System and method for arbitrating bandwidth on segmented network topologies
AssigneeLSI Logic Corporation
InventorPeter L. Basel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for arbitrating bandwidth between nodes on a network. A count, referred to as the idle gap count, stores the number of nodes that require bandwidth on the network. The count is passed between the nodes and bandwidth is allocated accordingly to effectuate optimization and fair allocation of bandwidth on the network.
Claims14
A method for arbitrating bandwidth in a network of nodes when data transmission exceeds the communications bandwidth of a network, said method performed for each transmitting node comprising:
- assessing the number of nodes arrayed in the network, downstream of the current node, that are transmitting data into a data stream by;
- initializing the idle gap count of a tail node to one;
- transmitting the idle gap count to the next node upstream of a head node;
- responsive to a node receiving a new idle gap count from a node downstream:
- storing the idle gap count transmitted by a node downstream;
- incrementing the count by one if the receiving node is presently transmitting;
- and
- passing the value to a next node upstream;
- responsive to a previously non-transmitting node transmitting data:
- retrieving the idle gap count of the node;
- incrementing the idle gap count by one;
- passing the incremented idle gap count to the next node upstream;
- responsive to the completion of the data transmission by a previously
- transmitting node, passing the idle gap count of said node to the next node upstream;
- inserting a data packet into said data stream;
- and
- transmitting a set of idle bytes equal to the length of the inserted data packet multiplied by the number of downstream nodes currently transmitting data.
A method for assessing the number of nodes on a network that are transmitting data, said method comprising the steps of:
- initializing the idle gap count register of a head node to one;
- transmitting the idle gap count to the next node upstream of the head node;
- responsive to a node receiving a new idle gap count from a node downstream:
- storing the idle gap count transmitted by a node downstream;
- incrementing the count by one if the receiving node is presently transmitting;
- and
- passing the value to a next node upstream;
- responsive to a previously non-transmitting transmitting data:
- incrementing idle gap count value of said node by one;
- passing the incremented idle gap count to the next node upstream;
- responsive to completion of the data transmission by a previously transmitting node, passing the idle gap count register value of said node to the next node upstream;
- retrieving the idle gap count of a tail node.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.