US 10,540,101 B1Granted

Transmit buffer device for operations using asymmetric data widths

AssigneeInnovium, Inc.

InventorsWilliam Brad Matthews, Patrick James Bourke, Puneet Agarwal, Michael John Filardo, Mohammad Kamel Issa, Avinash Gyanendra Mani

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Abstract

Methods and apparatus for transmit buffers for network devices. One apparatus includes a packing unit, a buffer manager and a plurality of aggregated port buffers, each coupled to receive output from the packing unit. The packing unit is configured to receive packet data as input segments of a first size; generate storage units of a second size; and write each storage unit to a particular aggregated port buffer identified by the buffer manager. The buffer manager is configured to: select a particular aggregated port buffer for each storage unit, and send information to the buffer manager about the selected particular aggregated port buffer; monitor availability of storage space in the aggregated port buffers; control reception of input segments based on storage space availability; and manage transmission of the storage units from the aggregated port buffers to one or more external destinations as output segments of a third size.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A device, comprising:

a packing unit;
a buffer manager;
and
a plurality of aggregated port buffers each coupled to receive output from the packing unit;
wherein:
the packing unit is configured to:
receive, from an aggregated packet processor, packet data as input segments of a first size, wherein the aggregated packet processor is configured to receive packet data from an external source and segment the packet data into the input segments for forwarding to the packing unit;
generate, from one or more input segments, storage units of a second size;
and
for each storage unit:
receive information from the buffer manager identifying a particular aggregated port buffer from the plurality of aggregated port buffers for storing the storage unit, and
write the storage unit to particular aggregated port buffer;
and
the buffer manager is configured to:
for each storage unit, select, from the plurality of aggregated port buffers, a particular aggregated port buffer, and send information to the buffer manager for writing the storage unit to the particular aggregated port buffer;
monitor availability of storage space in the aggregated port buffers;
based on the availability of storage space, control reception of input segments at the device;
and
manage transmission of the storage units from the aggregated port buffers to one or more external destinations as output segments of a third size.

16 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, in a network device from an aggregated packet processor, packet data as input segments of a first size, wherein the aggregated packet processor is configured to receive packet data from an external source and segment the packet data into the input segments for forwarding to the network device and wherein the network device includes a plurality of aggregated port buffers;
generating, in the network device, from one or more input segments, storage units of a second size;
for each storage unit:
selecting, in the network device, a particular aggregated port buffer of the plurality of aggregated port buffers, and
writing, in the network device, the storage unit to the particular aggregated port buffer;
monitoring, by the network device, availability of storage space in the plurality of aggregated port buffers;
based on the availability of storage space, controlling, by the network device, reception of input segments at the network device;
and
managing, by the network device, transmission of the storage units from the plurality of aggregated port buffers to one or more external destinations as output segments of a third size.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.