Centralized Switching Patents (Class 370/398)
  • Patent number: 7567556
    Abstract: A circulating switch comprises switch modules of moderate capacities interconnected by a passive rotator. Data is sent from a one switch module to another switch module either directly, traversing the rotator once, or indirectly through at least one intermediate switch module where the rotator is traversed twice. A higher capacity extended circulating switch is constructed from higher-capacity switch modules, implemented as common memory switches and having multiple ports, interconnected through a multiplicity of rotators preferably arranged in complementary groups of rotators of opposite rotation directions. A polyphase circulating switch having a low switching delay is derived from a multi-rotator circulating switch by providing programmable rotators having adjustable relative rotator-cycle phases. A low delay high-capacity switch may also be constructed from prior-art medium-capacity rotator space switches with mutually phase-shifted rotation cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventor: Maged E. Beshai
  • Patent number: 7568048
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are described to configure a network having multiple client and server computers. The network configuration is established in one embodiment by connecting a computer to the network, transmitting an IP address request to other computers connected through the network, receiving an IP address notification from the connected computers, setting the IP address of the requesting computer to avoid conflict with the IP addresses of the connected computers, and subsequently operating in an IP address notification mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshikuni Murakami
  • Patent number: 7561583
    Abstract: The invention discloses a communication method for modules within device. The method sets a centralized exchanging and controlling unit in the device, and every module is connected with the centralized exchanging and controlling unit through its own communication control interface. When a message is sending from one module to another module, first the source module sends the message to the centralized exchanging and controlling unit, after processing in the centralized exchanging and controlling unit the message is forwarded to the destination module defined in the message. Since every module is directly connected with the centralized exchanging and controlling unit in a high-speed link, so any two modules communication with the following advantages: high reliability, to locate a fault point is easier, number of the modules that take part in the communication is unlimited, the system design is simple, easier and flexible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xinming Shi
  • Patent number: 7558257
    Abstract: The invention discloses an information switch, which comprises a management system, a core switching system and an information routing system. The core switching system at least comprises an information bus, a switching module and a switching management module. The information bus comprises an access bus (D-Bus) for connecting with device access gateways, a service bus (S-Bus) for connecting with service gateways, a management bus (M-bus) for connecting with the management system, and a routing bus (R-Bus) for connecting with the information routing system. The management system and the information routing system are connected with core switching via the information bus to perform, respectively, system management and routing management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Liming Network Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yihui Deng
  • Patent number: 7542676
    Abstract: A method and a Fibre Channel switch element are provided that allows communication between a host system and a target device attached to a proprietary switch fabric in a network. The Fibre Channel switch element includes a first port that communicates with the target device through the proprietary switch fabric by logging on behalf of the host system so that the proprietary switch behaves as if it was directly communicating with the host system; and a second port that communicates with the host system and collects host bus adapter (“HBA”) identification information, wherein the HBA identification information is used to map the first port to the second port so that when the host system communicates with the target device the Fibre Channel switch element is transparent to the proprietary switch fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventor: Edward C McGlaughlin
  • Patent number: 7542423
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for balancing loads in a switching fabric. The switching fabric comprises a plurality of data ports through which data frames enter or exit the switching fabric. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a buffer and a routing data generation circuit. The buffer receives a data frame to be transmitted to a destination device via the switching fabric. The routing data generation circuit is coupled to the buffer. The routing data generation circuit generates and adds routing data to the data frame received by the buffer. The routing data identifies one of the plurality of data ports through which the data frame will exit the switching fabric to reach the destination device. After the routing data is added to the data frame, the buffer transmits the data frame to the switching system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin D. Morishige, Hans F. Lundberg
