Traffic merging system
View Patent ↗Traffic is transported within a system in the form of TDM packets. These packets are generated at source line units and transported from the line units to a switch. The switch routes the packets to appropriate target line units based on information contained within the packet. At the switch, packets from the source line units may be merged. A gather function relies on each of the line units sourcing packets to exclusively drive lines at software-assigned timeslots within the packet. The switch performs a simple OR function of each byte in merging the packet payloads.
1. A method of merging traffic, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of messages from at least two sources;
wherein each message comprises a frame position field value and a payload;
positioning each of at least two of said plurality of messages at a common location within a superframe wherein the frame position field value contained within each of the at least two messages are identical;
positioning at unique locations in the superframe, messages of said plurality that have different frame position field values;
merging the payloads of the at least two messages containing identical frame position field values to create a merged payload; and
routing the merged payload to a port.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two messages are received at a switch prior to merging.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the messages are merged at a switch.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to merging each of the at least two messages is directed to an identical destination or a common plurality of destinations.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of messages are further comprised of fixed length packets.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the fixed length packets are TDM packets.
7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the switch performs a simple OR function when merging the messages.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the port is an output port on a switch.
9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the port is an output port on the switch.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
multicasting a message targeted to a plurality of destinations to each destination wherein the message is multicast by a switch.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
aligning each of the at least two messages.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein there are 48 microsecond frames per each superframe and each start of a superframe is coincident with a frame sync pulse.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the superframe is at the source of each of the at least two messages.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the messages that are not merged are positioned at locations within the superframe independent of the frame position field values within each message that is not merged.
15. A system for merging traffic, comprising
means for receiving a plurality of messages from at least two sources;
wherein each message comprises a frame position field value and a payload;
means for positioning each of at least two of said plurality of messages at a common location within a superframe wherein the frame position field value contained within each of the at least two messages are identical;
means for positioning at unique locations in the superframe, messages of said plurality that have different frame position field values;
means for merging the payloads of the at least two messages containing identical frame position field values to create a merged payload; and
means for routing the merged payload to a port.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein prior to merging each of the at least two messages is directed to an identical destination or to a common plurality of destinations.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of messages are further comprised of fixed length packets.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the fixed length packets are TDM packets.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the means for merging performs a simple OR function when merging the messages.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the messages that are not merged are positioned at locations within the superframe independent of the frame position field values within each message that is not merged.