US 7,009,976 B1 · Method and apparatus for using barrier phases to synchronize processes and components in a packet switching system

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for using barrier phases to synchronize processes and components in a packet switching system, including, for example, but not limited to the use of barrier phases in the coordinated timing of the sending of information (e.g., flow control information) within a packet switching system, and the use of barrier phases in a packet sequence number windowing protocol. In one implementation, elements are assigned to one of multiple ordered sets of a barrier groups, wherein each element of a barrier group must be set to a common barrier state before any element of a next a barrier group can switch to a next barrier state, and once all elements of a particular barrier group switch to a new barrier state, all the elements of the next barrier group begin to switch to the next barrier state.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method for updating a data structure, the method comprising:

receiving a barrier bit;
receiving a start bit;
resetting a current data structure address to a predetermined address within the data structure in response to receiving the barrier bit and receiving the start bit;
receiving a plurality of data units;
updating the current data structure based on the received plurality of data units;
and
advancing the current data structure address to a next location for storing a data unit.

4 more elements

A packet switching system comprising:

a plurality of first elements;
a plurality of second elements;
wherein each of the plurality of first elements includes:
a memory configured to store a first data structure;
a first barrier state maintainer to indicate a current first barrier state;
a first barrier accumulator to receive indications of a first subset of a plurality of barrier request messages, to determine when a first barrier request may be sent to the plurality of second elements, and to update the current first barrier state;
and
a first data forwarder for sending information maintained in the first data structure to the plurality of second elements.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

09/894,201Filed 27 Jun 2001 · continuation in part

Priority

31 Dec 2000

Granted

7 Mar 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04L 47/24
Flow control; Congestion control: traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
H04L 47/10
Traffic control in data switching networks: flow control; Congestion control
H04L 47/33
Flow control; Congestion control: using forward notification
H04L 47/34
Flow control; Congestion control: ensuring sequence integrity, e.g. using sequence numbers

Method and apparatus for using barrier phases to synchronize processes and components in a packet switching system

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for using barrier phases to synchronize processes and components in a packet switching system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17