIT, the network device providing: - at least one access interface, a set of one or more connections, each transporting data packets to its corresponding
destination network device, hardware logic at a forwarding engine configured to i) scan the stack of FITs until a FIT indicated by the ATIs as the active FIT is found, so that, if it is determined that the topmost FIT is not the active FIT, such scanning continues through one or more subsequent FITs in the stack, ii) forward a packet received over an access interface to a destination network device over its corresponding connection, based at least in part on the active FIT, and iii) unless configured otherwise, modify the ATIs to mark as active a subsequent FIT in the packet header. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
- at least one access interface, a set of one or more connections, each transporting data packets to its corresponding
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24. A method for delivering data packets over a network, the method comprising:
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sending a data packet to a network comprising a plurality of network devices, the data packet including a stack of two or more forwarding instruction tags (FITs) and a set of active tag indicators (ATIs), wherein the set of ATIs indicate one of the FITs in the stack as an active FIT to be used at a next stage of forwarding; at each of a set of the network devices, receiving the data packet, scanning the stack of FITs until a FIT indicated by the ATIs as the active FIT is found, wherein, if it is determined that the topmost FIT is not the active FIT, said scanning continues through one or more subsequent FITs in the stack, determining a next hop destination corresponding to the active FIT, modifying the ATIs to activate a subsequent FIT, if any, in the stack, and forwarding the data packet to the determined next hop destination; at one of the network devices at a final stage of forwarding the data packet in the network, reverting the ATIs of the packet to their original values in which they were when the packet was first received by the network. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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25. A network device for delivering data packets over a network, the device configured with at least one hardware or software instruction for causing the device to perform a method comprising:
receiving a data packet, the data packet including a stack of two or more forwarding instruction tags (FITs) and a set of active tag indicators (ATIs), wherein the set of ATIs indicate one of the FITs in the stack as an active FIT to be used at a next stage of forwarding scanning the stack of FITs until a FIT indicated by the ATIs as the active FIT is found, wherein, if it is determined that the topmost FIT is not the active FIT, said scanning continues through one or more subsequent FITs in the stack;
determining a next hop destination corresponding to the active FIT;
modifying the ATIs to activate a subsequent FIT, if any, in the stack; and
forwarding the data packet to the determined next hop destination.- View Dependent Claims (27)
Specification