  • Patent number: 7535896
    Abstract: The routing control system 100 according to the present invention comprises a control server 1 as the control system, and routers 10-60 as the transfer system. The control server 1 receives the temporary routing control table which is transmitted from the routers 10-60, and stores this temporary routing control table in the routing control table DB 6 as the routing control table of the router which is the transmission source. This routing control table is updated as needed when a predetermined time has elapsed from the previous update. The control server 1 refers to the data in the routing control table DB 6 constructed in this way, and performs the routing control of packets which pass through each router 10-60 on the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
    Inventors: Manhee Jo, Katsutoshi Nishida, Takatoshi Okagawa, Noriteru Shinagawa
  • Patent number: 7522624
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a switching unit with a scalable and QoS aware flow control. The actual schedule rate of an egress queue, wherein the outgoing traffic belonging to a particular class of service is backlogged, is measured and compared to its expected schedule rate. If the egress queue is scheduled below expectation, then the bandwidth of every virtual ingress-to-egress pipe connecting an ingress queue, wherein the incoming traffic belonging to the same class of service is backlogged before transmission through the switch core fabric, to that egress queue is increased, thereby feeding that egress queue with more data units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Alcatel
    Inventors: Peter Irma August Barri, Bart Joseph Gerard Pauwels, Geert René Taildemand
  • Patent number: 7522612
    Abstract: A telecommunication network using the W-CDMA protocol comprising a variety of base stations (BS) communicating with a central Radio Network Controller (RNC) by an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) based data connection via an IUB interface, whereby at least one of the base stations (BS) is comprises a variety of radio sectors (1, 2, 3, . . . n) with physically distributed AAL-2 based termination points (TP), each termination point having an AAL-2 over ATM structure where different call ID's are mapped into respective ATM virtual connections (ATM/VC) under the control of a control unit timer (CU-timer) having a determined delay time, and all AAL-2 cell streams being sent parallel to each other to an ATM switching unit via a UTOPIA interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Brundert, Faustino Capitan Cuadrado, Juan Ignacio Solana De Quesada
  • Patent number: 7519070
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for deep packet processing including a parsing and a searching method supported by a data structure storing the state-transition rules in the state-transition rule tables of a programmable state machine for parsing. The state-transition rule table is then compressed using the BaRT compression algorithm. Each transition rule comprises a test value, a test mask and a next state field. In a second embodiment the state-transition rule table is split into more than one state-transition rule table corresponding to disjoints state spaces, thus allowing more flexibility in the use of storage space. Finally a parsing and searching method can be implemented using the same hardware. The searching and parsing methods can be implemented alternatively or in any combination at wire-speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Jan Van Lunteren
  • Patent number: 7519057
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention include receiving a first packet from a first of a plurality of blade servers at a first data rate and determining a second blade server that may receive the first packet. Data responsive to the received first packet may be transferred to the second blade server at a negotiated first data rate. A second packet comprising at least a portion of the first received packet may be transferred to the second blade server at the negotiated data rate. At least a portion of the first received packet may be transferred to at least the second blade server via a common bus. In another aspect of the invention, at least a third packet may be received from a network at a second data rate. Data responsive to the third packet may be transferred to at least a third blade server at a newly negotiated data rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Lund, Gregory Young
  • Patent number: 7512131
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for operating and deploying a broadband wireless network including at least one data transmission node and a plurality of CPE units, wherein the data transmission node and the CPE units are connected at least in part using a wireless data link, wherein each of a plurality of the CPE units provide a respective subscriber access to a broadband wireless network in communication with the data transmission node. According to one embodiment, the methods and apparatus can include a network operating center device including a feature allowing the broadband wireless carrier to procure management of the broadband wireless network from a second party that operates the network operating center device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner, P.A.
