Abstract: Network traffic switching comprises: for each of a plurality of classes, specifying a next queue to be serviced within that class, selecting from among the classes a next class to be serviced, and sending data from the next queue of the next class to be serviced via an egress link.

Abstract: Transferring data via a switch fabric comprises: for each unit of data to be transferred, selecting one of a plurality of links from a fabric access node to the switch fabric to transfer the unit of data, and in the event that one or more of the plurality of links become unavailable, such that one or more remaining links remain available for transferring data, transferring a subsequently received unit of data via one of the remaining links.

Abstract: A technique for providing access to a switch fabric is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method comprises determining scheduling information specific to a link to the switch fabric and using the scheduling information to determine a queue to be serviced by the link. In some embodiments, the system comprises a buffer configured to store a plurality of queues, and a queue scheduler associated with the buffer and configured to determine scheduling information specific to a link to the switch fabric and use the scheduling information to select one of the plurality of queues as the next queue to be serviced by the link.

Abstract: Network data switching comprises receiving a cell, associating the cell with a destination port, selecting an egress link that has been soft configured to be associated with the destination port, and switching the cell to the selected egress link. A network switch comprises an ingress link configured to receive a cell and a switch circuit coupled to the ingress link, configured to associate the cell with a destination port, to select an egress link that has been soft configured to be associated with the destination port, and to switch the cell to the egress link.

Abstract: The switch fabric of the ATM switch, i.e., the ATM switch backplane bus, switches a cell based on routing information provided by the source LAN or ATM module to an output port on a destination LAN or ATM module of the switching hub. In the described system, the ATM switch is preconfigured to provide a fully connected topology between ports of all modules. In one embodiment, ATM cells transmitted across the ATM switch fabric between a source LAN or ATM module and a destination LAN module, e.g., Token Ring, FDDI or Ethernet, is accomplished by way of a routing tag prepended on the ATM cells. The routing tag provides both unicast and multicast group destination information such that the ATM cells are routed to the appropriate port on a given destination module without the need to establish a virtual circuit between the source module and the destination module using VPI/VCIs.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus providing for a switching hub in which an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch is utilized as a backplane bus to which a plurality of LAN and ATM modules are coupled. Each LAN or ATM module is an autonomous switching module. Thus, for example, an Ethernet LAN module may receive Ethernet packets on one of its ports and transmit the packets out another one of its ports according to well known standards and techniques for bridging such packets, without the need for such packets to be translated into ATM cells and transmitted across the ATM switch backplane bus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus providing for a switching hub in which an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch is utilized as a backplane bus. Bus arbitration, i.e., allocation of bandwidth, on the bus for autonomous ATM and LAN switching modules coupled thereto is dynamically controlled according to the needs of the various modules. In particular, the present invention allows time division multiplexing of the bus under programmatic control such that each module, e.g., an Ethernet or Token Ring module, is allowed a desired number of cell slots on the bus during which to transfer data, which the module has translated into ATM cells, across the bus.