Abstract: A method for inverse multiplexing of unmanaged traffic flows over a multi-star switch network, where the ingress process for each switch handles managed traffic for its switch first, then pulls a single unmanaged traffic packet off of the unmanaged traffic queue, and processes and transmits the packet. At the destination node unmanaged traffic packets received from the fabric output are acted upon by the Sequence-Checking Process to determine if the packet is in sequence. If the received packet is in sequence, the Sequence-Checking Process sends it on to the output queue. If the received packet is not in sequence, the packet is placed in a buffer. The Sequence Checking Process then checks the fabric output and the buffer by scanning for the next in-sequence packet.

Abstract: A method and system for a network node for attachment to switch fabrics is described. The system includes an access unit to provide access to communications from an external network, a classification element to label received packets with information identifying an associated flow and queue, a mapping element to place the packets into one of a plurality of queues based on the label identifiers, a scheduler to schedule packets in the queues for transmission, and an encapsulation element to encapsulate the scheduled packets into uniform size frames. The uniform size frames may then be transmitted to a next destination through a switch fabric.

Abstract: A method and system for open-loop congestion control in a system fabric is described. The method includes determining which traffic class each received network packet belongs, determining a path to be taken by each packet through a switch fabric, classifying each packet into one of a plurality of flow bundles based on the packet's destination and path through the switch fabric, mapping each packet into one of a plurality of queues to await transmission based on the flow bundle to which the packet has been classified, and scheduling the packets in the queues for transmission to a next destination through the switch fabric.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to perform protocol translation for a modular system may be described.

Abstract: A network device architecture and associated methods are generally described.

Abstract: Multiple boards are connected within a chassis, using a multi-port Target Channel Adapter (TCA). Data is transported from a TCA on a board directly to a TCA on another board through a meshed backplane. The meshed backplane is equipped to mount boards via connectors and may consist of a fabric of copper conductors or optical fibers. Communication from TCA to TCA requires placing ports on each individual TCA along with the appropriate input and output buffering. A multi-port TCA capable of performing multiple bridging functions simultaneously i.e., bridging from a high speed serial meshed backplane to multiple local busses, i.e., Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and TCP/IP devices, is referred to as a Fabric Interconnect Chip (FIC).

Abstract: A method of providing virtual output queue feedback to a number of boards coupled with a switch. A number of virtual queues in the switch and/or in the boards are monitored and, in response to one of these queues reaching a threshold occupancy, a feedback signal is provided to one of the boards, the signal directing that board to alter its rate of transmission to another one of the boards. Each board includes a number of virtual output queues, which may be allocated per port and which may be further allocated on a quality of service level basis.

Abstract: Embodiments of a topology for a backplane for a switch fabric and operation thereof are described.

Abstract: A method for inverse multiplexing of managed traffic flows over a multi-star switch network includes a source node classifier. The source node classifier, using a traffic-engineering algorithm, classifies incoming traffic based on flow parameters, embeds the flow parameters in a routing table in a node for a flow, places packets from classified flows into Switch-Specific Managed-Traffic Queues (SSMT) and a source node unmanaged traffic queue. A source node switch input scheduler process for a switch selects all managed packets from the SSMT destined for the switch, then selects a single unmanaged packet from the source node unmanaged traffic queue. The source node transmits the packets as classified flows through a switch fabric to the destination node. At the destination node packets transmitted through the switch fabric are sorted by a Switch Output Process and sent to intended output queues.

Abstract: A method for inverse multiplexing of unmanaged traffic flows over a multi-star switch network, where the ingress process for each switch handles managed traffic for its switch first, then pulls a single unmanaged traffic packet off of the unmanaged traffic queue, and processes and transmits the packet. At the destination node unmanaged traffic packets received from the fabric output are acted upon by the Sequence-Checking Process to determine if the packet is in sequence. If the received packet is in sequence, the Sequence-Checking Process sends it on to the output queue. If the received packet is not in sequence, the packet is placed in a buffer. The Sequence Checking Process then checks the fabric output and the buffer by scanning for the next in-sequence packet.

Abstract: Multiple voice channels are aggregated into a packet having a segmented data structure and sent over a packet network. The segmented data structure includes segment IDs, corresponding data segments and a packet header arranged so that all data is aligned on 8-byte boundaries for efficient processing by 64-bit processors. The data segment represents one or more milliseconds of digitized voice data, and the segment ID explicitly identifies the voice channel associated with the digitized voice data without reference to any other data in the data structure.

Abstract: A communication system and method for compressing data in a transmission system wherein multiplexed channels are transported over a transmission network of the type comprising a plurality of switching nodes interconnected by connection lines, the exchange of data signals carried out by switching the channels in the network between two exchange telephone devices, and each of the multiplexed channels transporting data bytes representing the data signals from one source exchange telephone device to one destination exchange device during an exchange of information therebetween through the intermediary of a compression/decompression device.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing transmission links bandwidth utilization in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) packet switching network including switching nodes interconnected by high speed transmission links, said network being made to transport user data traffic including PTM traffic organized into variable length packets, each packet comprising a variable length data payload and an original fixed length PTM packet header.