    Inventors: Lars Olof Hugo Svensson, Karl-Johan Yngve Torarp
  • Patent number: 7508771
    Abstract: A method for reducing latency in a host Ethernet adapter (HEA) includes the following. First, the HEA receives a packet with an internet protocol (IP) header and data in the HEA. The HEA parses a connection identifier from the IP header and accesses a negative cache in the HEA to determine if the connection identifier is not in a memory external to the HEA. The HEA applies a default treatment to the packet if the connection identifier is not in the memory, thereby reducing latency by decreasing access to the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Claude Basso, Jean Louis Calvignac, Chih-jen Chang, Philippe Damon, Natarajan Vaidhyanathan, Fabrice Jean Verplanken, Colin Beaton Verrilli
  • Patent number: 7496072
    Abstract: A service option overlay for a CDMA wireless communication in which multiple allocatable subchannels are defined on a reverse link by assigning different code phases of a given long pseudonoise (PN) code to each subchannel. The instantaneous bandwidth needs of each on-line subscriber unit are then met by dynamically allocating additional channel capacity on an as needed basis for each network layer connection. The system efficiently provides a relatively large number of virtual physical connections between the subscriber units and the base stations on the reverse link for extended idle periods such as when computers connected to the subscriber units are powered on, but not presently actively sending or receiving data. These maintenance subchannels permit the base station and the subscriber units to remain in phase and time synchronizm by monitoring power, carrier-to-interference (C/I), or signal-to-noise (SNR) ratios. The power levels over the subchannels is regulated to minimize interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventor: James A. Proctor, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7493419
    Abstract: A computer implemented method in a data processing system for fingerprinting input/output workloads for input/output schedulers. Requests are identified in a workload for an input/output scheduler. Each request is classified to form a set of classifications. Whether an action is needed is determined based on the set of classifications. If the action is needed, the action is initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Jacob Lorien Moilanen
  • Patent number: 7480732
    Abstract: A switch may be configured to support a point-to-multi-point PVC which can be used to support a point to multi-point application. The signaling overhead is reduced due to the use of PVC, and the available bandwidth is used efficiently due to the use of the point-to-multi-point connection. Another aspect of the present invention minimizes the resources required while providing such point-to-multi-point virtual connections. A switch may minimize allocation of resources to branches that are not active. For example, a switch may determine that a branch is inactive based on the absence of reception of OAM cells in a specified duration and delete the forwarding information for the inactive branch. The switch may thus scale to support many point-to-multi-point virtual circuits having many branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pankaj Vyas, Balaji Lakshmikanth Bangolae, Amit S. Phadnis
  • Patent number: 7480304
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for performing congestion management in a switch or router is disclosed. The apparatus acquires and or generates performance metrics for a plurality of switching module coupled via a switching fabric, generates a performance index based on the attributes from the switching modules, and allocates switching fabric bandwidth based on a weighted combination of the performance metrics. The performance metrics may include past and presents values of some attributes as well as predicted values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Chiang Yeh, Bryan Dietz
  • Patent number: 7457280
    Abstract: The combination of narrowband applications with broadband transport may be enabled with a tri-level nodal communications architecture including a call control node having both switching intelligence and narrowband switching fabric, a plurality of connection control nodes having broadband switching fabric and an intermediate node for interworking between the call control node and the plurality of connection control nodes. The intermediate node includes a database providing an indication of which format(s) of multiple formats a given connection control node uses. When an incoming communication arrives to/from a specific connection control node, the database is consulted to ascertain the corresponding particular format(s) used by that specific connection control node. Accordingly, the incoming communication may be translated responsive to the ascertained particular format(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ)
    Inventors: Jan Lindquist, Hans Gundersen, Håkan Mattsson, Lars Thorsen
  • Patent number: 7440413
    Abstract: A system and methods to optimize the resource planning of ADSL services is provided. In an illustrative implementation, a network management system (NMS) communicates with an ADSL network to provision resources for participating users. The provisioning process yields a permanent virtual circuit (PVC). Included in the provisioning process is the creation and management of configuration variables, such as, the virtual path identifier (VPI) and the virtual circuit identifier (VCI). The VPI/VCI combination uniquely identifies each PVC. If the provisioning process is aborted or fails, it may be reanimated by the NMS using the VPI/VCI combination. In this implementation, the VPI may be set to a certain value and the VCI value calculated using ADSL configuration values (e.g. the physical connection position on a first, second, third, etc. ADSL network component.) The deterministic nature of the VPI and VCI configuration variables assist the NMS to track and optimize available resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation
    Inventor: Harry Tang
  • Patent number: 7424025
