Flow-control in a switch fabric

• US 8,717,889 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Thomas, Philip A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAN, SAI MING
• Application Number:
  US13/594,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/235
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/50 Circuit switching systems, i.e. systems in which the path is physically permanent during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/1515 Non-blocking multistage, e.g. Clos
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/68 Grouping or interlacing selector groups or stages

Abstract

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a module within a first stage of a switch fabric, a module within a second stage of the switch fabric, and a module within a third stage of the switch fabric. The module within the first stage is configured to send data to the module within the second stage. The module within the second stage is configured to send data to the module within the third stage. The module within the second stage is configured to send a first suspension indicator to the module within the third stage. The module within the third stage is configured to send a second suspension indicator to the module within the first stage in response to the first suspension indicator. The module within the first stage is configured to stop sending data to the module within the second stage in response to the second suspension indicator.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first switch module including a queue within a memory to buffer data, the first switch module configured to be within a first stage of a switch fabric, the first switch module configured to receive data from a second switch module within a second stage of the switch fabric and within a chip package that also includes a third switch module within a third stage of the switch fabric,

the first switch module configured to send data to the third switch module, the first switch module configured to send, in response to an amount of data within the queue crossing a threshold, a suspension indicator to the third switch module to stop the second switch module from sending data to the first switch module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the suspension indicator is a first suspension indicator, the first switch module configured to send the first suspension indicator to the third switch module such that the third switch module sends a second suspension indicator to the second switch module, in response to the first suspension indicator, to stop the second switch module from sending data to the first switch module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the suspension indicator is a first suspension indicator, the first switch module configured to send the first suspension indicator to the third switch module via a unidirectional data path such that the third switch module sends a second suspension indicator to the second switch module via a bidirectional data path and in response to the first suspension indicator to stop the second switch module from sending data to the first switch module.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first switch module is within a chip package distinct from the chip package containing the second switch module and the third switch module.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first switch module is configured to send the suspension indicator to the third switch module when the first switch module is unable to receive additional data from the second switch module.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first switch module is configured to send a first actuation indicator to the third switch module such that the third switch module sends a second actuation indicator to the second switch module, in response to the first actuation indicator, to cause the second switch module to send data to the first switch module.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first switch module is configured to receive data from the second switch module via a first unidirectional data path, the first switch module configured to send data to the third switch module via a second unidirectional data path, the first switch module configured to send the suspension indicator to the third switch module via the second unidirectional data path.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first switch module in a switch fabric, data from a second switch module within a chip package in the switch fabric;

storing the data in a queue at the first switch module; and

sending a suspension indicator to a third switch module within the chip package (1) in response to an amount of data stored in the queue crossing a threshold, and (2) to stop the second switch module from sending data to the first switch module.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first switch module is within a first stage of the switch fabric, the second switch module is within a second stage of the switch fabric, the third switch module is within a third stage of the switch fabric.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the suspension indicator is a first suspension indicator, the sending includes sending the first suspension indicator to the third switch module such that the third switch module sends a second suspension indicator to the second switch module (1) in response to the first suspension indicator, and (2) to stop the second switch module from sending data to the first switch module.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving includes receiving data from the second switch module via a first unidirectional data path, the sending includes sending the suspension indicator to the third switch module via a second unidirectional data path different from the first unidirectional data path.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the threshold is a first threshold, the amount of data stored in the queue is a first amount of data, the method further comprising:

sending an actuation indicator to the third switch module (1) in response to a second amount of data stored in the queue crossing a second threshold, and (2) to cause the second switch module to send data to the first switch module.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first switch module is within a chip package distinct from the chip package containing the second switch module and the third switch module.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a first switch module configured to be within a switch fabric, the first switch module being within a first chip package that includes a second switch module, the first switch module configured to send data to a third switch module within a second chip package that includes a fourth switch module,

the first switch module configured to receive a first suspension indicator from the second switch module, the first switch module configured to send a second suspension indicator to the third switch module (1) in response to the first suspension indicator, and (2) to stop the fourth switch module from sending data to the second switch module.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first switch module is within a first stage of the switch fabric, the second switch module is within a second stage of the switch fabric, the third switch module is within a third stage of the switch fabric, the fourth switch module is within a fourth stage of the switch fabric.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first switch module is configured to send the second suspension indicator to the third switch module such that the third switch module sends a third suspension indicator to the fourth switch module (1) in response to the second suspension indicator, and (2) to stop the fourth switch module from sending data to the second switch module.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first switch module is configured to send data to the third switch module via a unidirectional data path, the first switch module configured to receive the first suspension indicator from the second switch module via a bidirectional data path, the first switch module configured to send the second suspension indicator to the third switch module via the unidirectional data path.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first switch module is configured to receive a first actuation indicator from the second switch module, the first switch module configured to send a second actuation indicator to the third switch module (1) in response to the first actuation indicator, and (2) to cause the fourth switch module to send data to the second switch module.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first switch module is configured to receive data from a fifth switch module within the switch fabric, the first switch module configured to receive a fourth suspension indicator from the fifth switch module, the first switch module configured to send a fifth suspension indicator to the second switch module (1) in response to the fourth suspension indicator, and (2) to stop the second switch module from sending data to the fifth switch module.