USE OF COMMON DATA FORMAT TO FACILITATE LINK WIDTH CONVERSION IN A ROUTER WITH FLEXIBLE LINK WIDTHS

摘要

A method for routing information in a flexible routing network which connects disparate initiators and targets includes implementing a packetization logic at an interface between an initiator or a target and a routing network to receive transmission traffic from the initiator or the target and to packetize the transmission traffic into packets. Each packet includes a header portion and a body portion. Each of the header portion and the body portion includes one or more standard sized transmission units. Each standard sized transmission unit includes a control section and a payload section. A payload section associated with the body portion includes one or more chunks. The method includes encoding the one or more chunks using the CDF. All transmissions within the routing network are based on the CDF. The CDF facilitates narrow-to-wide and wide-to-narrow link width conversion without having to manipulate subparts of data fields in the transmission traffic.