Method of and system for transferring overhead data over a serial interface
AssigneeExtreme Networks, Inc.
InventorsJames R. Bauder, Khoi D. Vu, Kevin S. Fatherree, Siddharth Khattar, Erik R. Swenson, Kathleen E. Cimino
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of and system for transferring overhead data from a sender to a receiver over a serial interface is provided. The overhead data is transferred over one or more data lines of the interface during one or more time periods in which excess bandwidth is available on the one or more data lines or while the transfer of the overhead data does not substantially impede the throughput of the payload transfer.
Claims28
A method, performed in, by or for a network switch, of transferring overhead data from a sender to a receiver over a serial interface comprising:
- transferring payload from the sender to the receiver over the serial interface, the payload transfer having a throughput;
- transferring control data from the sender to the receiver over a plurality of data paths of the serial interface, the control data comprising data directly attributable to transporting the payload from the sender to the receiver;
- and
- transferring overhead data from the sender to the receiver over the plurality of data paths of the serial interface, the overhead data comprising data that is neither payload nor directly attributable to transporting the payload from the sender to the receiver,
- wherein overhead data is transferred in either of two modes:
- in a first mode the control data is transferred in a first time period and the overhead data is transferred in a second time period on a first data path of the plurality of data paths, and the payload is transferred concurrently on a second data path of the plurality of data paths during the first and the second time period, and
- in a second mode the overhead data is transferred over one of the plurality of data paths while the one of the plurality of data paths is idle, wherein the overhead data is transferred independently of the payload,
- wherein the overhead data comprises flow control data and mirrored packet data.
A method, performed in, by or for a network switch, of transferring flow control data from a sender to a receiver over a serial interface, the serial interface having a plurality of data paths for transferring data from the sender to the receiver, the plurality of data paths comprising one or more payload paths for transferring payload from the sender to the receiver and one or more control paths for transferring control data from the sender to the receiver, the method comprising:
- transferring payload from the sender to the receiver over the one or more payload paths;
- transferring control data from the sender to the receiver over the one or more control paths, the control data comprising data directly attributable to transporting the payload from the sender to the receiver;
- and
- transferring flow control data from the sender to the receiver over the one or more control paths, the flow control data for controlling a reverse flow of data from the receiver to the sender, wherein the flow control data is transferred in either of two modes:
- in a first mode the control data is transferred in a first time period and the flow control data is transferred in a second time period on a first data path of the plurality of data paths, and the payload is transferred concurrently on a second data path of the plurality of data paths during the first and second time period, and
- in a second mode the flow control data is transferred over one of the plurality of data paths while the one of the plurality of data paths is idle, wherein the flow control data is transferred independently of the payload.
In a network switch, a serial interface comprising:
- a plurality of data paths for transferring payload, control data, or both from a sender to a receiver;
- and
- logic for transferring overhead data from the sender to the receiver over the plurality of data paths during one or more time periods when excess bandwidth is available in the one or more data paths,
- wherein the overhead data is transferred in either of two modes:
- in a first mode the control data is transferred in a first time period and the overhead data is transferred in a second time period on a first data path of the plurality of data paths, and the payload is transferred concurrently on a second data path of the plurality of data paths during the first and the second time period, and
- in a second mode the overhead data is transferred over one of the plurality of data paths while the one of the plurality of data paths is idle, wherein the overhead data is transferred independently of the payload,
- wherein the overhead data comprises flow control data and mirrored packet data.
A system, in or associated with a network switch, comprising:
- a sender;
- a receiver;
- a serial interface having a plurality of data paths, the plurality of data paths comprising one or more payload paths for transferring payload from the sender to the receiver, the payload transfer having a throughput;
- and
- means for transferring first data comprising overhead data, control data, or both from the sender to the receiver over the plurality of data paths during one or more time periods when excess bandwidth is available so that the data is transferred without substantially impeding the throughput of the payload transfer,
- wherein the overhead data is transferred in either of two modes:
- in a first mode the control data is transferred in a first time period and the overhead data is transferred in a second time period on a first data path of the plurality of data paths, and the payload is transferred concurrently on a second data path of the plurality of data paths during the first and the second time period, and
- in a second mode the overhead data is transferred over one of the plurality of data paths while the one of the plurality of data paths is idle, wherein the overhead data is transferred independently of the payload,
- wherein the overhead data comprises flow control data and mirrored packet data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.