Abstract: A system and method for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed. The system and method also include D disk elements, where D is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer, a switching fabric connected to the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element, and N network elements connected to the switching fabric. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 3.

Abstract: A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric having a first switching element and a second switching element, each of which are connected to each of the D disk elements. The system includes N network elements, each of which is connected to each of the switching elements of the switching fabric, where N is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 4.

Abstract: A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric having a first switching element and a second switching element, each of which are connected to each of the D disk elements. The system includes N network elements, each of which is connected to each of the switching elements of the switching fabric, where N is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 4.

Abstract: A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed. The system includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric connected to the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element. The system includes N network elements connected to the switching fabric. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 3, which receives the requests and causes the switching fabric to route the requests by their file ID according to the mapping function.

Abstract: A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed. The system includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric connected to the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element. The system includes N network elements connected to the switching fabric. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 3, which receives the requests and causes the switching fabric to route the requests by their file ID according to the mapping function. A method for responding to file system requests.

Abstract: A system for responding to file system requests including a plurality of network elements with at least a network element of the plurality of network elements receiving the requests. The system includes a plurality of switching elements in communication with the network elements which route the requests. The system includes a plurality of disk elements in which files are stored and which respond to the requests in communication with the switching elements, the network element insures each request from the network element is only executed once, the network element retransmits each request for which the network element does not receive an acknowledgment from the switching elements. A method for responding to file system requests.

Abstract: A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed. The system includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric connected to the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element. The system includes N network elements connected to the switching fabric. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 3, which receives the requests and causes the switching fabric to route the requests by their file ID according to the mapping function. A method for responding to file system requests.

Abstract: A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed. The system includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric connected to the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element. The system includes N network elements connected to the switching fabric. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 3, which receives the requests and causes the switching fabric to route the requests by their file ID according to the mapping function. A method for responding to file system requests.

Abstract: A switch for switching packets from a plurality of sources. The switch includes a memory in which portions of packets are stored. The switch includes a transferring mechanism which transfers predetermined portions of a packet to the memory as the predetermined portions are received. A method for switching packets. The method includes the steps of receiving portions of a packet at a transferring mechanism of a switch. Then there is the step of transferring predetermined portions of the packet to a memory of the switch as the predetermined portions are received at the transferring mechanism.

Abstract: A switch. The switch includes a port card. The switch includes a network connected to the port cards. The network having transmitters and receivers that communicate with each other and have assignments between each other. The switch includes a fabric connected to the port card through the network to send and receive fragments of packets to or from the port card. The port card, fabric and network have a plurality of modes of operation. The switch includes a control mechanism connected to the transmitters and receivers which changes the assignments according to the mode. The control mechanism changes the mode and reuses the transmitters and receivers where they can be reused. A method for switching fragments of packets. The method includes the steps of assigning assignments between transmitters and receivers of a network. Then there is the step of transferring the fragments of packets between fabrics and port cards with the transmitters and receivers of the network.

Abstract: A switching system. The system includes I input port mechanisms which receive packets from a communication line and have a width, where I is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes O output port mechanisms which send packets to a communication line and have a width, where O is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes a carrier mechanism along which packets travel. The carrier mechanism has a width wider than the width of the input and output port mechanisms. The carrier mechanism is connected to each input port mechanism and each output port mechanism. The system includes a memory mechanism in which packets are stored. The memory mechanism is connected to the carrier mechanism. The system includes a mechanism for providing packets to the memory mechanism though the carrier mechanism from the input port mechanisms.

Abstract: A switch for transferring UBR traffic on an ATM network. The switch includes a mechanism for receiving UBR traffic from the network and sending UBR traffic to the network. The switch includes a mechanism for prohibiting a predefined condition in the UBR traffic, the prohibiting mechanism connected to the receiving and sending mechanism. Alternatively, the switch includes a mechanism for receiving UBR traffic in connections from the network and sending UBR traffic in the connections to the network. The switch includes a mechanism for dynamic analysis of the connections of UBR traffic to determine whether the connections have UBR traffic which behaves or which misbehaves. Alternatively, the switch includes a mechanism for receiving UBR traffic in connections from the network and sending UBR traffic in the connections to the network. The switch includes a mechanism for reevaluating connections to determine whether the connections have UBR traffic which behaves or which misbehaves at a predetermined interval.

