Frame handling within multi-stage switching fabrics

摘要

Various techniques can be used to handle frames within multi-stage switching fabric. For example, in one method, a frame and an associated frame header are received at a switching fabric stage. The associated frame header includes a first field and a second field. The method selects one or more fabric points of exit within the switching fabric stage, based on the second field. The first field is used to select one or more other fabric points of exit within another switching fabric stage, and thus two different fields within the associated frame header specify fabric points of exit. The method then sends the frame to the selected fabric points of exit within the switching fabric stage.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving a frame at a first switching fabric stage of a plurality of switching fabric stages, wherein the frame comprises an associated frame header, and wherein the associated frame header comprises a first field and a second field; selecting one or more fabric points of exit for the frame from a plurality of fabric points of exit within the first switching fabric stage, based on the second field but not the first field, wherein
the second field is used to generate an address of a location in memory,information stored in the location in memory is used to select the one or more fabric points of exit within the first switching fabric stage, and the first field is used to select one or more second fabric points of exit for the frame within a second switching fabric stage of the plurality of switching fabric stages; sending the frame to the selected one or more fabric points of exit within the first switching fabric stage; and generating a second frame header associated with a second frame, wherein the second frame header comprises the first field and the second field, and wherein the second field of the second frame header is not used to select any of the fabric points of exits within the first switching fabric stage.