Methods and apparatus for enabling communication between network elements that operate at different bit rates

An apparatus for enabling a first set of network elements (NEs) communicating at a bit rate R1 and a second set of NEs communicating at a bit rate R2 that is faster than the bit rate R1 to communicate, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a first number M×K of first transceivers communicating at the bit rate R1 with the first set of NEs;
• and
• (b) a second number N×K of second transceivers communicating at the bit rate R2 with the second set of NEs;
• (c) wherein M, N, and K are each positive integers, M>N, M/N is not an integer, and the ratio R2:R1 equals the ratio M:N;
• (d) wherein the M×K first transceivers and the N×K second transceivers are connected by a set of lanes, each lane communicating at a bit rate R0 that is a common denominator of the bit rate R1 and the bit rate R2;
• (e) wherein, for each of the N×K second transceivers, at least one of the lanes communicates with one of the M×K first transceivers and at least another one of the lanes communicates with another one of the M×K first transceivers;
• and
• (f) wherein, for at least one but not all of the M×K first transceivers, at least one of the lanes communicates with one of the N×K second transceivers and at least another one of the lanes communicates with another one of the N×K second transceivers.

A method for communicating between a first set of network elements (NEs) communicating at a bit rate R1 and a second set of NEs communicating at a bit rate R2 that is faster than R1, the method comprising:

• (a) automatically passing a data signal between at least one of the first set of NEs and at least one of the second set of NEs through an interface apparatus having:
• (i) a first number M×K of first transceivers communicating at the bit rate R1 with the first set of NEs;
• and
• (ii) a second number N×K of second transceivers communicating at the bit rate R2 with the second set of NEs;
• (b) wherein M, N, and K are each positive integers, M>N, M/N is not an integer, and the ratio R2:R1 equals the ratio M:N;
• (c) wherein the M×K first transceivers and the N×K second transceivers are connected by a set of lanes, each lane communicating at a bit rate R0 that is a common denominator of the bit rate R1 and the bit rate R2;
• (d) wherein, for each of the N×K second transceivers, at least one of the lanes communicates with one of the M×K first transceivers and at least another one of the lanes communicates with another one of the M×K first transceivers;
• and
• (e) wherein, for at least one but not all of the M×K first transceivers, at least one of the lanes communicates with one of the N×K second transceivers and at least another one of the lanes communicates with another one of the N×K second transceivers.

An apparatus, for use with a computer server cluster having a plurality of computer servers communicating with a first network at a bit rate R1, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a set of M×K lane interfaces, each lane interface comprising a number of lanes communicating at a bit rate R0, wherein the number of lanes equals R1/R0;
• (b) a set of N×K transceivers communicatively coupled to a second network operating at a bit rate R2 and to the lanes so that:
• (i) for at least one of the lane interfaces, all of the lanes communicate with only one of the transceivers;
• and
• (ii) for at least another one of the lane interfaces, at least one of the lanes communicates with one of the transceivers, and at least another one of the lanes communicates with another one of the transceivers;
• and
• (c) a set of M×K controllers, each controller associated with one of the lane interfaces and structured to decide whether to direct electronic data to:
• (i) a communication interface of one of the plurality of computer servers, wherein the communication interface communicates with the first network at the bit rate R1;
• or
• (ii) the lane interface associated with the controller;
• (d) wherein M, N, and K are each positive integers, M>N, M/N is not an integer, the ratio R2:R1 equals the ratio M:N, and R0 is a common denominator of R1 and R2.

A method of transmitting electronic data between a first network communicating at a bit rate R1 and a second network communicating at a bit rate R2, through a set of M×K data communication elements, each coupled to the first network and communicating with the second network through a set of N×K transceivers, each of the data communication elements comprising:

• (i) a lane interface comprising a number of lanes communicating at a bit rate R0, wherein the number of lanes equals R1/R0;
• and
• (ii) a controller associated with the lane interface;
• wherein, for at least one of the data communication elements, all of the lanes communicate with only one of the N×K transceivers;
• wherein, for at least another one of the data communication elements, at least one of the lanes communicates with one of the N×K transceivers, and at least another one of the lanes communicates with another one of the N×K transceivers;
• and
• wherein M, N, and K are each positive integers, M>N, M/N is not an integer, the ratio R2:R1 equals the ratio M:N, and R0 is a common denominator of R1 and R2,
• the method comprising automatically:
• (a) at one of the controllers, determining that the electronic data is intended for the second network;
• and
• (b) in response, causing the data communication element that includes the controller to transmit the electronic data to the second network over at least one of the lanes communicating with the set of N×K transceivers.