Abstract: A method for selectively controlling the flow of data through a network device is discussed. The network device has a plurality of ports, with each port of the plurality of ports having a plurality of priority queues. Congestion at one priority queue of the plurality of priority queues is detected and a virtual channel message is sent to other network devices connected to the network device causing data destined for the one priority queue to be halted. After the congestion at the one priority queue has abated, a virtual channel resume message is sent to the other network devices.

Abstract: A network switch for network communications, wherein the network switch includes at least one data port interface supporting a plurality of data ports transmitting and receiving data at a first data rate and a second data rate. The at least one data port interface includes an ingress logic circuit in communication with the at least one data port interface for generating at least one of an ingress address resolution and a filtering search request. A CPU interface is provided and configured to communicate with a CPU. A shared hierarchical memory structure including an internal memory in communication with the at least one data port interface, and an external memory in communication with a memory management unit via an external memory interface is provided. A communication channel is provided for communicating data between the at least one data port interface, the internal memory, the CPU interface, and the memory management unit.

Abstract: An adaptive weighted round robin scheduling apparatus and method schedules variable-length frame transmissions from a plurality of output queue having different transmission priorities by first allocating, for each queue, a number of bandwidth segments for a bandwidth cycle and a number of transmission opportunities for a round robin cycle, and then processing the queues consecutively in a round-robin fashion, beginning with a highest priority queue, until none of the queues has any bandwidth remaining. More specifically, during each iteration of a round robin cycle, a queue is permitted to transmit a frame if the queue has at least one remaining transmission opportunity, the queue has a frame ready for transmission, and the queue has at least one remaining bandwidth segment, and furthermore the number of transmission opportunities for the queue is decremented by at least one.

Abstract: A network switch for network communications, wherein the network switch includes at least one data port interface supporting a plurality of data ports transmitting and receiving data at a first data rate and a second data rate. The at least one data port interface includes an ingress logic circuit in communication with the at least one data port interface for generating at least one of an ingress address resolution and a filtering search request. A CPU interface is provided and configured to communicate with a CPU. A shared hierarchical memory structure including an internal memory in communication with the at least one data port interface, and an external memory in communication with a memory management unit via an external memory interface is provided. A communication channel is provided for communicating data between the at least one data port interface, the internal memory, the CPU interface, and the memory management unit.

Abstract: A method of handling data packets in a series of network switches is disclosed. An incoming data packet is received at a data port of a first switch of the series of network switches and a stack tag is resolved from a header of said incoming data packet. It is then determinined whether an incoming data packet is a unicast packet, a multicast packet or an IP multicast packet; and the address resolution lookup and layer three IP lookup tables are searched to find an egress port for said incoming data packet. The packet header is modified and the packet is forwarded to at least a second switch of the series of network switches, on a stacked connection operating at a first data rate, based on the stack tag and the egress port. The header is later remodified when the egress port is one of a series of data ports of a particular switch of the series of switches.

Abstract: A method of mirroring data to a mirrored to port in a plurality of switches. The method has the steps of determining if data was sent to all of said plurality of switches; determining if said data was sent to a mirrored to port (MTP); and resending said data to all of said plurality of switches if mirroring is enabled and said data was not sent to said MTP.

Abstract: A data switch for network communications includes a first data port interface which supports at least one data port which transmits and receives data. A second data port interface is also provided supporting at least one data port transmitting and receiving data. A CPU interface is provided, with the CPU interface configured to communicate with a CPU. A common memory is provided, and communicates with the first data port interface and the second data port interface. A memory management unit is provided, and communicates data from the first data port interface and the second data port interface and an common memory. A communication channel is provided, with the communication channel communicating data and messaging information between the first data port interface, the second data port interface, and the memory management unit.

Abstract: A switch using indicators for address learning. The switch has a first activator configured to control a first indicator to indicate when a source address needs to be learned and when a source address has been learned. A second activator is configured to control a second indicator to indicate when a destination address has not been learned and when a destination address has been learned. Finally, a third activator is configured to control a third indicator to indicate when a source address has not been learned in all switches.

Abstract: A switch is configured to block packets from being transmitted through designated ports. The switch has port bitmap generator configured to obtain a port bitmap and a table is configured to store a block mask indicating which port the packet should not be transmitted. A block mask lookup is configured to determine the block mask for the packet from the table, and a transmit port bitmap generator is configured to determine which ports the packet should be transmitted using the port bitmap and the block mask.

Abstract: A switch assembly having multiple blades in a chassis and a method of using that assembly to switch data is disclosed. A network switch assembly for network communications includes at least one fabric blade and a plurality of port blades. The at least one fabric blade has at least one switch having a plurality of data port interfaces, supporting a plurality of fabric data ports transmitting and receiving data, and a CPU interface, where CPU interface is configured to communicate with a CPU. The at least one fabric blade also has a CPU subsystem communicating with the CPU interface. Each of said plurality of port blades has at least one switch having a plurality of data port interfaces, supporting a plurality of port data ports transmitting and receiving data.

Abstract: A network switch that has a plurality of input ports that receive data packets. An external interface is connected to the plurality of input ports. The external interface externally transmits the data packets for processing, and receives the data packets after processing. A memory management unit is connected to the external interface and a plurality of output ports are connected to the memory management unit.

