Logical multicasting method and apparatus
US6320864A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 19, 1998 |
| Grant date | Nov 20, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 19, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2012/5681
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for performing logical multicasting within a network switch are disclosed so as to permit a downstream network device to perform cell forwarding in a manner which resembles spatial multicasting. A logical multicast cell has a connection identifier associated with the cell within the switch. The connection identifier is employed to initiate a series of lookup operations to generate unique VPI/VCI addresses which are transmitted out of an output port of the switch as copies or leaves of the multicast cell. Successive look-ups of outgoing VPI/VCI addresses for a logical multicast cell are performed using a chain bit to indicate when all leaves of the cell have been transmitted. Leaves of a logical multicast cell are transmitted to the downstream network device from one output cell buffer of a plurality of output cell buffers associated with the output port of the switch so as to minimize the likelihood of blocking and so as to minimize cell delay variation. In one embodiment, the output cell buffers having cells to transmit are afforded transmit opportunities in a round robin sequence.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.