    Abstract: Methods and systems for per-session dynamic management of media gateway resources are disclosed. According to one method, the logical and physical resources in a media gateway are divided and dynamically managed at the Transport Layer (i.e. OBI Layer 4), which results in finer granularity than managing such resources statically at the Data Link Layer (i.e. OBI Layer 2) or Network Layer (i.e. OBI Layer 3). Voice-processing resources provided by voice server cards may be pooled into a common pool available to all external networks. For each new call/session, the dynamic resource manager of the media gateway dynamically allocates a voice chip from the pooled voice processing resources, and assigns a logical resource identifier (e.g. a local IP and local UDP pair) to the session. When a network interface card receives incoming voice packets, it checks the destination IP and UDP and optionally the source IP and UDP to find out, and forward voice packets to, the voice chip assigned to the session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Santera Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Y. Qian, David Z. Lu, San-Qi Li, Yen Shei, Weijun Lee
  • Patent number: 7415006
    Abstract: For transporting data packets of a data stream between a packet-oriented network (LAN) and a channel-oriented data stream processing module (VMOD), a data stream controller (ST) is provided which, via a data channel allocation module (VMUX), accesses an interface module (PS) for exchanging the data packets with the network (LAN) and/or accesses the data stream processing module (VMOD). The data stream controller (ST) transmits a data channel allocation information item (DKl1, DKl2) to the interface module (PS) and/or to the data stream processing module (VMOD). Using a data channel allocation information item (DKl1, DKl2) in each case transmitted, the data packets are transmitted directly between the interface module (PS) and the data stream processing module (VMOD), bypassing the data channel allocation module (VMUX).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Manfred Riedel
  • Patent number: 7411963
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the dissemination of non-routing information to nodes of a network is provided. A new type of IS-IS packet (called a NRI IS-IS packet) is described that exclusively carries non-routing information. When the NRI IS-IS packet is received by a router, the router may send the NRI IS-IS packet to an appropriate component responsible for processing non-routing information, without analyzing, verifying, and validating the information carried in each TLV and sub-TLV of the NRI IS-IS packet. Advantageously, the time it takes for routers of the network to achieve convergence is decreased since a IS-IS packet reader need not analyze, verify, and validate information not related to network topology and IP routing. Therefore, when NRI IS-IS packets are received, there is no impact in the convergence time of nodes in the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David D. Ward, Jean-Philippe Vasseur, Stefano B. Previdi
  • Patent number: 7408936
    Abstract: A method of routing packets in network system where the network system comprises a plurality of edge nodes and a plurality of core nodes. Selected core nodes are coupled to communicate with selected edge nodes. The network system also comprises a plurality of external nodes, with selected external nodes coupled to communicate with selected edge nodes, and where different external nodes are associated with a plurality of different entities sharing resources on the network system. The method comprises proposing a set of entities from the plurality of different entities. The proposed set comprises entities associated with external nodes that share respective connections to a number of edge nodes in the edge nodes such that the shared number is less than a total number of all edge nodes to which each different entity in the set is connected, with other aspects then taken with respect to the proposed set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: An Ge, Maher Ali, Girish Chiruvolu
  • Patent number: 7403484
    Abstract: A network unit for use in a switching fabric stores for each network unit in the switching fabric a respective change identification number. In each unit this number is incremented on each change of state. The unit broadcasts protocol packets which indicates incremented change identification numbers; receives corresponding packets from the other units; and determines when the last change identification numbers in the table are the same for all the units. This allows a control based on whether all the units know that all the other units have been updated in response to all the changes of state in the fabric. The network unit can also participate in a routing algorithm, and particularly a shortest path algorithm, within a fabric that constitutes a single network entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Inventors: Maurice A Goodfellow, Paul J Moran, John P Stubley, Alan E Ainsworth
  • Patent number: 7397806
    Abstract: A method for Integration of a packet-oriented network in a communication system has at least one central communication device embodied with an application interface for exchange of communication data with a computer system, with a number of communication control processors assigned to the packet-oriented network for implementation of decentralized signaling and user data services, with a gateway for bilateral exchange of signaling and user data of the central communication device and of data exchanged by the decentralized signaling and user data services. In a control processor in this case communication data of the application interface and status information that can be processed for the communication control processors is bilaterally exchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Christian Burger
  • Patent number: 7376224
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for enabling additional capacity or features on telecommunication nodes without requiring replacement of hardware. Service providers purchase hardware which is fully capable of providing a full suite of features and providing a large bandwidth capacity. However, depending on the amount of payment by the service provider, not all of the features or the bandwidth capacity is enabled. If the service provider wishes to increase the number of features or the capacity of a node, the additional features or capacity are enabled using software after payment to the vendor. This allows service providers to enter the market at an initially relatively low expense. Additional features and capacity can be purchased and enabled using software as demand grows, without having to purchase replacement hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventor: Kin Yee Wong
