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Switching node with load balancing of bursts of packets

  • US 9,276,870 B2
  • Filed: 08/25/2010
  • Issued: 03/01/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of operating a packet switching node coupled by links to other nodes, as an ingress node, the method comprising:

  • receiving packets belonging to a specified packet flow, to be sent on to a destination node;

    assembling the received packets of the flow into bursts of packets, the bursts being groups of consecutive packets belonging to the flow, each burst having a burst control packet, the burst control packet indicating a sequence of the burst in the flow, to enable the sequence to be maintained after transmission;

    determining whether to distribute the flow;

    selecting, if the flow is to be distributed, at least two of the links to use for sending on the bursts of the flow towards the destination node; and

    distributing the bursts of the flow between the selected links by;

    forwarding a first of the bursts for switching to a first output port, for transmission over a first of the selected links; and

    forwarding a second of the bursts for switching to a second output port, for transmission over a second of the selected links.

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