Cell buffering system with priority cache in an ATM system
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsMagnus Karlsson, Gregory Lee Christison, Norayda Humphrey
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Abstract
The present invention provides an apparatus and system for buffering data in a communication network with an arranged priority which enables traffic shaping. A cell buffer unit (600) is arranged with a plurality of queues (614) configured to store PDUs on-chip and off-chip. There are associated queues both on-chip and off-chip for each priority queue. A cell buffer controller (620) forwards PDUs to a predetermined priority queue and manages the transfer of PDUs off-chip when a priority queue on-chip is fully occupied. The controller (620) also manages the transfer of PDUs from the off-chip queue when the on-chip priority queue becomes less than fully occupied.
Claims22
A storing module for use in a communication network for buffering data, said storing module comprising:
- a cell buffer unit having a first queue and a plurality of second queues operably configured to store protocol data units (PDU), wherein said first queue is further configured to receive a PDU from said communication network;
- a cell buffer status indicator operably configured to issue a first queue status signal and a second queue status signal, wherein said first queue status signal indicates an occupancy status of said first queue and said second queue status signal indicates an occupancy of said plurality of second queues;
- a cell buffer controller operably configured to forward a PDU received in said first queue to one of said plurality of second queues, wherein said plurality of second queues include at least a high priority queue and a low priority queue and said forwarded PDU is forwarded to one of said high priority queue and said low priority queue in accordance with an appended PDU priority indicator.
A buffering system for use in a communication network for buffering data, said buffering system comprising:
- a cell buffer unit having a first queue and a plurality of second queues operably configured to store protocol data units (PDU), wherein said first queue is further configured to receive a PDU from said communication network;
- a cell buffer status indicator operably configured to issue a first queue status signal and a second queue status signal, wherein said first queue status signal indicates an occupancy status of said first queue and said second queue status signal indicates an occupancy status of said plurality of second queues;
- a cell buffer controller operably configured to forward a PDU received in said first queue to one of said plurality of second queues, wherein said plurality of second queues include at least a high priority queue and a low priority queue and said forwarded PDU is forwarded to one of said high priority queue and said low priority queue in accordance with an associated priority indicator appended to said forwarded PDU;
- a remote memory device having a dedicated queue for each of said second queues, wherein said cell buffer controller is further operably configured to forward and fetch a PDU to and from said remote memory device.
A method of buffering protocol data units (PDU)s in a communication network, said method comprising:
- issuing a first queue status signal indicating a ready status to receive a PDU from said communication network;
- receiving said PDU in said first queue;
- issuing a second queue status signal indicating an occupancy status of said plurality of second queues;
- forwarding said PDU received in said first queue to one of a plurality of second queues comprising a at least a high priority queue and a low priority queue in a local memory unit in accordance with a priority indicator appended to said PDU;
- forwarding said PDU to a remote memory device when a select one of said plurality of second queues in said local memory device is occupied.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.