Method and apparatus for scheduling static and dynamic traffic through a switch fabric
AssigneeIntegrated Device Technology, Inc.
InventorsMatthew D. Ornes, Gene K. Chui, Chris Norrie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for scheduling static and dynamic traffic through a switch fabric are described. The method comprises for each switch slice in a distributed switch fabric, scheduling static traffic by reserving time slots for transmission of the static traffic to at least one destination, and scheduling dynamic traffic so as not to be transmitting the dynamic traffic to the at least one destination during the reserved time slots. The apparatus implements the method and comprises a memory storing a schedule of static traffic, shifters storing dynamic traffic scheduling requests, and a grant scheduler.
Claims64
A method for scheduling static and dynamic traffic through a switch fabric including one or more switch slices, comprising for individual such switch slices:
- scheduling static traffic by reserving time slots for transmitting said static traffic to at least one destination through a switch slice;
- and
- scheduling dynamic traffic so as not to be transmitting said dynamic traffic to said at least one destination during said reserved time slots through said switch slice.
An apparatus for scheduling static and dynamic traffic through a switch fabric including one or more switch slices, comprising for individual such switch slices:
- a plurality of buffers for storing requests for transmission of dynamic traffic to dynamic traffic destinations through a switch slice;
- a memory storing a schedule of static traffic to be transmitted to at least one static traffic destination through said switch slice;
- and
- a grant scheduler coupled to said plurality of buffers and said memory for reserving time slots for transmitting said static traffic to said at least one static traffic destination, and scheduling selected ones of said requests for transmission of dynamic traffic so as not to be transmitting any of said dynamic traffic to said at least one static traffic destination during said reserved time slots through said switch slice.
A method for scheduling dynamic traffic through a switch fabric including one or more switch slices, comprising for individual such switch slices:
- (a) receiving a plurality of dynamic traffic scheduling requests individually having an associated priority, source, and destination;
- (b) incrementing ages of previously received and ungranted dynamic traffic scheduling requests individually having an associated priority, source, and destination;
- (c) generating relative weights for said plurality of dynamic traffic scheduling requests and said previously received and ungranted dynamic traffic scheduling requests based upon their associated priorities and ages;
- and
- (d) determining a set of dynamic traffic scheduling requests to be granted from said plurality of dynamic traffic scheduling requests and said previously received and ungranted dynamic traffic scheduling requests using said relative weights such that no two dynamic traffic scheduling requests in said set has the same associated source or destination.
An apparatus for scheduling dynamic traffic through a switch fabric including one or more switch slices, comprising for individual such switch slices:
- a plurality of buffers storing requests for transmission of dynamic traffic through a switch slice, each of said requests having an associated priority, source, destination, and age;
- and
- a grant scheduler coupled to said plurality of buffers for determining a set of requests to be granted by generating relative weights for said requests based at least in part upon their associated priorities and ages, and determining a set of requests to be granted using said relative weights such that no two requests in said set has the same associated source or destination.
A SONET/SDH network element, comprising:
- a plurality of line cards individually having a plurality of switch interface transmission ports and a plurality of switch interface receiving ports;
- and
- a plurality of switch slices individually coupled to each of said plurality of line cards, and individually including means for scheduling static traffic from one of said plurality of line cards to another or the same one of said plurality of line cards by reserving time slots for transmitting said static traffic through said individual switch slice, and means for scheduling dynamic traffic so as not to be transmitting said dynamic traffic to said another or the same one of said plurality of line cards during said reserved time slots through said individual switch slice.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.