Architecture and method for hybrid circuit-switched and packet-switched router

摘要

Techniques and mechanisms for performing circuit-switched routing and packet-switched routing for network communication. In an embodiment, a router evaluates control information of a packet received by the router, the evaluation to detect whether the packet includes data for a sideband communication. Based on the evaluation, the router performs a selection from among a plurality of modes of the router, the plurality of modes including a first mode to route the packet for packet-switched communication of sideband data in a network. The plurality of modes also includes a second mode to configure a circuit-switched channel according to the packet. In another embodiment, the router determines a direction for routing a packet in a hierarchical network, wherein the determining of the direction is based on a level of the router in a hierarchy of the hierarchical network.

主权项

1. A router including:
a first input port comprising:
a first input portion to receive a first packet from another router, the first packet including control information; anda second input portion to receive first data from the other router;wherein the router includes:
evaluation logic comprising circuitry configured to perform an evaluation of the control information, including the evaluation logic to evaluate a sideband enable signal of the first packet and to evaluate a data valid signal of the first packet; and configuration logic comprising circuitry configured to perform, based on the evaluation of both the sideband enable signal and the data valid signal, a selection from among:
a first mode of the router to route the first packet to communicate packet-switched sideband data from the router; anda second mode of the router to configure a circuit-switched channel according to the first packet, the circuit-switched channel for communication of the first data between a source node and a destination node.