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US 11,121,959 B2Granted
Built in alternate links within a switch
AssigneeFiber Mountain, Inc.
InventorsMohammad H Raza, David G Stone, Aristito Lorenzo, Ronald M. Plante, John R. Lagana
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The network switch architecture permits modifications to the network topology in real time without the need for manual intervention. In this architecture, a switching core is capable of switching data paths directly from the ingress or egress of the switching core to alternate destination ports in real time, either under software or hardware control.
Claims19
A data center network comprising:
- at least one data center switch, each data center switch including:
- a plurality of primary ports, wherein each primary port includes a transceiver and a connector to connect with an external data transmission medium;
- a plurality of alternate ports, wherein each alternate port includes a transceiver and a connector to connect with an external data transmission medium;
- a switch logic unit configured to interface with a number of primary and alternate ports that is greater than a number of media access control addresses within the switch logic unit;
- a plurality of data paths operatively connected between the switch logic unit and the plurality of primary ports and the plurality of alternate ports such that one of the plurality of data paths is operatively connected between the switch logic unit and one of the plurality of primary ports or one of the plurality of alternate ports;
- a control unit operatively connected to the switch logic unit and configured to control the switch logic unit to switch data on one data path to another data path so that either a primary port or an alternate port is set to an active state, such that:
- data received at the active primary or alternate port and transferred to one or more port data paths is directed to one switch logic data path;
- or
- data on one switch logic data path is directed to one or more port data paths and transmitted by one or more active ports;
- and
- at least one network device in communication with the at least one data center switch using the external data transmission medium connected to at least one of the plurality of primary ports or the external data transmission medium connected to at least one of the plurality of alternate ports.
8 more elements
A data center network, comprising:
- at least one data center switch, each data center switch including:
- a set of primary ports, wherein each port within the set of primary ports includes a transceiver and a connector to connect with an external data transmission medium;
- a set of alternate ports, wherein each port within the set of alternate ports includes a transceiver and a connector to connect with an external data transmission medium;
- a switch logic unit physically connected to the set of primary ports and the set of alternate ports by a set of primary port data paths and a set of alternate port data paths;
- and
- a control unit operatively connected to the switch logic unit;
- wherein the control unit is configured to control the switch logic unit to switch data on one primary or alternate data path to another primary or alternate data path;
- wherein the control unit is configured to control the switch logic unit so that either a primary port or an alternate port can be set to an active state, such that data received at the active primary port or the active alternate port and transferred to one or more primary or alternate port data paths is directed to one or more different primary or alternate port data paths;
- and
- at least one network server in communication with the at least one data center switch using at least one data paths;
- and
- at least one network storage device in communication with the at least one data center switch using at least one data paths.
9 more elements
A data center network, comprising:
- at least one data center switch, each data center switch including:
- a set of primary ports, wherein each port within the set of primary ports includes a transceiver and a connector to connect with an external data transmission medium;
- a set of alternate ports, wherein each port within the set of alternate ports includes a transceiver and a connector to connect with an external data transmission medium;
- a switch logic unit physically connected to the set of primary ports and the set of alternate ports by a set of primary port data paths and a set of alternate port data paths;
- and
- a control unit operatively connected to the switch logic unit;
- wherein the control unit is configured to control the switch logic unit to switch data on one primary or alternate data path to another primary or alternate data path;
- wherein the control unit is configured to control the switch logic unit so that either a primary port or an alternate port can be set to an active state, such that data received at the active primary port or the active alternate port and transferred to one or more primary or alternate port data paths is directed to one or more different primary or alternate port data paths;
- and
- a plurality of network devices, each in communication with the at least one data center switch using at least one data path.
7 more elements
A data center network, comprising:
- a plurality of data center switches, each data center switch including:
- a set of primary ports, wherein each port within the set of primary ports includes a transceiver and a connector to connect with an external data transmission medium;
- a set of alternate ports, wherein each port within the set of alternate ports includes a transceiver and a connector to connect with an external data transmission medium;
- a switch logic unit physically connected to the set of primary ports and the set of alternate ports by a set of primary port data paths and a set of alternate port data paths;
- and
- a control unit operatively connected to the switch logic unit;
- wherein the control unit is configured to control the switch logic unit to switch data on one primary or alternate data path to another primary or alternate data path;
- wherein the control unit is configured to control the switch logic unit so that either a primary port or an alternate port can be set to an active state, such that data received at the active primary port or the active alternate port and transferred to one or more primary or alternate port data paths is directed to one or more different primary or alternate port data paths;
- and
- wherein the control unit is configured to control the switch logic unit so that multiple ports in the set of primary ports and the set of alternate ports can be configured to transmit and receive in parallel over multiple paths configured as a single bonded path;
- and
- a plurality of network devices, each in communication with the at least one data center switch using at least one data path.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.