Switch fabric backplane flow management using credit-based flow control
US7263066B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 24, 2003 |
| Grant date | Aug 28, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 21, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2012/5675
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A credit-based system and method are provided for managing backplane traffic flow in a packet communications switch fabric. The method comprises: accepting information packets including cells and cell headers with destination information; modifying the destination information in the received cell headers; routing information packets between an input port card and output port cards on backplane data links through an intervening crossbar; at the input port card, maintaining a credit counter for each output port card channel; decrementing the counter in response to transmitting cells from the input port card; generating credits in response to transmitting cells from an output port card channel; and, using modified destination information, sending the generated credits to increment the counter. In some aspects, modifying the destination information in the received packet headers includes: extracting the output port card termination from the card field; and, inserting the input port card source in the card field.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.