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AssigneesPartec Cluster Compentence Center GmbH, Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH
InventorsNorbert Eicker, Thomas Lippert, Jens Hauke
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A data communication system having a plurality of input/output ports, a first group and a second group of switching units. Each switching unit has a plurality of input/output interfaces, whereby at least one of the plurality of input/output interfaces of each switching unit of the first group forms an input/output port of the communications system, and at least one other input/output interface of each of the switching units of the first group is connected via a communication link with an input/output interface of one of the switching units of the second group, so that a network is formed having at least one loop. The network is logically divided in at least two virtual subnetworks, each forming a spanning tree. Each switching unit of the first group is configured to assign an incoming data packet arriving at a particular input/output port to a predetermined one of the at least two virtual sub-networks. An advantage of the present invention is the ability to transparently employ the taught data communication device in different computing environments, without the requirement to alter any external equipment.
A data communication system with a plurality of input/output ports for processing incoming data packets arriving at a first input/output port to be output via a second input/output port, said system including:
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said other input/output interfaces of said switching units of said first group belong to one predetermined one of said at least two virtual sub-networks.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the input/output interfaces of the switching units of said first group forming input/output ports of the system belong to all virtual sub-networks.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of the other input/output interfaces of a particular switching unit of said first group belongs to one single virtual sub-network.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said other input/output interfaces of a particular switching unit of said first group belongs to different virtual sub-networks.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each communication link only belongs to one virtual sub-network.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each virtual sub-network allows communication from any one of the switching units of said first group to all other switching units of said first group via at least one switching unit of said second group.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that all input/output ports of a particular switching unit of said second group belong to the same virtual sub-network.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each switching unit of said first group has the same number of input/output interfaces forming input/output ports of the system and other input/output interfaces being connected via respective communication links with input/output interfaces of switching units of said second group.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said switching units of said second group is connected via a communication link with each of the switching units of said first group.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first and said second group of switching elements together with said communication links form a portion of a computer network.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first and said second group of switching elements together with said communication links are arranged to form a clos network.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more switching units may be formed by one physical network switch.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said communication links are formed by wire-based connections.
The system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said virtual sub-networks are formed by Virtual Local Area Networks in an Ethernet environment.
A network switch being formed by a data communication system according to one of the preceding claims.
A method for processing data packets in a data communication system with a plurality of input/output ports connected via a network having at least one loop, whereby at least two virtual sub-networks are provided, whereby in operation the active network elements of each virtual sub-network have a spanning tree topology, the method including the following steps:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.