摘要:
Apparatus and methods for time multiplexing a resource among a plurality of entities at average rates and with deterministic delays between accesses to the resource by an entity. An entity accessing the resource receives a time slot on the resource; a fixed number of time slots constitute a frame. Each entity receives a fixed allocation of time slots in the frame. When an entity has work for the resource to do, it receives access to the resource for a number of slots in each frame equal to the lesser of the number of slots required to do the work and the number of slots in the allocation. A rate-controlled server is disclosed which defines a frame and allocations therein, as well as a hierarchy of servers which combines rate-controlled traffic with best effort traffic. In the hierarchy, a rate-controlled server activates a round-robin server when the entities served by the rate-controlled server do not require all the slots in a frame. A hierarchy of rate-controlled servers is further disclosed which permits access to the resource at widely-differing average rates. In that hierarchy, a number of slots in the frame for a given member of the hierarchy are reserved for the next member down of the hierarchy and the next member down is active only during those slots. Further disclosed are nodes of ISDN networks employing ATM which incorporate the servers and hierarchies thereof.
摘要:
In a local data distribution network configuration a plurality of bidirectional data distribution busses are each connected to a bus master control circuit at a terminal end of the bus. Connected to each of the data distribution busses are a plurality of passive outlets to which intelligent connectors or stations may be connected. Each station has a unique address and is utilized for individually coupling data processing devices to the bus. Grouped pluralities of the bus master control circuits are included within a bus termination hub facility. Data from any of the bus master control circuits may be transferred by the bus termination hub via a data trunk as part of a star type configuration, to a central switching circuit such as a virtual circuit switch. Direction of data flow on each of the bidirectional busses and periodic temporary synchronization of the stations is controlled in response to signals transmitted to the bus by the bus master control circuitry associated with that bus. A bus termination hub switching facility cooperates with the included group of bus master control circuits to interconnect data processing stations on the various busses with the virtual circuit switch via the trunk line and with each other.The bus termination hub facility further includes bus monitoring, status polling and maintenance facilities. A faulty bus will be disconnected if a fault is discovered during monitoring intervals. It will remain disconnected until the fault is corrected.
摘要:
Methods and apparatus for employing a communications system with actively connects communicating entities to mediate transactions. Disclosed are general methods and apparatus for mediating transactions, methods and apparatus permitting information from one transaction to be used in other transactions, and methods and apparatus for performing credit card transactions in which the vendee need not disclose his credit card to the vendor. An implementation of a system for performing credit card transactions in a stored program-controlled telephone switching network is also disclosed.
摘要:
A flow in a network is identified and handled by using a virtual host address. A packet is received at a switch with a first virtual host address as its destination address. If the packet is the first packet of a flow received by the switch, then a second virtual host address is determined by the switch. The first virtual host address is stored in a packet forwarding table correlated with the second virtual host address. A subsequently received packet of the same flow has the same first virtual host address as its destination address, and is forwarded to the second virtual host address in accordance with the packet forwarding table.
摘要:
A universal protocol data receiver is disclosed which is capable of receiving data streams in character mode and block mode, providing flow control and error detection and correction. The receiver is divided into two stages separated by a first-in, first-out buffer register. The first stage handles flow control and error processing as well as initialization. The second stage handles interfacing with the data utilizing mechanism and flow control acknowledgements. The FIFO buffer is divided into two parts by a movable barrier which limits the access of the second stage. The barrier permits error processing by hiding incoming blocks of data behind the barrier until processing is complete. Both a hardware and a software implementation of the receiver are disclosed.
摘要:
An electronics space-division packet switch is disclosed in which each switch crosspoint includes digital logic capable of resolving simultaneous contentions for the source output buss medium. In particular, a bit-by-bit comparison of priority codes disconnects all switches but the one with the highest priority from the output buss.This extremely simple crosspoint switch structure makes possible extremely large space-division packet switches in very compact physical form, using large scale integration techniques.
摘要:
The information in the header portion of a data packet, which header includes the old module and channel numbers, is used to access locations in a random access memory which contain new module and channel numbers or words that identify the packet routing. To convert the "virtual" address defined by the old module and channel numbers to a physical address, the module number accesses a memory word which is combined with the channel number to produce a single physical address number. When the information stored in the memory is to be changed, the header has special module and channel numbers and the following data includes a "write" command word, address data and information data. The special header words access a memory word which enables the writing of the information data into memory locations selected by the address data. A "read" command word in the packet inserts the word accessed by the address data into the packet.
摘要:
A large high capacity switch is provided for a communication network which is constructed from a network of smaller switches. Data is fragmented into fixed sized cells and the cells of a traffic flow are aggregated by grouping cells to form larger yet uniform units of information transfer. The groups are transmitted synchronously and in parallel to increase the effective bandwidth of information transfer.
摘要:
A status report of equipment in a telecommunications network is transmitted automatically from the equipment to the network maintenance center. The status report includes information such as the serial number of the equipment and its location. Based on such a status report, the network maintenance center can keep up-to-date records of where equipment is located, how the equipment is interconnected with other components, and whether that equipment is functioning correctly. Furthermore, a portable test device can be used by a maintenance person to read the status report transmitted on the line and thereby determine the end points of any transmission line.
摘要:
A digital data transmission system comprising a plurality of interconnected switching units, each such unit having connected thereto at least one transmission loop, and each such loop having at least one digital device attached thereto. The system provides controllable buffering of digital data thereby allowing digital devices having different data transfer speeds and storage capabilities to communicate asynchronously. The system allocates communication resources upon request but only creates actual communication paths when the requesting device is transmitting data. Thus system resources need not remain committed between bursts of data.