US 6,389,035 B1 · Translation hardware assist for data communication switch

A method for assisting switching a discrete information unit of digital data, for use within a switching controller having an input interface and a plurality of output interfaces, wherein the output interfaces are associated with nodes operative in different protocols, and a transfer memory for switching the discrete information unit from an input interface to an output interface, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a destination node for the discrete information unit;
(b) determining a segment size for the discrete information unit through association with the destination node;
(c) allocating buffers in the transfer memory to the discrete information unit;
and
(d) writing the discrete information unit in the allocated buffers as a series of segments of the segment size.

2 more elements

A method for assisting switching a discrete information unit of digital data, for use within a switching controller having an input port and a plurality of output ports, wherein the output ports are operative in different protocols, and a transfer memory for switching the discrete information unit from a source input port to a destination output port, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a destination output port for the discrete information unit and one or more translation assist values for the destination output port, the translation assist values including a maximum transfer unit value identifying a maximum length for a unit for transmission on the destination output port and a segment size value identifying an allowable length for a unit for transmission on the destination output port;
(b) comparing the length of the discrete information unit with the maximum transfer unit value;
and
(c) if the length of the discrete information unit exceeds the maximum allowable length, writing the discrete information unit to the transfer memory as a series of segments of the segment size, the written segments separated from one another by an amount of address space;
and
(d) otherwise, writing the discrete information unit to the transfer memory as a single contiguous segment.

3 more elements

A method for assisting switching a discrete information unit of digital data, for use within a switching controller having an input port and a plurality of output ports, wherein the output ports are operative in different protocols, and a transfer memory for switching the discrete information unit from a source input port to a destination output port, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a destination output port for the discrete information unit and one or more translation assist values for the protocol type operative on the destination output port, the translation assist values including a maximum transfer unit value identifying a maximum length for a unit of the protocol type and a segment size value identifying an allowable length for a unit of the protocol type;
(b) comparing the length of the discrete information unit with the maximum transfer unit value;
and
(c) if the length of the discrete information unit exceeds the maximum allowable length, writing the discrete information unit to the transfer memory as a series of segments of the segment size, the written segments separated from one another by an amount of address space;
and
(d) otherwise, writing the discrete information unit to the transfer memory as a single contiguous segment.

3 more elements

A method for assisting switching a discrete information unit of digital data, for use within a switching controller having an input port and a plurality of output ports, wherein the output ports are operative in different protocols, and a transfer memory for switching the discrete information unit from a source input port to a destination output port, comprising the steps of:

(a) comparing the protocol type of the inbound discrete information unit with a configured protocol type value, the configured value identifying the protocol type which among all protocol types active on any output port specifies the shortest maximum length for a unit for transmission in the protocol type;
and
(b) if the inbound discrete information unit is of the identified protocol type, writing the discrete information unit in the transfer memory as a single contiguous segment;
(c) otherwise,
(i) determining a destination output port for the discrete information unit and one or more translation assist values for the destination output port, the translation assist values including a maximum transfer unit value identifying a maximum length for a unit for transmission on the destination output port and a segment size value identifying an allowable length for a unit for transmission on the destination output port;
(ii) comparing the length of the discrete information unit with the maximum transfer unit value;
and
(iii) if the length of the discrete information unit exceeds the maximum allowable length, writing the discrete information unit in the transfer memory as a series of segments of the segment size, the written segments separated from one another by an amount of address space;
and
(iv) otherwise, writing the discrete information unit in the transfer memory as a single contiguous segment.

7 more elements

Translation hardware assist for data communication switch

Life of this patent

Translation hardware assist for data communication switch

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23