Portable networking interface method for distributed switching system
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsCedell Adam Alexander, Jr., Loren Douglas Larsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An interface method to provide a portable networking interface for distributed switching systems. Two Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are defined for communication to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL). The FDDL sits between network client applications and the switch device driver in order to provide a uniform interface to the switch device driver. Towers may be added to the FDDL to provide additional functionality specific to certain client applications.
Claims2
A method of providing communications over a network system utilizing a first protocol and a second protocol, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving information at a port controller in a first protocol from a first node machine;
- communicating the information from the port controller in the first protocol to a switch fabric;
- communicating the information from the switch fabric to a switch device driver within an operating system;
- communicating the information from the switch device driver to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL);
- and
- communicating the information from the FDDL to a first protocol client;
- wherein the FDDL allows each protocol application to distribute its database and functionality to port controllers within the switch fabric, wherein the distribution facilitates hardware forwarding at the port controllers;
- wherein said each protocol application defines a specific set of FDDL messages that are exchanged between the protocol application and the switch fabric, wherein the messages are passed to a software running at each of the port controllers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.