Scalable high speed packet switch using packet diversion through dedicated channels
AssigneeVideo Network Communications, Inc.
InventorSteven Rogers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A scalable high-speed packet switching device includes a packet switch with ports, a crosspoint matrix, and a plurality of subswitches, one for each port of the packet switch. A processor in the packet switch detects a high level of traffic between two ports and causes the subswitches and crosspoint matrix to divert packets away from the packet switch and through a dedicated channel in the crosspoint matrix.
Claims24
An improved packet switching device, comprising:
- a packet switch comprising a plurality of switch ports, wherein the packet switch receives packets at one of the plurality of switch ports, determines a destination switch port for each packet by comparing an address in each packet with packet switch routing information, and routes each packet to the destination switch port;
- a crosspoint matrix comprising a plurality of matrix ports, wherein the crosspoint matrix is configurable to provide direct paths between any two of the matrix ports;
- and
- a plurality of subswitches, each coupled to the packet switch and to the crosspoint matrix;
- wherein each subswitch is configurable to divert certain packets away from the packet switch to the crosspoint matrix and to allow other packets to pass through to the packet switch.
An improved packet switching device, comprising:
- a packet switch comprising a plurality of switch ports each including a port interface for transmitting and receiving packets, a packet switch memory including routing information which associates packet addresses with switch ports, and a processor which extracts packet addresses from packets received at the switch ports, looks up each packet address in the packet switch memory, determines a destination switch port for each packet address on the basis of the looked up packet address, and transmits each packet received at the switch ports to a respective destination switch port;
- a crosspoint matrix including a plurality of matrix ports, wherein the crosspoint matrix is configurable to provide direct paths between any two of the matrix ports;
- and
- a plurality of subswitches, each subswitch comprising a first port at which packets are received or transmitted, a second subswitch port coupled to one of the plurality of matrix ports of the crosspoint matrix, a third subswitch port coupled to one of the plurality of switch ports of the packet switch, a subswitch routing memory which associates packet addresses with either the second subswitch port or the third subswitch port, and a processor which extracts addresses from packets received at the first subswitch port, compares the extracted addresses received from the first subswitch port with packet addresses in the subswitch routing memory, and transmits packets received from the first subswitch port to the second subswitch port for packets having extracted addresses associated with the second subswitch port in the subswitch routing memory and transmits packets received from the first subswitch port to the third subswitch port for packets having extracted addresses associated with the third subswitch port in the subswitch routing memory.
A method of improving performance in a packet switching device having a plurality of device ports through which packets are switched, the method comprising the steps of:
- (1) detecting a condition that a high traffic rate exists between two of the plurality of device ports and through a packet switch coupled to the device ports;
- (2) in response to detecting the high traffic rate, providing a dedicated path which diverts packets having addresses associated with the high traffic rate away from the packet switch, wherein such packets are routed to their destination through the dedicated path instead of through the packet switch;
- and
- (3) continuing to route packets which do not have addresses associated with the high traffic rate through the plurality of device ports and the packet switch.
In a packet switching device having a plurality of ports at which packets having routing address information are received and transmitted and a packet switching circuit that routes packets between ports, a method of improving performance comprising the steps of:
- (1) using the packet switching circuit to route packets between a port where a packet is received and at least one other port according to the routing address information;
- (2) detecting a condition that a high traffic rate exists for the particular routing address information in step (1);
- and
- (3) in response to detecting the high traffic rate in step (2), providing a dedicated path for subsequent packets having the particular routing address information, wherein the dedicated path avoids use of the packet switching circuit to route subsequent packets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.