Apparatus and methods for dynamic reallocation of virtual lane buffer space in an infiniband switch
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A switch for use with an InfiniBand network, the switch comprising:
- a crossbar that redirects packet-based data;
at least one port that receives the packet-based data from a network and selectively transfers the packet-based data to the crossbar over a dynamically variable number of virtual lanes allocated within a buffer; and
a state machine that controls dynamic variation of the number of virtual lanes during active transmission and reception of the packet-based data;
wherein the state machine adds virtual lanes by monitoring existing virtual lanes and resizing the existing virtual lanes when the amount of data in each existing virtual lane is less than the required size for the resized lane; and
creating a new virtual lane using the space created by the resizing; and
wherein the state machine further monitors the amount of time that has been spent monitoring existing virtual lanes and upon the expiration of a predetermined amount of time, resizes the existing virtual lanes.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A switch for use with an InfiniBand network. The switch includes a crossbar that redirects packet-based data based on a forwarding table. At least one port that receives data from a network and selectively transfers that data to the crossbar using a variable number of virtual lanes. A state machine controls the changing of the number of virtual lanes.
116 Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A switch for use with an InfiniBand network, the switch comprising:
-
a crossbar that redirects packet-based data; at least one port that receives the packet-based data from a network and selectively transfers the packet-based data to the crossbar over a dynamically variable number of virtual lanes allocated within a buffer; and a state machine that controls dynamic variation of the number of virtual lanes during active transmission and reception of the packet-based data; wherein the state machine adds virtual lanes by monitoring existing virtual lanes and resizing the existing virtual lanes when the amount of data in each existing virtual lane is less than the required size for the resized lane; and
creating a new virtual lane using the space created by the resizing; andwherein the state machine further monitors the amount of time that has been spent monitoring existing virtual lanes and upon the expiration of a predetermined amount of time, resizes the existing virtual lanes. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A switch for use with an InfiniBand network, the switch comprising:
-
a crossbar that redirects packet-based data; at least one port that receives the packet-based data from a network and selectively transfers the packet-based data to the crossbar over a dynamically variable number of virtual lanes allocated within a buffer; and a state machine that controls dynamic variation of the number of virtual lanes during active transmission and reception of the packet-based data; wherein the state machine deletes virtual lanes by monitoring existing virtual lanes and, when a virtual lane is identified as being empty and idle, disabling the empty and idle virtual lane and resizing the remaining virtual lanes; and wherein the state machine further monitors the amount of time that has been spent monitoring existing virtual lanes and upon the expiration of a predetermined amount of time, disables a virtual lane.
-
-
4. A method for reconfiguring the number of virtual lanes within an Infiniband switch, the method comprising:
-
determining, during active transmission or reception of data packets, that the number of virtual lanes within the switch requires adjustment; dynamically reallocating buffer space to add a virtual lane by monitoring existing virtual lanes and monitoring the amount of time that has been spent monitoring existing virtual lanes, resizing the existing virtual lanes upon the expiration of a predetermined amount of time and when the amount of data in each existing virtual lane is less than the required size for the resized lane, and creating a new virtual lane using the space created by the resizing. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for reconfiguring the number of virtual lanes within an Infiniband switch, the method comprising:
-
determining, during active transmission or reception of data packets, that the number of virtual lanes within the switch requires adjustment; dynamically reallocating buffer space to delete a virtual lane by monitoring existing virtual lanes and monitoring the amount of time that has been spent monitoring existing virtual lanes;
identifying a virtual lane as being empty and idle and, upon expiration of a predetermined amount of time, disabling the empty and idle virtual lane; and
resizing the remaining virtual lanes.
-
Specification