Switching system with distributed switching fabric
US7352745B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 13, 2006 |
| Grant date | Apr 1, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 13, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/102
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A switch encapsulates incoming information using a header, and removes the header upon egress. The header is used by both distributed ingress nodes and within a distributed core to facilitate switching. The ingress and egress elements preferably support Ethernet or other protocol providing connectionless media with a stateful connection. Preferred switches include management protocols for discovering which elements are connected, for constructing appropriate connection tables, for designating a master element, and for resolving failures and off-line conditions among the switches. Secure data protocol (SDP), port to port (PTP) protocol, and active/active protection service (AAPS) are all preferably implemented. Systems and methods contemplated herein can advantageously use Strict Ring Topology (SRT), and conf configure the topology automatically. Components of a distributed switching fabric can be geographically separated by at least one kilometer, and in some cases by over 150 kilometers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.