Method for directing the route of a cell transmitting a network
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of routing a cell along a directed route comprising the steps of:
- receiving the cell including a first address and a final destination address;
explicitly routing the cell if the first address is a predetermined global address or the address of a device; and
destination address routing the cell based on the final destination address if the first address is not equal to the predetermined global address or the address of the device.
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Abstract
A method for routing a cell through a network using explicit routing or destination routing, or a combination of both routing techniques. A directed route for a cell can include an explicit route portion and a destination address routing portion. An address in the cell can indicate the technique that should be used to route the cell. Explicit routing is used if the address is equal to a predetermined global address or an address of the device and the cell has not reached the end of the explicit route. Otherwise, destination address routing is used based on a final destination address.
41 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of routing a cell along a directed route comprising the steps of:
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receiving the cell including a first address and a final destination address;
explicitly routing the cell if the first address is a predetermined global address or the address of a device; and
destination address routing the cell based on the final destination address if the first address is not equal to the predetermined global address or the address of the device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
determining if the cell is at the end of the explicit route based on the hop pointer;
adjusting the hop pointer; and
routing the cell to the next device in the explicit route if the cell is not at the end of the explicit route.
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5. The method of claim 4 wherein said information specifying an explicit route for the cell comprises information identifying destination ports to be used for forwarding the cell along the explicit route.
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6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of routing the cell to the next device in the explicit route comprises the step of using the hop pointer to identify the appropriate destination port for routing the cell using the information identifying destination ports.
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7. The method of claim 1 wherein said cell includes information identifying an explicit outbound path for an initial cell.
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8. The method of claim 7 wherein information identifying an explicit inbound path for a return cell is populated by devices along the explicit outbound path of a corresponding initial cell.
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9. A method of routing a cell along a directed route through a network, the directed route including a destination address route portion and an explicit route portion, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a cell at a device, the cell including a first address, a final destination address, and information specifying the explicit route portion;
determining if the first address is equal to a predetermined global address or the address of the device;
explicitly routing the cell to a next device of the explicit route portion if the first address is the predetermined global address or the address of the device and the device is not at the end of the explicit route portion; and
destination address routing the cell based on the final destination address if the first address is not equal to the predetermined global address or the address of the device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A device for routing cells in a network using either explicit routing or destination address routing, each cell including a first address and a final destination address, the device comprising:
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a plurality of ports, each port connected to a link;
a receive queue and a transmit queue coupled to each port;
a forwarding database storing cell routing information corresponding to each of a plurality of addresses;
a relay entity coupled to the queues and the forwarding database, the relay entity obtaining routing information from the forwarding database based upon the first address and relaying the cell to the port specified by the routing information if the first address is not a global address or an address of the device;
a management entity coupled to the relay entity, the relay entity relaying the cell to the management entity for explicit routing if the first address in the cell is a predetermined global address or the address of the device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A device for routing cells in a network using either explicit routing or destination address routing, each cell including a first address and a final destination address, the device comprising:
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a relay entity obtaining routing information based upon the first address in the cell and destination address routing the cell if the first address is not a global address or an address of the device;
a management entity coupled to the relay entity, the relay entity relaying the cell to the management entity for explicit route processing if the first address in the cell is a predetermined global address or the address of the device.
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18. A device for routing cells in a network along a directed route including a destination address route portion and an explicit route portion, each cell including a first address and a final destination address and information specifying the explicit route portion, the device comprising:
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a relay entity obtaining routing information based upon the first address in the cell and destination address routing the cell if the first address is not a global address or an address of the device; and
a management entity coupled to the relay entity, the management entity explicitly routing the cell to a next device of the explicit route portion if the first address is the predetermined global address or the address of the device and the device is not at the end of the explicit route portion, and the management entity destination address routing the cell based on the final destination address if the first address is not equal to the predetermined global address or the address of the device.
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19. A computer program encoded on a computer readable medium for routing a cell, the computer program causing the following to be performed when executed by a computer:
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receiving the cell including a first address and a final destination address;
explicitly routing the cell if the first address is a predetermined global address or the address of a device; and
destination address routing the cell based on the final destination address if the first address is not equal to the predetermined global address or the address of the device.
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20. In a data network comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes for routing data cells/packets along a directed route, each data cell/packet including a first address and a final destination address, each node comprising:
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a plurality of ports, each port connected to a link;
a receive queue and a transmit queue coupled to each port;
a forwarding database to store routing information corresponding to each of a plurality of addresses;
a relay entity to obtain routing information from the forwarding database based upon the first address of an incoming data cell/packet, and relay the data cell/packet to the port specified by the routing information if the first address is not a predetermined global address or an address of the node; and
a management entity to process explicit routing if the first address in the incoming data cell/packet is the predetermined global address or the address of the node. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
determining if the data cell/packet is at the end of the explicit route based on the hop pointer;
adjusting the hop pointer; and
routing the data cell/packet to a next node in the data network in the explicit route if the data cell/packet is not at the end of the explicit route.
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25. The node as claimed in claim 24, wherein the information specifying an explicit route for the data cell/packet comprises information identifying destination ports to be used for forwarding the data cell/packet along the explicit route.
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26. The node as claimed in claim 25, wherein the data cell/packet routed to the next node in the explicit route comprises using the hop pointer to identify the appropriate destination port for routing the data cell/packet using the information identifying destination ports.
Specification