System architecture for and method of processing packets and/or cells in a common switch

摘要

A novel networking architecture and technique for transmitting both cells and packets or frames across a common switch fabric, effected, at least in part, by utilizing a common set of algorithms for the forwarding engine (the ingress side) and a common set of algorithms for the QoS management (the egress part) that are provided for each I/O module to process packet/cell information without impacting the correct operation of ATM switching and without transforming packets into cells for transfer across the switch fabric.