  • Patent number: 7340167
    Abstract: A method and a Fibre Channel switch element are provided that allows communication between a host system and a target device attached to a proprietary switch fabric in a network. The Fibre Channel switch element includes a first port that communicates with the target device through the proprietary switch fabric by logging on behalf of the host system so that the proprietary switch behaves as if it was directly communicating with the host system; and a second port that communicates with the host system and collects host bus adapter (“HBA”) identification information, wherein the HBA identification information is used to map the first port to the second port so that when the host system communicates with the target device the Fibre Channel switch element is transparent to the proprietary switch fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventor: Edward C McGlaughlin
  • Patent number: 7336650
    Abstract: The invention relates to an exchange for a telecommunication network, with a message/dialogue device, whereby said message/dialogue device, comprises one interface each for a packet-oriented data transmission network and a line-oriented data transmission network and a virtual port for controlling the message/dialogue device, by means of a connection running through the packet-oriented data transmission network, for the transmission of messages and/or dialogues to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mathias Franz, Alfred Jugel, Patrick Kleiner, Norbert Löbig, Klaus Pulverer
  • Publication number: 20070286212
    Abstract: A method for positioning a target terminal while protecting the privacy of a user of the target terminal is provided. To this end, the real Identification (ID) of the target terminal is managed only by a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Center (SLC) with which the target terminal make a contract for positioning thereof, so that the real ID is prevented from being exposed to the outside. In this way, even when a plurality of SLCs that can be managed by different network operator performs positioning of a target terminal by using an SUPL Positioning Center (SPC) existing in an external network, the real ID of the target terminal is not transferred to the SPC, and thus the privacy of a user of the target terminal can be protected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joo-Young KIM, Wuk Kim, Hae-Young Jun
  • Patent number: 7307967
    Abstract: A mobile communications system is disclosed that includes a first local routing manager (LRM) providing a first network in which a mobile terminal is currently located, a second local routing manager (LRM) providing a second network in which a counterpart terminal communicating with the mobile terminal is currently located, and a home routing manager (HRM) managing correspondence between the unique home address of the counterpart terminal and the second network. The first LRM has a controller that acquires address information of the counterpart terminal from the second LRM, via the HRM, when the first LRM does not have the address information, and communication means that transmits the address information of the counterpart terminal to a router of a new cell in the first network when the mobile terminal moves into the new cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Iwasaki, Masahiro Sawada, Shinichi Isobe, Takeshi Ihara
  • Patent number: 7292579
    Abstract: Preferred embodiments of the invention provide a method and system for processing operations associated with resources on a local network. Aspect of the invention include receiving periodic messages containing resource information from network devices connected to the local network, wherein the resource information includes user-requestable services offered by the network device, and data stored by the network device having a mime type. The resource information from each of the messages and a timestamp are stored in a repository. From the stored timestamp and resource information it can be determined which user-requestable services and data having a mime type were available on the network over a predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Scenera Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Robert P. Morris
  • Patent number: 7239641
    Abstract: Virtual channels are used to improve quality of service through a large port count switch. Data frames are sent from one small switch to another small switch within the large port count switch on virtual channels. The use of virtual channels helps prevent congestion caused by a first external source device sending data to a first external destination device from affecting a second external source device sending data to a second external destination device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Banks, Alex S. Wang, Kreg A. Martin
  • Patent number: 7240116
    Abstract: Described are techniques used in dynamically modifying RDF groups. A system call is issued by a host computer system to execute a remote system call on a first data storage system to create, remove, or modify an RDF group between the first data storage system and another data storage system that is remotely connected to the first data storage system in an RDF switched environment. As part of executing the remote system call, data is pushed from the first to the second data storage systems without having an established link between the data storage systems. Each data storage system performs processing to make the necessary modifications in all directors in accordance with the dynamic RDF group. A status indicating success or failure of the remote system call is returned to the host computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Marik Marshak, Mark J. Halstead, David Meiri, Alexandr Veprinsky
  • Publication number: 20070147394
