US 6,901,452 B1 · Selectable prioritization for data communication switch

Abstract

A data communication switch receives packets having first priorities, generates second priorities as a function of the first priorities, prioritizes selected ones of the plurality of packets as a function of the second priorities and transmits the plurality of packets having the second priorities. The first priorities may be inbound Std. 802.1Q tag priorities and the second priorities may be regenerated Std. 802.1Q tag priorities. Priority selection may be communicated in the switch through the expedient of packet marking. Marks may be instantiated in the packets prior to subjecting the packets to prioritization on the switch and removed from the packets prior to transmitting the packets from the switch. The switch may be arranged to prioritize selected ones of 802.1Q-complaint tagged packets based on a tag priority while preserving tag priority signaling for all such tagged packets.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A data communication switch, comprising:

a first network interface for:
receiving a plurality of packets from a first network, wherein one or more of the packets comprises an included priority;
determining a first priority based on the included priority for each of the plurality of packets;
appending a priority select indicator comprising one or more bits to the plurality of packets, when the priority select indicator is assigned a first value or a second value depending on a first packet field;
and
transmitting the plurality of packets;
a second network interface operatively coupled to the first network interface for:
receiving the plurality of packets;
selectively prioritizing each of the one or more packets as a function of the value of the priority select indicator, wherein the packet is prioritized in accordance with:
the first priority if the value of the priority select indicator is the first value;
a second priority if the value of the priority select indicator is the second value;
and
transmitting the one or more packets to a second network.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Selectable prioritization for data communication switch

Life of this patent

Selectable prioritization for data communication switch

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10