Switched protocol transformer for high-performance computing (HPC) and AI workloads

A switch configured to establish multiple types of communication routes, comprising:

• a first set of physical ports, each configured to couple from its first side a host or device and from its second side an upstream or downstream virtual PCIe-to-PCIe bridge (vPPB) of a Virtual Compute Express Link (CXL) Switch (VCS), respectively;
• a second set of physical ports, each configured to couple from its first side a Resource Provisioning Unit (RPU) and from its second side a downstream or upstream vPPB of a VCS;
• wherein a first route between a first host and a first device traverses:
• a first physical port of the first set, a single VCS, and a second physical port of the first set;
• and
• wherein a second route between the first host and a second host traverses within the same switch:
• the first physical port of the first set, a first VCS, a first physical port of the second set, the RPU, a second physical port of the second set, a second VCS, and a third physical port of the first set.

A switch configured to establish multiple types of communication routes, comprising:

• a plurality of Virtual Compute Express Link (CXL) Switches (VCSs), each comprises an upstream virtual PCIe-to-PCIe bridge (vPPB) coupled to one or more downstream vPPB;
• a first set of physical switch ports interfacing between the VCSs and external hosts or devices;
• a second set of physical switch ports interfacing between the VCSs and a Resource Provisioning Unit (RPU);
• wherein a first physical port of the first set is bound to an upstream vPPB of a first VCS, and a second physical port of the first set is bound to a first downstream vPPB of the first VCS, establishing a first communication route;
• and
• wherein the first physical port is further bound to a second downstream vPPB of the first VCS that is bound to a first physical port of the second set that is bound to a second physical port of the second set that is bound to a third physical port of the first set via a second VCS, establishing a second communication route within the same switch.

A method for establishing multiple types of communication routes in a switch, comprising:

• establishing a first route between a first host and a first device by:
• binding a first physical port of a first set of physical ports to a first upstream virtual PCIe-to-PCIe bridge (vPPB) of a first Virtual Compute Express Link (CXL) Switch (VCS), and binding a second physical port of the first set to a first downstream vPPB of the first VCS;
• and
• establishing a second route between the first host and a second host by:
• binding the first physical port to the first upstream vPPB of the first VCS, binding a first physical port of a second set of physical ports to a second downstream vPPB of the first VCS, routing through a Resource Provisioning Unit (RPU), binding a second physical port of the second set to a downstream vPPB of a second VCS, and binding a third physical port of the first set to an upstream vPPB of the second VCS that is coupled to the second host.