US 7,609,693 B2 · Multicast packet queuing

Abstract

A traffic forwarding system that uses a multicast start-of-packet (SOP) pointer to enqueue a multicast packet in packet queues. The system receives cells, assigns pointers to the cells, and stores the received cells in memory. The system assigns multicast SOP pointers to multicast SOP cells. The system reassembles cells into packets and enqueues the packets in packet queues for forwarding. A multicast packet is enqueued in a plurality of packet queues. The memory in which the multicast packet is stored is released after the multicast packet is dequeued from each of the plurality of packet queues.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of queuing multicast packets for transmission to multiple destinations, comprising:

associating a multicast pointer with a multicast packet;
enqueuing copies of the multicast pointer in multiple destination queues, wherein each copy of the multicast pointer is associated with a destination;
keeping track of valid destinations to which the multicast packet is directed, but to which a copy of the multicast packet has not been sent;
and
recycling the multicast pointer after a copy of the multicast packet is sent to each of the valid destinations.

2 more elements

A system for queuing multicast packets for transmission to multiple destinations, comprising:

a receive module configured to:
receive cells, including a first cell and a second cell;
determine that the first cell is a multicast start-of-packet (SOP) cell;
establish that the second cell is a unicast SOP cell;
associate a first type of pointer with the first cell in accordance with said determination;
and
associate a second type of pointer with the second cell in accordance with said establishing;
a plurality of packet queues configured to:
enqueue the pointer associated with the first cell in a subplurality of the plurality of packet queues;
and
enqueue the pointer associated with the second cell in one of the plurality of packet queues;
wherein the first cell is associated with a first packet and the second cell is associated with a second packet;
a transmit module configured to transmit the packets;
a multicast packet cleanup engine configured to recycle a multicast pointer after a copy of a multicast packet is sent to each destination for which the multicast packet has been enqueued.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/443,505Filed 22 May 2003 · us provisional application

Priority

4 Jun 2002

Published

US 2004/0017810 A129 Jan 2004

Granted

27 Oct 2009

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H04L 49/901
Buffering arrangements: using storage descriptor, e.g. read or write pointers
H04L 47/15
Flow control; Congestion control: in relation to multipoint traffic
H04L 49/90
Packet switching elements: buffering arrangements
H04L 49/9094
Replacing packets in a storage arrangement, e.g. pushout: arrangements for simultaneous transmit and receive, e.g. simultaneous reading/writing…

Multicast packet queuing

Life of this patent

Multicast packet queuing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20