    Abstract: A timer for processing timer entries in an efficient manner utilizing linked lists, without requiring a walk-through to add new timer entries. Timer entries are added to a linked list only at its tail. Each linked list has an associated timer size. In one embodiment, a timer entry is added only to a linked list having a timer size matching the expiration time of the timer entry. In other embodiments, a timer entry is added to a linked list having the greatest timer size not exceeding the expiration time of the timer entry. When a timer entry is added to a linked list, its expiration time is reduced by the timer size of the linked list, and a time-to-live value is set such that the sum of all time-to-live values of timer entries in the linked list equals the timer size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventor: Keith Iain Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 7212525
    Abstract: A Packet communication system has a first line interface; a second line interface that accommodates lines slower than lines accommodated by the first line interface; a crossbar switch; and a scheduler that periodically receives packet output requests from the first and second line interfaces and sends grants based on the requests for the crossbar switch to the first and second line interfaces. The link capacity between the first line interface and the crossbar switch is made higher than that between the second line interface and the crossbar switch, whereby a packet communication system capable of accommodating line interfaces with different speeds efficiently can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihiko Moriwaki, Hidehiro Toyoda
  • Patent number: 7212493
    Abstract: In an ATM exchange, a cell transmission control section transmits an ATM cell to a transmission path of an ATM network A traffic monitor monitors traffic of the cell transmissions. A statistical process section performs a temporal statistical process on the result of the traffic monitoring using a clock and a memory. A CAC produces an instruction for traffic control over a transmission terminal based on the result of the statistical process. A UPC controls traffic of a transmission path from the transmission terminal in accordance with the instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Juniper Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazunori Shibasaki
  • Patent number: 7184403
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for balancing loads in a switching fabric. The switching fabric comprises a plurality of data ports through which data frames enter or exit the switching fabric. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a buffer and a routing data generation circuit. The buffer receives a data frame to be transmitted to a destination device via the switching fabric. The routing data generation circuit is coupled to the buffer. The routing data generation circuit generates and adds routing data to the data frame received by the buffer. The routing data identifies one of the plurality of data ports through which the data frame will exit the switching fabric to reach the destination device. After the routing data is added to the data frame, the buffer transmits the data frame to the switching system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin D. Morishige, Hans F. Lundberg
  • Patent number: 7167477
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for recovering abnormal control cells in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) exchange subscriber unit. A signal cell or control cell is transmitted and a plurality of reception first-in first-out memories (FIFOs) are sequentially checked to determine whether a new cell has arrived. If there is no start of cell (SOC) signal in an initial byte of a current cell under the condition that a cell synchronization loss signal is present in the current cell, or if the SOC signal is detected during transfer of the current cell, the current cell is determined to be abnormal. If the cell synchronization loss signal is abnormal, the current cell is discarded and an associated FIFO is fully emptied to recover cell synchronization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: LG-Nortel Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ki-Taek Kim
  • Patent number: 7167481
    Abstract: A switch fabric for switching data traffic according to a plurality of links. The data traffic may convey audio information, video information, or any other type of information. The switch fabric includes input, output and at least one intermediate stages, each stage including a plurality of switching elements. The switching elements of the input and output stages respectively have external input and output ports. The switch fabric further includes a switch fabric controller. The switch fabric controller includes a link database including information about the plurality of links. The switch fabric controller is operative to search the link database to identify symmetrical links and to establish internal pathways between the input stage and the output stage through the at least one intermediate stage, wherein at least two symmetrical links identified by the searching are realized using a common switching element of the at least one intermediate stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: David C. Steele, Jeff J. Towers, Andrew King
  • Patent number: 7158512
    Abstract: The present invention is a system and a method for connection scheduling of crossbar switches having at least one ingress and at least one egress, each of the egresses is connected to at least one port, comprising at least one scheduler for scheduling matches between the ingresses and the egresses, which is in communication with the crossbar switch and at least one memory for holding data which is useful in the process of scheduling the crossbar switch. The memory is in communication with the scheduler. The scheduler schedules the matches between the ingresses and the egresses using data stored in the memory regarding the ingresses, egresses, and the ports. The scheduler operates in accordance with a selection algorithm, which is based on prioritizing of the ports. Selections are performed hierarchically as will be detailed hereinbelow. The scheduler efficiently matches between plurality of inputs and plurality of outputs, especially in crossbar systems having a large number of inputs and outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: P-Cube Ltd.
