Multicast packet routing via crossbar bypass paths
First Claim
1. A method of routing data to a plurality of output terminals via an integrated switch router, wherein the integrated switch router comprises a broadcast network, a crossbar switch having a crossbar and a plurality of crossbar bypass lines, and a plurality of multicast replication buffers communicatively connected to the broadcast network, wherein each of the plurality of multicast replication buffers respectively corresponds to one of the plurality of crossbar bypass lines, and wherein the method comprises:
- receiving a multicast packet from an input terminal;
forwarding a payload of the multicast packet through the broadcast network;
forwarding each header of the multicast packet through the broadcast network; and
forwarding, by operation of one or more processors, replicated copies of the multicast packet through the crossbar switch to the plurality of output terminals, wherein at least one of the replicated copies of the multicast packet is transmitted from a first multicast replication buffer of the plurality of multicast replication buffers to a first output terminal of the plurality of output terminals via a first crossbar bypass line of the plurality of crossbar bypass lines that corresponds to the first multicast replication buffer.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An approach is described for routing data to a plurality of output terminals via a integrated switch router including a crossbar switch having both a crossbar and a plurality of crossbar bypass lines. Whereas the crossbar may connect each input of the crossbar switch to each output of the crossbar switch, each of the plurality of crossbar bypass lines may connect a single input of the crossbar switch to a corresponding single output of the crossbar switch. According to such approach, a replicated copy of a multicast packet may be forwarded to an output terminal via a crossbar bypass line in parallel with other data forwarded via the crossbar, thus increasing integrated switch router bandwidth.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of routing data to a plurality of output terminals via an integrated switch router, wherein the integrated switch router comprises a broadcast network, a crossbar switch having a crossbar and a plurality of crossbar bypass lines, and a plurality of multicast replication buffers communicatively connected to the broadcast network, wherein each of the plurality of multicast replication buffers respectively corresponds to one of the plurality of crossbar bypass lines, and wherein the method comprises:
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receiving a multicast packet from an input terminal; forwarding a payload of the multicast packet through the broadcast network; forwarding each header of the multicast packet through the broadcast network; and forwarding, by operation of one or more processors, replicated copies of the multicast packet through the crossbar switch to the plurality of output terminals, wherein at least one of the replicated copies of the multicast packet is transmitted from a first multicast replication buffer of the plurality of multicast replication buffers to a first output terminal of the plurality of output terminals via a first crossbar bypass line of the plurality of crossbar bypass lines that corresponds to the first multicast replication buffer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of routing data to a plurality of output terminals via an integrated switch router, wherein the integrated switch router comprises a broadcast network, a crossbar switch having a crossbar and a plurality of crossbar bypass lines, and a plurality of multicast replication buffers communicatively connected to the broadcast network, wherein each of the plurality of multicast replication buffers respectively corresponds to one of the plurality of crossbar bypass lines, and wherein the method comprises:
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receiving a multicast packet from an input terminal; forwarding a payload of the multicast packet through the broadcast network; forwarding each header of the multicast packet through the broadcast network; and forwarding, by operation of one or more processors, replicated copies of the multicast packet through the crossbar switch to the plurality of output terminals, wherein forwarding each header of the multicast packet through the broadcast network comprises, for each header of the multicast packet; upon determining that a header queue of one of the multicast replication buffers corresponding to a crossbar bypass line among the plurality of crossbar bypass lines having a path to a destination output terminal designated in the header is available, facilitating transmission of the header to the corresponding multicast replication buffer, and storing the header in the header queue of the corresponding multicast replication buffer; and upon determining that the header queue of the one of the multicast replication buffers corresponding to the crossbar bypass line among the plurality of crossbar bypass lines having the path to the destination output terminal is not available, facilitating transmission of the header to a multicast replication buffer among the plurality of multicast replication buffers having a header queue with a lowest backlog, and storing the header in the header queue with the lowest backlog. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of routing data to a plurality of output terminals via an integrated switch router, wherein the integrated switch router comprises a broadcast network, a crossbar switch having a crossbar and a plurality of crossbar bypass lines, and a plurality of multicast replication buffers communicatively connected to the broadcast network, wherein each of the plurality of multicast replication buffers respectively corresponds to one of the plurality of crossbar bypass lines, and wherein the method comprises:
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receiving a multicast packet from an input terminal; forwarding a payload of the multicast packet through the broadcast network; forwarding each header of the multicast packet through the broadcast network; and forwarding, by operation of one or more processors, replicated copies of the multicast packet through the crossbar switch to the plurality of output terminals, wherein forwarding replicated copies of the multicast packet through the crossbar switch to the plurality of output terminals comprises, for each header of the multicast packet; facilitating replication of a copy of the multicast packet at the multicast replication buffer at which the header is stored; upon determining that the multicast replication buffer at which the header is stored corresponds to a crossbar bypass line among the plurality of crossbar bypass lines having a path to a destination output terminal designated in the header, facilitating transmission of the replicated copy to the destination output terminal via the corresponding crossbar bypass line; and upon determining that the multicast replication buffer at which the header is stored does not correspond to a crossbar bypass line among the plurality of crossbar bypass lines having a path to the destination output terminal, facilitating transmission of the replicated copy to the destination output terminal via the crossbar. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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Specification