Distributed resource reservation system for establishing a path through a multi-dimensional computer network to support isochronous data

A switched node for use in a multi-dimensional computer network, the switched node comprising:

• (a) switching circuitry comprising more than two bi-directional ports for simultaneously transmitting data in multiple dimensions through the computer network, wherein each bi-directional port comprises an input port and an output port;
• (b) a data buffer for buffering data;
• (c) routing circuitry for routing data stored in the data buffer to a selected output port;
• and
• (d) a reservation facility for reserving resources within the switch node to support requests to transmit isochronous data,
• wherein:
• the switched node receives a request packet to reserve resources to support transmitting isochronous data;
• if the switched node comprises sufficient resources to support transmitting the isochronous data, the reservation facility reserves resources within the switched node to support transmitting the isochronous data, and the switched node transmits an acknowledge (ack) packet to a first neighboring node;
• if the first neighboring node does not comprise sufficient resources to support transmitting the isochronous data, the switched node receives a negative-acknowledge (nack) packet from the first neighboring node, and the switched node transmits the ack packet to a second neighboring node.

A computer network comprising:

• (a) a plurality of nodes for transmitting isochronous data from a source node to a destination node;
• (b) a request node for injecting a request packet into the network, the request packet specifying a request to transmit the isochronous data from one of a plurality of source nodes;
• and
• (c) routing circuitry for routing the request packet to at least one of the plurality of source nodes,
• wherein:
• the source node determines whether it comprises sufficient resources to support transmitting the isochronous data;
• if the source node comprises sufficient resources to support transmitting the isochronous data, the source node reserves resources to support transmitting the isochronous data, and transmits an acknowledge (ack) packet to a first neighboring node;
• the first neighboring node determines whether it comprises sufficient resources to support transmitting the isochronous data;
• if the first neighboring node comprises sufficient resources to support transmitting the isochronous data, the first neighboring node reserves resources to support transmitting the isochronous data, and transmits the ack packet to a node adjacent the first neighboring node;
• and
• if the first neighboring node does not comprise sufficient resources to support transmitting the isochronous data:
• the first neighboring node transmits a negative-acknowledge (nack) packet to the source node;
• and
• the source node transmits the ack packet to a second neighboring node.