Multi-portal bridge for providing network connectivity

• US 20010037422A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 11/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smsc Holdings Sarl
• Original Assignee: BridgeCo AG (RIEDEL Communications GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Dickmann, Georg, Stadler, Manfred, Heidelberger, Christoph, Thaler, Thomas, Boesch, Thomas, Dasen, Marcel
• Granted Patent: US 6,772,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/14 Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40052 High-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus bus transfer protocol on a daisy chain bus using an embedded synchronisation G06F13/426
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40091 Bus bridging LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40097 Interconnection with other networks LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge

Abstract

Split IEEE 1394 bridges utilize individual portals or bundles of portals to communicate over a non-full-featured IEEE 1394 network such as a local or wide area network in combination with IEEE 1394 multi-portal bridges. Multi-portal bridges may be formed through the connection of several split bridges each with one or more IEEE 1394 portals over a core net. The core net is invisible to the IEEE 1394 nodes with respect to traffic originating from an IEEE 1394 bus for a destination in an IEEE 1394 bus, and the network elements allow for increased network scalability in both terms of physical size and levels of hierarchy. Useful properties of a core net such as availability of high-performance switches or increased reach are incorporated into an IEEE 1394 network.

Claims

1. A multi-portal bridge for providing network connectivity, the multi-portal bridge comprising:

a plurality of split bridges, with each split bridge including a first type of portal; and

a network connected to the plurality of split bridges, with the network including a second type of portal.

2. The multi-portal bridge of

claim 1

, wherein the first type of portal is IEEE 1394-compliant.

3. The multi-portal bridge of

claim 1

, wherein the second type of portal is Ethernet-compliant.

4. The multi-portal bridge of

claim 1

, wherein at least one split bridge of the plurality of split bridges includes a first node associated with the first type of portal;

wherein the network includes a second node associated with the second type of portal; and

wherein communication signals are transmitted between the first and second nodes over the plurality of split bridges and the network.

5. The multi-portal bridge of

claim 1

, wherein the network, connected to the plurality of split bridges, provides quality of service (QoS) associated with the first type of portal.

6. The multi-portal bridge of

claim 5

, wherein the network transmits communications signals to a first split bridge of the plurality of split bridges;

and

wherein a QoS of the network is provided to the first split bridge receiving the communications signals.

7. The multi-portal bridge of

claim 6

, wherein the communications signals are packets.

8. The multi-portal bridge of

claim 1

, wherein the network is an adaptation fabric providing inter-portal connectivity between the plurality of split bridges with each other and with an external network having the second type of portal.

9. The multi-portal bridge of

claim 8

, wherein the external network is a Ethernet-based network.

10. The multi-portal bridge of

claim 1

, wherein the network includes:

a synchronization unit for performing bus synchronization across and between the network and the plurality of split bridges.

11. A system comprising:

a first network operating using a first type of communications protocol;

a second network operating using a second type of communications protocol different from the first type of communications protocol; and

a split bridge having;

a first portal, connected to the first network, for conveying communications using the first type of communications protocol; and

a second portal, connected to the second network, for conveying communications using the second type of communications protocol.

12. The system of

claim 11

, further comprising:

a switch, connected to the second network, for receiving the communications from the first network via the split bridge.

13. The system of

claim 11

, wherein the first type of communications protocol is an IEEE 1394-based protocol.

14. The system of

claim 11

, wherein the first type of communications protocol is an Ethernet-based protocol.

15. The system of

claim 11

, wherein quality of service (QoS) is maintained for communications between the first and second networks using the first and second types of communications protocols, respectively.

16. A method for providing communications over different types of networks, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a communications signal from a first network to a bridge unit using a first type of communications protocol to a bridge unit;

receiving the communications signal at a first portal of the bridge unit, the first portal being compliant with the first type of communications protocol;

converting the communications signal from the first type of communications protocol to a second type of communications protocol different from the first type;

transmitting the converted communications signal from a second portal of the bridge unit, with the second portal being compliant with the second type of communications protocol; and

receiving the converted communications signal at a second network using the second type of communications protocol.

17. The method of

claim 16

, wherein the first type of communications protocol is an IEEE 1394-based protocol.

18. The method of

claim 16

, wherein the first type of communications protocol is an Ethernet-based protocol.

19. The method of

claim 16

, wherein the step of converting includes the step of:

performing framing/de-framing operations on the communications signal using a framing/de-framing unit for selective processing of the communications signal according to the format of the communications signal.

20. The method of

claim 16

, wherein each of the steps of transmitting, receiving, and converting includes the step of:

maintaining quality of service (QoS) of the communications signal for transmission and reception by the first and second networks, respectively.