System architecture for a scalable and distributed multi-stage switch fabric

• US 8,804,710 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Aybay, Gunes, Bandyopadhyay, Jaya, Frailong, Jean-Marc, Sindhu, Pradeep, Thomas, Philip A., Venkatramani, Anjan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUADALUPE CRUZ, AIXA AMYR
• Application Number:
  US12/345,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20100165983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,052 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/00 Packet switching elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/1515 Non-blocking multistage, e.g. Clos
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/40 Constructional details, e.g. power supply, mechanical construction or backplane

Abstract

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first housing, a second housing and at least one cable. The first housing includes a first interface card of a switch fabric. The second housing includes a second interface card of the switch fabric and a third interface card of the switch fabric. The second interface card of the switch fabric is operatively and physically coupled to the third interface card of the switch fabric via a midplane. The second interface card defines a plane that is nonparallel to the a plane defined by the third interface card and a plane defined by the midplane. The plane defined by the third interface card is nonparallel to the plane defined by the second interface card and the plane defined by the midplane. The cable is configured to operatively couple the first interface card to the second interface card.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a multi-stage switch having a first configuration at a first time and a second configuration at a second time after the first time,

the multi-stage switch having a first interface card, a second interface card and a first chassis when the multi-stage switch is in the first configuration, the first interface card and the second interface card being within the first chassis when the multi-stage switch is in the first configuration, the first interface card is configured to include a first stage of the multi-stage switch when the system is in the first configuration, the second interface card is configured to include a second stage of the multi-stage switch when the system is in the first configuration,

the multi-stage switch having a third interface card, a fourth interface card and a second chassis when the multi-stage switch is in the second configuration, the first interface card and the third interface card being within the first chassis when the multi-stage switch is in the second configuration, the second interface card and the fourth interface card being within the second chassis when the multi-stage switch is in the second configuration, the second interface card is configured to include a third stage of the multi-stage switch when the multi-stage is in the second configuration.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the multi-stage switch includes at least one cable configured to operatively couple the first chassis with the second chassis when the multi-stage switch is in the second configuration.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first interface card includes the first stage and a third stage of the multi-stage switch when the system is in the first configuration, the first interface card includes the first stage and a fifth stage of the multi-stage switch when the multi-stage switch is in the second configuration.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the third interface card is associated with a retiming stage of the multi-stage switch when the multi-stage switch is in the second configuration.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the multi-stage switch is configured to receive a data cell, the data cell having been parsed from a data packet prior to the data cell entering the multi-stage switch.

6. A system, comprising:

a first plurality of modules disposed within a first chassis, the first plurality of modules being associated with a first stage and a third stage of the system when the system is in a first configuration associated with a three-stage switch; and

a second plurality of modules disposed within the first chassis and coupled to the first plurality of modules when the system is in a first configuration the second plurality of modules being associated with a stage of the three-stage switch when the system is in the first configuration,

the second plurality of modules configured to be disposed within a second chassis and coupled to a third plurality of modules disposed within the second chassis when the system is in a second configuration associated with a five-stage switch, the second chassis mutually exclusive from the first chassis, the second plurality of modules being associated with a stage of the five-stage switch when the system is in the second configuration.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the system is configured to be reconfigured from the first configuration to the second configuration while maintaining operation of the three-stage switch.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the second plurality of modules is configured to forward data from a first stage of the five-stage switch to a second stage of the five-stage switch, when the system is in the second configuration.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the third plurality of modules is associated with a second stage of the five-stage switch when the system is in the second configuration.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the multi-stage switch is configured to receive a data cell, the data cell having been parsed from a data packet prior to the data cell entering the multi-stage switch.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the multi-stage switch in the second configuration has a plurality of cables operatively coupling the second plurality of modules with the third plurality of modules.

12. A system, comprising:

a multi-stage switch having a first configuration and a second configuration, the multi-stage stage switch to be reconfigured from the first configuration to the second configuration while maintaining operation,

the multi-stage switch having a first chassis associated with a first stage, a second stage, and a third stage of the multi-stage switch when the multi-stage switch is in the first configuration, the first stage of the first chassis to be reconfigured from the first configuration to the second configuration while maintaining operation,

the multi-stage switch having a second chassis associated with the second stage, the third stage, and a fourth stage of the multi-stage switch, and the first chassis being associated with the first stage and a fifth stage of the multi-stage switch when the multi-stage switch is in the second configuration.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the multi-stage switch in the second configuration has a plurality of cables interconnecting the first chassis with the second chassis.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the multi-stage switch includes a third chassis when in the second configuration, the third chassis being associated with the first stage and the fifth stage of the multi-stage switch, the third chassis being interconnected with the second chassis by a plurality of cables.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the multi-stage switch is configured to receive a data packet, the data packet having been parsed prior to the data packet entering the multi-stage switch.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the multi-stage switch is configured to receive a data packet, the data packet having been classified prior to the data packet entering the multi-stage switch.

17. The system of claim 12, the system further comprising:

a packet queuing module configured to queue data packets prior to forwarding the data packets to the multi-stage switch; and

a packet forwarding module configured to forward the data packets to the multi-stage switch,

the packet queuing module and the packet forwarding module being separate from the multi-stage switch.