Abstract: Process for transmitting compressed voice circuits over a packet switching network of the type comprising a plurality of switching nodes (SW-1 to SW-7) interconnected by connection lines and including at least an end switching node (SW-1) connected to a source exchange telephone device (PABX A) and another end switching node (SW-3) connected to a destination exchange telephone device (CX), and comprising the steps of receiving from the source exchange telephone device a sequence of uncompressed frames wherein each frame contains n slots containing each J bytes respectively associated to J voice circuits, compressing the data bits of each voice circuit in order to build a packet containing J compressed voice circuits, and providing this packet to the end switching node for transmission to the destination exchange telephone device.

Abstract: A system for coding voice signal to optimize bandwidth occupation in a High Speed Packet Switching network while ensuring best voice transmission quality.The voice signal is first encoded using a conventional GSM like RPE/LTP coder providing first sub-frames of coded signal and tagging these first sub-frames as being non-discardable. In addition, a convenient difference between an RPE/LTP provided signal and a corresponding synthesized image is performed (see 36) and is also block encoded into second sub-frames which second sub-frames are tagged as being discardable sub-frames. Said second sub-frames when concatenated to corresponding first sub-frames provide so-called multirate frames. Then, when transmitting said multirate frames over the High Speed packet switching network, dropping discardable tagged data enables solution network congestion situations in any network node and at random with no significant disturbing effect over the voice communication operation.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing data link occupation in a multipriority data traffic environment by using data multiplexing techniques over fixed or variable length data packets being asynchronously transmitted. The packets are split into segments including both a segment number and a packet number. The segments are dispatched, on a priority basis, over available links or virtual channels based on a global link availability control word indications, which control word is dynamically adjusted according to specific predefined conditions.

Abstract: A distance learning system consists of a plurality of multi-cast clients of various classes and priorities with one multi-cast client as a primary multi-cast client, a multi-cast server, arbitrator and a distance learning session coordinator. The primary multi-cast client provides the default or primary Audio-Visual Material (AVM) stream. The Multi-Cast Server (MCS) setups a multi-cast over a point to multi-point connection which connects all multi-cast clients that are to take part in a particular distance learning session, along with the Primary multi-cast client. Additionally, the primary multi-cast client is connected to the MCS via a point-to-point link. The multi-cast clients and the primary multi-cast client receive an AVM material stream from the multi-cast server via the point to multi-point connection. When a multi-cast client wishes to speak, a speaking request is sent to the arbitrator, the arbitrator determines whether to grant or deny the speaking request.

Abstract: A distance learning system consists of a plurality of multi-cast clients of various classes and priorities with one multi-cast client as a primary multi-cast client, a multi-cast server, arbitrator and a distance learning session coordinator. The primary multi-cast client provides the default or primary Audio-Visual Material (AVM) stream. The Multi-Cast Server (MCS) setups a multi-cast over a point to multi-point connection which connects all multi-cast clients that are to take part in a particular distance learning session, along with the Primary multi-cast client. Additionally, the primary multi-cast client is connected to the MCS via a point-to-point link. The multi-cast clients and the primary multi-cast client receive an AVM material stream from the multi-cast server via the point to multi-point connection. When a multi-cast client wishes to speak, a speaking request is sent to the arbitrator, the arbitrator determines whether to grant or deny the speaking request.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an efficient point-to-point and multi-points routing system and method for programmable data communication adapters in packet switching nodes of high speed networks. The general principles of this efficiency are the following:First, data packets are never copied, only packet pointers are copied for each destination: Space in Buffer Memory is saved, the number of instructions is significantly reduced improving the packet throughput (number of packets per seconds that the adapter is able to transmit). and the routing is independant of the packets length.Second, no overhead is generated by the multi-points mechanism in the real time procedures: the underrun/overrun problems on the ouputs are reduced and the efficiency of the adapter in term data throughput (bits per second) is significantly improved.Third, each output is processed independently by means of interrupts: lines are managed in real time and lines of different speed or protocol can be supported in parallel.

Abstract: A multipurpose data communication network node for interconnecting both ATM and Variable Length (VL) input/output trunks with all combinations of node input versus output trunk connections. The network node includes ATM/VL Receive Adapters and ATM/VL Transmit Adapters, interconnected via a Switching device (44) operating on ATM like packets (i.e. ATM cells) only. The receive adapter includes means (41, 43) for deriving switchable cells from VL traffic possibly including ATM packets and provided over an input VL trunk and means (45, 46) for deriving switchable cells from ATM packets provided on input ATM trunk. The transmit adapter, includes means (47, 48) for reconstructing VL traffic to be fed onto an output VL trunk, and means (49, 50) for reconstructing ATM traffic to be fed onto an output ATM trunk; both means (47, 48) and (49, 50) being fed with switchable cells irrespective of the traffic origin, being it from VL or ATM trunks.