Abstract: An apparatus for storing packets. The apparatus includes a memory for holding packets. The apparatus includes a mechanism for storing at least two packets in the memory with only one packet boundary indicator associated with them. A method for storing packets. The method includes the steps of receiving packets at a memory. Then there is the step of storing with a memory controller at least two packets in the memory with only one packet boundary indicator associated with them.

Abstract: A switching system for a data stream utilizing striping with a parity stripe, so if a fabric of the system fails, the data stream can still be reconstructed with the parity stripe. The system uses receive and transmit interfaces which implement space division, and fabrics which implement hybrid space/time division.

Abstract: A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed. The system includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric connected to the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element. The system includes N network elements connected to the switching fabric. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 3, which receives the requests and causes the switching fabric to route the requests by their file ID according to the mapping function. A method for responding to file system requests.

Abstract: A packet switch. The switch includes a plurality of port cards. Each port card has an unstriper which reassembles stripes of a particular packet. The switch includes a plurality of fabrics. Each fabric operates on only a same respective fragment of a packet received from one of the plurality of port cards at any one time and allows the same respective fragments to be reassembled at one of the plurality of port cards. Each of the plurality of fragments is connected to each of the plurality of port cards. A method for switching packets. The method includes the steps of sending a sync signal from a port card to a plurality of fragments. Then there is the step of sending fragments of a packet as stripes to the respect plurality of fabrics. Next there is the step of operating on the fragments after they are received at each respective fabric by each respective fabric only after the respective fabric has receives the sync signal.

Abstract: A communication system. The system includes an MPLS network. The system includes a modified ATM network connected to the MPLS network on which MPLS packets can travel. A switch for switching MPLS packets and ATM cells in a network. The switch includes input ports for receiving MPLS packets and ATM cells from the network. Each MPLS packet has a first label for directing the packet to a desired switch and a second label for directing the packet in the switch to a desired outport in the switch. The system includes output ports for sending MPLS packets and ATM cells to the network. The system includes a mechanism for reviewing the second label of the packet while maintaining the first label with the packet. The reviewing mechanism is connected to the input ports and the output ports. A method for transmitting packets in a communications network. The method includes the steps of sending an MPLS packet on an MPLS network to a first switch connected to a modified ATM network and the MPLS network.

Abstract: A switch of a network connected to a switch control processor. The switch includes port cards which receive packets from and send packets to the network. The switch comprises a switch control processor for providing control information. The switch includes fabrics for switching the packets. The fabrics receive control information from the switch control processor but all the fabrics only implement the control information at a same logical time when each fabric receives a control initiation signal from one of the port cards. Each respective fabric continuously operating on packets before, during and after each respective fabric receives the control initiation signal. A method for switching packets. The method includes the steps of receiving packets at a port card of a switch from a network. Then there is the step of sending fragments of each packet to fabrics of the switch.

Abstract: A switch for switching fixed size ATM cells and variable length packets of a network. The switch includes an input port mechanism having a plurality of input ports each able to receive cells and packets from the network. The switch includes an output port mechanism having a plurality of output ports each able to send cells and packets to the network. The switch includes a switching fabric connected to the input port mechanism and the output port mechanism for switching either packets or cells from any input port to any output port. The switch includes a mechanism for converting packets to cells when the input port is a packet port and the output port is a cell port and cells to packets when the input port is a cell port and the output port is a packet port, respectively, or not converting cells or packets when the input port and the output port are both cell ports or both packet ports, respectively. The converting mechanism is connected to the output port mechanism and the switching fabric.

Abstract: An adaptive distributed diagnostic system and method for a network having at least a first, a second and a third nodes. Both the third and first nodes and the third and second nodes, respectively, are in communication with each other via the network. The first node can directly test a state of the third node and indirectly test through the third node a state of the second node. The second node can directly test a state of the third node and indirectly test through the third node a state of the first node. The third node can directly test both a state of the first node and a state of the second node. The third node has a testing assignment based on given circumstances at a corresponding time.