Memory management unit for a network switch
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorJoseph Herbst
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A network switch having at least one port data port interface, a first memory, a second memory, and a memory management unit in connection with the at least one data port interface, the first memory, and the second memory. The memory management unit operates to receive data from the at least one data port interface, determine if the data is to be stored in one of the first memory or the second memory, store the data in one of the first memory or the second memory as a linked list, retrieve the data from one of the first memory or the second memory, and forwards the data for egress.
Claims25
A network device comprising:
- a first memory;
- a second memory;
- and
- a memory management unit in connection with the first memory and the second memory,
- wherein the memory management unit comprises a data input section, and
- wherein the data input section comprises at least one cell accumulation buffer and a slot assembly unit, the slot assembly unit being configured to receive cells from the at least one cell accumulation buffer and package the received cells into cell slots to be stored in the second memory,
- wherein, when the data is stored in the second memory, global storage of data is initialized and continued until a last slot is stored.
A network device comprising:
- a first memory;
- a second memory;
- and
- a memory management unit in connection with the first memory and the second memory,
- wherein the memory management unit comprises:
- a communication channel;
- and
- a data output section in connection with the communication channel;
- wherein the data output section comprises:
- a cell disassembly unit in communication with the communication channel;
- a cell retrieval and reclaim unit in communication with the cell disassembly unit;
- and
- a read buffer and slot disassembly unit in communication with the cell retrieval and reclaim unit.
A method for storing data in a network switch, said method comprising:
- receiving data at an input to a memory management unit;
- determining if the data is to be stored in a first memory or a second memory;
- and
- storing the data in the first memory or the second memory based on the determining;
- wherein the determining comprises:
- determining if a cell count is less than a first predetermined threshold for an egress;
- determining if a number of cells in the second memory is zero;
- and
- determining if a number of cells in the first memory added to a number of cells remaining in an assembly is less than the first predetermined threshold.
A network device comprising:
- means for receiving data at an input to a memory management unit;
- means for determining if the data is to be stored in a first memory or a second memory;
- and
- means for storing the data in the first memory or the second memory based on the means for determining;
- wherein the means for determining comprises:
- means for determining if a cell count is less than a first predetermined threshold for an egress;
- means for determining if a number of cells in the second memory is zero;
- and
- means for determining if a number of cells in the first memory added to a number of cells remaining in an assembly is less than the first predetermined threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.