Message ring in a switching network
There is disclosed a switching network for efficiently receiving and transmitting data packets having both frames and messages. The switching network includes a crossbar switch with a plurality of surrounding ports for exclusively switching frames which normally consist of large data streams of 40 to 60 bytes. Then the ports are connected together in a message ring and small data entity messages, for example 4, 8, or 12 bytes, are switched from an input port to an output port around the ring avoiding congestion of the crossbar switch.
1. A switching apparatus for receiving and transmitting frames and messages, wherein the frames consist of relatively long strings of bytes and the messages consist of small entities, the switching apparatus comprising
a ring of plural data ports comprising input ports and output ports, wherein each data port is interconnected to two adjacent data ports, the ring defining for any given pairing of one input port and one output port a set of zero or more intermediate data ports in a given direction, the ring for passing the messages received at the input ports through any respective intermediate ports to designated output ports
a crossbar for switching the frames from the input ports to the output ports
wherein the frames and messages are processed simultaneously
wherein the messages do not pass through the crossbar.
2. The switching apparatus of claim 1 further comprising
a parser for separating the frames from the messages to form two separate data streams.
3. The switching apparatus of claim 1 further comprising
a clock for moving the messages by one data port for every clock pulse.
4. The switching apparatus of claim 1 further comprising
plural gates respectively associated with each data port for allowing a given message into a given data port only if no other data is present in the given data port.
5. The switching apparatus of claim 1 further comprising
a controller for preventing conflict between message passing on the ring and switching by the crossbar.
6. A process for receiving and transmitting frames and messages, wherein the frames consist of relatively long strings of bytes and the messages consist of small entities, the process comprising
interconnecting plural data ports in a ring, the data ports comprising input ports and output ports, wherein each data port is interconnected to two adjacent ports, the ring defining for any given pairing of one input port and one output port a set of zero or more intermediate data ports in a given direction
passing the messages received at the input ports around the ring through any respective intermediate ports to designated output ports
simultaneously with the passing the messages, switching the frames from the input ports to the output ports via a crossbar, wherein the messages do not pass through the crossbar.
7. The process of claim 6 further comprising
separating the frames from the messages to form two separate data streams.
8. The process of claim 6 further comprising
moving the messages by one data port for every clock pulse.
9. The process of claim 6 further comprising
allowing a given message into a given data port only if no other data is present in the given data port.
10. The process of claim 6 further comprising
preventing conflict between message passing on the ring and switching.
11. Apparatus for receiving and transmitting frames and messages, wherein the frames consist of relatively long strings of bytes and the messages consist of small entities, the apparatus comprising
means for interconnecting plural data ports in a ring, the data ports comprising input ports and output ports, wherein each data port is interconnected to two adjacent ports, the ring defining for any given pairing of one input port and one output port a set of zero or more intermediate data ports in a given direction
means for passing the messages received at the input ports around the ring through any respective intermediate ports to designated output ports
means for switching the frames from the input ports to the output ports via a crossbar, wherein the messages do not pass through the crossbar and wherein the means for switching the frames is configured to operate simultaneously with the means for passing the messages.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising
means for separating the frames from the messages to form two separate data streams.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising
means for moving the messages by one data port for every clock pulse.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising
means for allowing a given message into a given data port only if no other data is present in the given data port.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising
means for preventing conflict between message passing on the ring and switching.
16. A process for receiving and transmitting frames and messages, wherein the frames consist of relatively long strings of bytes and the messages consist of small entities, the process comprising
analyzing a data packet
if the data packet is a frame, then routing the frame through a crossbar switch
if the data packet is a message, then
inserting the message into one of a plurality of ports, wherein the ports are interconnected in a ring
giving the message a message ring destination identifier
passing the message from port to port until the message reaches a destination port, wherein the message does not pass through the crossbar switch.
17. The process of claim 16 further comprising
if the data packet is a message, then placing the message in a message-in queue.
18. The process of claim 17
wherein the message-in queue comprises a FIFO.
19. The process of claim 16 further comprising
after the message reaches the destination port, placing the message in a message-out queue.
20. The process of claim 19
wherein the message-out queue comprises a FIFO.