Separation of data and control in a switching device

• US 9,411,776 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Sindhu, Pradeep S., Kompella, Kireeti, Ferguson, Dennis C., Liencres, Bjorn O., Agarwal, Nalini, Ju, Hann-Hwan, Lim, Raymond Marcelino Manese, Oskouy, Rasoul Mirzazadeh, Veeragandham, Sreeram
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Duc C
• Application Number:
  US14/192,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/167 using a common memory, e.g. mailbox
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5652 Cell construction, e.g. including header, packetisation, depacketisation, assembly, reassembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5679 Arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5681 Buffer or queue management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74591 using content-addressable memories [CAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6225 Fixed service order, e.g. Round Robin
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/103 using a shared central buffer; using a shared memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/108 using shared central buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/1538 Cell slicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/203 ATM switching fabrics with multicast or broadcast capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/252 Store and forward routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3072 Packet splitting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/608 ATM switches adapted to switch variable length packets, e.g. IP packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/901 using storage descriptor, e.g. read or write pointers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9042 : Separate storage for different parts of the packet, e.g. header and payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9047 : including multiple buffers, e.g. buffer pools
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9057 : Arrangements for supporting packet reassembly or resequencing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 : Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 : Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A method and apparatus for switching a data packet between a source and destination in a network. The data packet includes a header portion and a data portion. The header portion includes routing information for the data packet. The method includes defining a data path in the router comprising a path through the router along which the data portion of the data packet travels and defining a control path comprising a path through the router along which routing information from the header portion travels. The method includes separating the data path and control path in the router such that the routing information can be separated from the data portion allowing for the separate processing of each in the router. The data portion can be stored in a global memory while routing decisions are made on the routing information in the control path.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transferring, by a device, data, received at an input port of the device, to a memory via an input switch of the device;

identifying, by the device and based on information included in a header of the data;

an output port, of the device, associated with a destination identified in the header, and

information for routing the data through the device;

transmitting, by the device, information identifying the output port and the information for routing the data through the device to an output switch of the device; and

initiating, by the output switch of the device, transfer of the data from the memory to the output port based on the information identifying the output port and the information for routing the data through the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a notification based on the header and a storage location of the data in the memory; and

where transmitting the information identifying the output port and the information for routing the data through the device includes;

transmitting the notification to the output switch.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating statistical information associated with a transmission of the data to the destination; and

transmitting the statistical information and the data toward the destination based on the output port initiating the transfer of the data from the memory.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the output port based on a result of performing a search for routing information,

the search being performed based on information included in the header.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more of;

a source of the data,

a flow associated with the data, or

a length of the data;

generating a notification based on;

the information identifying the output port, and

the one or more of;

the source of the data,

the flow associated with the data, or

the length of the data; and

transmitting the notification to the output switch,

the output switch initiating the transfer of the data from the memory based on receiving the notification.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, to the output switch, information identifying a location of the data in the memory,

the transfer of the data from the memory being initiated further based on the information identifying the location of the data in the memory being received by the output switch.

7. The method of claim 1,

performing, based on particular bits of data included in the header, a search of a data structure to determine a route,

the data structure storing information associated with routing the data through the device;

and

identifying the output port based on the determined route.

8. A device comprising:

one or more processors to;

transfer data received at an input port of the device, to a memory via an input switch of the device,

identify, based on information included in a header of the data, an output port, of the device, and information for routing the data through the device, and

transmit information identifying the output port and the information for routing the data through the device to an output switch of the device; and

the output switch to;

initiate a transfer of the data from the memory to the output port based on the information identifying the output port and the information for routing the data through the device.

9. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

generate a notification based on the information included in the header of the data and a storage location of the data in the memory, and

transmit the notification to the output switch.

10. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

obtain statistical information associated with a transmission of the data to a particular destination, and

transmit the statistical information and the data toward the particular destination based on the output port initiating the transfer of the data from the memory.

11. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

generate a notification based on;

a key generated based on the information included in the header of the data, and

a storage location of the data in the memory, and

transmit the notification to the output switch to cause the output switch to initiate the transfer of the data from the memory.

12. The device of claim 11, where the one or more processors are further to:

perform a search of routing information based on the key, and

identify the output port based on a result of performing the search of the routing information.

13. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine information associated with the data, the information associated with the data identifying one or more of;

a source of the data,

a flow associated with the data, or

a length of the data,

generate a notification based on the information identifying the output port and the information associated with the data, and

transmit the notification to the output switch to initiate the transfer of the data from the memory.

14. The device of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine, based on particular bits included in a key generated based on the information included in the header, a route for routing the data through the device, and

identify the output port based on the determined route.

15. A system comprising:

a network device to;

transfer data received at an input port of the network device, to a memory via an input switch of the network device;

determine a destination based on information included in a header of the data;

determine an output port, of the network device, based on the destination;

transmit information identifying the output port to an output switch of the network device; and

initiate a transfer of the data, from the memory and to the output port, based on the information identifying the output port.

16. The system of claim 15, where the network device is further to:

determine, based on a key generated based on information included in a header of the data, a route for routing the data through the network device, and

identify the output port based on the determined route.

17. The system of claim 16, where, when determining the route, the network device is to:

perform a search of a data structure, associated with routing the data, based on particular bits of data included in the key.

18. The system of claim 15, where, when determining the output port, the network device is to:

determine a key determined from the header of the data at an input switch of the network device, and determine the output port based on the key.

19. The system of claim 15, where the network device is further to:

transmit information identifying the output port to an output switch, of the network device, to initiate the transfer of the data from the memory.

20. The system of claim 15, where the network device is further to:

determine a routing decision based on the information included in the header of the data,

generate a notification based on;

the routing decision, and

a location of the data in the memory, and

initiate the transfer of the data from the memory based on the notification.