Switch, computer system using same, and packet forwarding control method

A switch based upon a PCIe specification, which connects initiators that generate packets and targets that are transmission destinations of the packets, the switch comprising:

• a plurality of input ports to which the initiators are connected;
• a plurality of output ports that the targets are connected;
• and an output port adjustment section intervening between the input ports and the output ports, for adjusting the output of PCIe packets from the input ports to output ports, wherein
• the plurality of input ports each comprise:
• a group determination section classifying PCIe packets transmitted from the initiators into any of a plurality of groups according to a predetermined rule;
• a plurality of queuing sections corresponding to the respective groups, for storing the PCIe packets determined by the group determination section;
• a plurality of flow rate comparison sections corresponding to the respective groups, for assigning the priorities to the PCIe packets in the queuing section on the basis of bandwidth limit values established beforehand to perform bandwidth control;
• and
• a queue output adjustment section performing adjustment of the PCIe packets outputted from the queuing section on the basis of the priorities assigned by the flow rate comparison section, and wherein
• the PCIe packets outputted from the queue output adjustment section are forwarded to the output port adjustment section.

A computer system comprising:

• a switch based upon a PCIe specification and having plurality of input ports, a plurality of output ports, and an output port adjustment section that performs adjustment of output of packets from the input ports to the output ports;
• a plurality of computers connected to the input ports and the output ports, and serving as initiators that generate packets or targets that are transmission destinations of the packets;
• and
• a plurality of I/O devices connected to the input ports and the output ports, and serving as initiators that generate packets or targets that are transmission destinations of the packets, wherein
• the input ports of the switch have a bandwidth control section that establishes bandwidth limit values beforehand for each of a plurality of divided groups, classifies packets transmitted from the initiators into any of the plurality of groups according to a predetermined rule, and outputs the classified packets to the output port adjustment section, on the basis of the bandwidth limit values.

A PCIe packet forwarding control method in a switch based upon a PCIe specification and having plurality of input ports, a plurality of output ports, and an output port adjustment section that performs adjustment of output of packets from the input ports to the output ports, the method comprising:

• a group determination step of classifying PCIe packets transmitted from the initiators into any of a plurality of groups according to a predetermined rule;
• a step of storing the PCIe packets determined in the group determination step in a storage means;
• a step of assigning priorities to the PCIe packets in the storage means on the basis of bandwidth limit values established beforehand to perform bandwidth control;
• a step of performing adjustment of the PCIe packets outputted from the storage means on the basis of the priorities assigned;
• and
• a step of transmitting the adjusted PCIe packets from the output ports to the targets which are the transmission destinations via the output port adjustment section.