Abstract:
A network element (100) is disclosed. The network element (100) includes N interface units (110) and M processing units (120). The value of N is an integer greater than 1. Each interface unit (110) is coupled to L processing units (120). The value of L is an integer greater than 0 and less than N, and the value of M equals N plus L.
Abstract:
The invention concerns an electro and/or optical cross-connect core (E/OXC) in telecommunications, of the kind employing cross bars switch elements and/or selectors as building blocks and a three stage, SSNB, WSNB or RNB interconnecting architecture with suitable input and output cross connections, in order to provide a fault protection with protection ratio 1:N. According to the invention the elementary input and output matrices of the cross-connect core involve protection resources consisting of additional input/output channels; in that said additional protection channels are interconnected with the ordinary input/output channels of each elementary matrix; and in that the size of each of the matrices in the central stage is equal or smaller than the one required to provide a 1:N protection generated by each input/output matrix connected thereto. The cooperation among the elementary matrices to solve the fault of one of them can be controlled only by firmware and the size of the central stage can be determined only depending on he number of ordinary ports and of the chosen protection redundancy (1:N), both for input/output ports and for protection ports, so as to allow the undisturbed restoring of the connections interrupted by the fault and the matrix substitution, still without disturbs.
Abstract:
The method described here provides for high-speed, Quality of Service (QoS) driven, and secure transport of voice, video and data packets for facilitating the convergence of multiple networking facilities into one. The method also allows for incorporating robust management features, including localized failure recovery and congestion avoidance, for locally and remotely managing various nodes such as routers, switches, portable devices and other appurtenance including computers and communication links. The method provides for switching of data packets that comprise Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), and other packets, and includes signaling packet configurations. The method allows for replacing one or more bits in the IP header address fields and replacing them with or adding to them unique virtual connection or virtual circuit (VC) identifiers for node-to-node, that is device-to-device, connectivity as well as for representing values or parameters for packet type, QoS, security, network management and node/link resources. Identifiers for the above parameters are developed and saved at each note as a switching table. The values representing the identifiers from a switching table are used to assign virtual connections as well as control the flows of packets. The applicable flow control processes are activated depending on the corresponding parameter in the packet. The values are also used for allocating processing and memory resources at any given node for prioritizing, controlling and redirecting the flow of packets through the note or when initiated at the node.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for imparting fault tolerance in a switch or the like, particularly in a fibre channel director switch employed in connection with storage area network.
Abstract:
A network flow switch (205) is provided for connecting a pool of IP routers (260, 270, 280) to a cluster of IP servers (200) sharing a single IP address (IP 192.31.65.1) without requiring translation of the IP address. Rather, all IP servers (210, 220, 230, 240, 250) have the same IP address (IP 192.31.65.1). The network flow switch (205) routes packets to individual servers by writing the data link layer address of the destination IP server in the destination data link layer address field of the packet. However, no data link layer address translation is required for packets transmitted from the IP servers (210, 220, 230, 240, 250) to the IP routers. Since in a typical client-server environment, the number of packets sent from the server to the client is much greater than the number of packets sent from the client to the server, the data link layer address translation requires very little overall processing time. The network flow switch (205) also performs load balancing and fault tolerance functions. When the network flow switch (205) receives a packet destined to the cluster of IP servers (200), the packet is routed to the IP server with an optimal workload, so as to ensure that the workload is evenly distributed among the IP servers (210, 220, 230, 240, 250).
Abstract:
A packet transmitter for transmitting, in the form of a packet, a transmission unit including a data sequence which comprises fixed length blocks formed by dividing predetermined data and to each of which block information representing the type of block is added. A DIF data processing circuit (104) eliminates predetermined redundant information from block information belonging to a plurality of blocks in accordance with an inputted data sequence, generates a transmission header having a new identifier, and generates a transmission unit having the generated transmission header. Then, a transmission terminal (102) transmits the generated transmission unit through a transmission line. At this time, the DIF data processing circuit (104) generates a new identifier by permitting a predetermined set of block information to represent a plurality of sets of block information and generates a transmission header having the generated identifier, or permits one set of block information to represent the same block information, or eliminates redundant information which includes at least one of preliminary data and invalid data.
Abstract:
Techniques for managing configuration of virtual switches in a virtual machine network are disclosed. In an embodiment, a virtual machine network that includes virtual switches is configured to revert back to a saved network configuration if a configuration change causes the connection between the VM management system and a managed node to be lost. For example, before any configuration changes are made, the active configuration is saved. If the new configuration supports a working connection between the managed node and the VM management system, then the saved configuration is no longer needed and can be flushed from memory. If, however, the new configuration causes the managed node to be disconnected from the VM management system, then the system reverts back to the saved configuration that was previously known to work. The saved configuration is used to reestablish the connection so that the network continues to function.
Abstract:
In a computer network comprising a stack device and a plurality of network devices, the plurality of network devices are each connected to the stack device via a respective aggregation link comprising a plurality of member links and the stack device comprises a first stack member and a second stack member connected to the first stack member via a stack link. A correspondence is formed between a first route and the first stack member. The first route is used by the first stack member for forwarding traffic from a first network device to a second network device of the plurality, and comprises a member link via which the traffic is forwarded from the first stack member. Upon detecting a link problem in the member link of the first route, the first route is found, the first stack member is identified based on the correspondence, and traffic information is sent to cause the first network device to migrate at least a proportion of the traffic to have been forwarded via the first route to a route that does not include the link having a link problem.