    Inventor: Eli Kamhine
  • Patent number: 7155554
    Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses, systems, and methods are described for communicating information between functional blocks of a system across a communications fabric. A first functional block communicates a single request fully describing attributes of a two-dimensional data block across the communication fabric to a second functional block capable of decoding the single request to obtain the attributes of the two-dimensional data block. At least one of the functional blocks transmits data associated with the single request across the communication fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Sonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn S. Vinogradov, Drew E. Wingard
  • Patent number: 7114000
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for scheduling traffic in a network. The method comprises (a) dividing a hardware schedule table into N logical schedule tables which are separated by table delimiters; and (b) assigning an identifier corresponding to a connection in the network in a scheduling table which is one of the N logical schedule tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Radesh Manian, Shirish K. Sathe
  • Patent number: 7106736
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Mohan Kalkunte
  • Patent number: 7099336
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Mohan Kalkunte, Shekhar Ambe, Shiri Kadambi
  • Patent number: 7093030
    Abstract: A network interface driver embodied in a processor readable medium comprising executable program instructions that, when executed by a processor, independently process internetworking protocols for a host computer (or other network access device) with another computer on a remote network. The driver appears to the operating system as a regular network interface driver, but it can support enhanced kernel-level internetworking protocols by using a state machine to generate, drop, and change incoming and outgoing IP packets in a manner transparent to the operating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: AT & T Corp.
    Inventors: Paul Shala Henry, Meng-Ju Lin, Hui Luo
  • Patent number: 7075938
    Abstract: A common buffer memory control apparatus controls a common buffer memory which is used to store message data items each of which is divided into a plurality of cells based on an asynchronous transfer mode. The common buffer memory control apparatus includes a free block management table for managing whether each of blocks into which the common buffer memory divided is free or used, a block selecting unit for selecting a block of the common buffer memory which is free with reference to the free block management table, and a cell writing control unit for controlling a write operation for cells of a single message data item so that the respective cells of the single message data item are written in the block, selected by the block selecting means, of the common buffer memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Syuji Takada, Yasuhiro Ooba
  • Patent number: 7068667
    Abstract: A method and system for managing an interconnect fabric that connects nodes. A network manager manages an interconnect fabric or network of routing devices (e.g., interconnect fabric modules, switches, or routers) to allow source nodes to transmit data to destination nodes. The network manager receives registration requests from source nodes to send data to destination nodes, configures the routing devices of the network to establish a path from each source node to its destination node, and provides a virtual address to each source node. The virtual address identifies a path from the source node to the destination node. The source node sends the data to its destination node by providing the data along with the virtual address to a routing device of the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Michael S. Foster, Michael A. Dorsett
  • Patent number: 7065046
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for scheduling arriving data packets for input to a switch having a plurality of input channels, and a plurality of output channels, the scheduling method is performed in successive scheduling phases where each scheduling phase further comprises at least log N scheduling iterations. The method is a parallelized weight-driven input queued switch scheduling algorithm which possesses good bandwidth and delay properties, is stable, and can be configured to offer various delay and quality of service (QoS) guarantees. The scheduling method utilizes envelope scheduling techniques and considers partially filled envelopes for scheduling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel M. Andrews, Kameshwar V. Munagala, Aleksandr Stolyar
  • Patent number: 7061907
    Abstract: A system and method for providing field upgradeable switches built from ASIC-based routing components is disclosed. A network switch contains intermediate routing components and an interface that allows the switching component to couple with a module. The module contains additional routing components and may be coupled to the network switch as a simple field operation. When the module is coupled with the network switch, the routing components of the module are communicatively coupled with the intermediate routing components of the network switch. Thus, the network switch now contains additional routing components. As a result, the addition of the module enhances the internal topology of network switch and increases its effective bisectional bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Jenwei Hsieh, Victor Mashayekhi
  • Patent number: 7058072
    Abstract: A connection apparatus for a public network switching system includes line ports connected to user terminals and trunk ports connected to Internet lines, a switching unit having diverging ports connected to the trunk ports and converging ports connected to the line ports. A control unit receives a request signal from a user terminal and establishes connections between one of the diverging ports and the converging ports which correspond to Internet lines specified by the request signal. The public network switching system connects the one diverging port to the user terminal and connects a line port and a trunk port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Saburou Ikeda