Apparatus and method in a network switch for dynamically assigning memory interface slots between gigabit port and expansion port
US6501734B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 24, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 31, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 24, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/354
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A network switch having switch ports for full-duplex communication of data packets with respective network nodes according to Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) protocol dynamically allocates external memory bandwidth slots between high data rate ports. An external memory interface determines if a high data rate port makes a request for a bandwidth slot and grants the request if made. The slot is taken from a selected group which is a subset of the total number of slots. If a request for the slot is not made, the external memory interface assigns the slot to another high data rate port. Lower data rate ports in the network switch are assigned fixed slots from those slots not from within the selected group of slots. The dynamic allocation of bandwidth slots between the high data rate port enables the efficient use of limited memory bandwidth resources.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.