Network device with a distributed switch fabric timing system
US6876652B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 11, 2000 |
| Grant date | Apr 5, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 4, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/18
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides a central switch fabric timing subsystem and distributed switch fabric timing subsystems. Distributed switch fabric subsystems reduce the cost of a minimally configured network device by providing a network device with a distributed switch fabric. Such a network device locates a portion of the switch fabric functionality on each forwarding card allowing the minimal network device configuration to include less than the entire switch fabric functionality. The cost of the minimal configuration is, therefore, reduced allowing network service providers to more quickly recover the initial cost of the network device. As new services are requested, additional functionality, including both forwarding cards and universal port cards may be added to the network device to handle the new requests, and the fees for the new services may be applied to the cost of the additional functionality. Consequently, the cost of the network device more closely tracks the service fees received by network providers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.