Abstract: Apparatus and method for carrying out data switching; e.g. at a store-and-forward exchange node in a data communication network. Plural processors operate relative to multiple ports and traffic storage queues, partially on an exclusive basis and partially on a shared basis, to effectuate switching of data traffic with balanced sharing of the aggregate processing load. The processors control traffic processing functions (reception, storage and output transfer) on a varied assignment schedule. Supervisory signals exchanged between processors indicate status and destinations of currently stored traffic loads. The scheduling of output traffic to ports is handled by individual processors on an exclusive assignment basis. When a port is available to handle a given traffic segment (packet) destined for that port the respective processor having exclusive output scheduling responsibility for that port signals such availability to the processor having current responsibility over the transfer of said segment.

Abstract: A communication switching system having distributed control and modular design including a loop structure to which processor modules and storage modules are attached. Input to and output from the loop are effected through line registers, one line register being provided for each communication line. The line registers also function as intermediate storage between sequential processing steps. The processor modules, which are physically separated from the storage modules, are allocated for each step of a task, completely independent of the communication line associated with that task, or any past allocation of that task. Accordingly, messages can be sent by a processor module to any one of the storage modules for fetching or delivering of data and then the data will be routed back to the processor modules. After all required processing has been accomplished, a message will be sent back to the associated line register containing new data, either for output to the line or for later reuse by the system.