Abstract: A method of forwarding data in a network switch fabric is disclosed. An incoming data packet is received at a first port of the fabric and a first packet portion, less than a full packet length, is read to determine particular packet information, the particular packet information including a source address and a destination address. An egress port bitmap is determined based on a lookup in a forwarding table and it is determined if the destination address belongs to a trunk group of trunked ports. The incoming data packet is forwarded based on the egress port bitmap, when the destination address does not belong to the trunk group. When the destination address does belong to the trunk group, a particular trunked port of the trunk group is determined and the incoming data packet is forwarded thereto.

Abstract: A network switch for network communications is disclosed. The switch includes a first data port interface, supporting at least one data port transmitting and receiving data at a first data rate and a second data port interface supporting a at least one data port transmitting and receiving data at a second data rate. The switch also has a CPU interface configured to communicate with a CPU and a memory management unit for communicating data from at least one of the first and second data port interfaces and a memory. It also has a communication channel for communicating data and messaging information between the first and second data port interfaces and the memory management unit and a plurality of semiconductor-implemented lookup tables including an address resolution lookup table, a layer three IP lookup table and VLAN tables.

Abstract: A method of handling data packets in a series of network switches includes receiving an incoming data packet at a data port of a first switch of the series of network switches. A module id bitmap of the incoming data packet is resolved and a bit corresponding to the first switch of the module id bitmap is examined to determine if the bit is set. A destination address of the incoming data packet is resolved when the corresponding bit is set and the incoming data packet is forwarded or dropped based on the destination address. When the corresponding bit is not set, the incoming data packet is forwarded to a next switch of the series of network switches. A network switch configured to allow for cascading of data packets is also disclosed.

Abstract: A network switch for network communications includes at least one data port interface supporting a plurality of data ports transmitting and receiving data. A CPU interface is configured to communicate with a CPU, and an internal memory communicates with the at least one data port interface. A memory management unit is provided for communicating data from at least one data port interface and the memory. A communication channel is provided, for communicating data and messaging information between the at least one data port interface, the memory, and the memory management unit. The configuration of the network switch also includes a fast filtering process, with the fast filtering processor filtering packets coming into the at least one data port interface. Selective filter action is taken based upon a filtering result.

Abstract: A method of forwarding data in a network switch fabric is disclosed. An incoming data packet is received at a first port of the fabric and a first packet portion, less than a full packet length, is read to determine particular packet information including an opcode value. The opcode value allows the fabric to determine the packet type, sucha a whether the packet is a broadcast packet, a unicast packet, a multicast packet, etc. Based on the opcode value read, a particular forwarding table of a plurality forwarding tables is read and an egress port bitmap is determined based on entries read from the particular forwarding table. The incoming data packet is then forwarded based on the egress port bitmap. In addition, the architecture of the switch fabric is also disclosed.

Abstract: A data switch for network communications includes a first data port interface which supports at least one data port which transmits and receives data. A second data port interface is also provided supporting at least one data port transmitting and receiving data. A CPU interface is provided, with the CPU interface configured to communicate with a CPU. A common memory is provided, and communicates with the first data port interface and the second data port interface. A memory management unit is provided, and communicates data from the first data port interface and the second data port interface and an common memory. At least two sets of communication channels are provided, with each of the communication channels communicating data and messaging information between the first data port interface, the second data port interface, and the memory management unit.

Abstract: A method of handling data packets in a series of network switches is disclosed. An incoming data packet is received at a data port of a first lower capacity switch of the series of network switches and a stack tag is resolved from a header of the incoming data packet. The incoming data packet is forwarded to a first higher capacity switch, on a first stacked connection operating at a first data rate, based on the stack tag. A destination address of said incoming data packet is resolved by the first higher capacity switch and the header of the incoming packet is modified. The incoming data packet is forwarded to a second higher capacity switch, on a second stacked connection operating at a second data rate, based on the resolved destination address, where the header of the incoming data packet is modified and the incoming data packet is forwarded to a second lower capacity switch on a third stacked connection operating at the first data rate.

Abstract: A network switch for network communications is disclosed. The switch includes a first data port interface, supporting at least one data port transmitting and receiving data at a first data rate and a second data port interface supporting a at least one data port transmitting and receiving data at a second data rate. The switch also has a CPU interface configured to communicate with a CPU and a memory management unit for communicating data from at least one of the first and second data port interfaces and a memory. It also has a communication channel for communicating data and messaging information between the first and second data port interfaces and the memory management unit and a plurality of semiconductor-implemented lookup tables including an address resolution lookup table, a multicast table, an IP multicast table and VLAN tables.

Abstract: A method of handling data packets in a network switch is disclosed. The method includes placing incoming packets into an input queue and applying the input data packets to an address resolution logic engine. A lookup is performed to determine whether certain packet fields are stored in a lookup table; and the result of the lookup is also examined to determine if it provides a trunk group ID for a particular data packet of the input data packets. When the lookup provides a trunk group ID, the trunk group ID is used to determine an egress port and the particular data packet is forwarded to the egress port. Alternatively, the packet is discarded, forwarded, or modified based upon the result of the lookup, where the lookup does not provide a trunk group ID. A network switch using the method is also disclosed and methods directed to mirroring of data packets are also disclosed.