Patent ID: 11924592
Assignee: TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN
Field: Telecommunications (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 1:
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when data packet contentions occur, an optical flow control (OFC) protocol between the switch controller and the first and second NICs is utilized to solve contentions, the OFC comprising:
storing the data packets in an electrical buffer at at least one of the first and second NIC;
generating and sending, by the switch controller, an acknowledged (ACK) signal in case of successful forwarding to at least one of the first and second NIC using at least one of the first and second label channels; and
generating and sending, by the switch controller, a not-acknowledged (NACK) signal in case of dropping to at least one of the first and second NIC using at least one of the first and second label channels;
wherein, once at least one of the first and second NIC receives the ACK signal, a stored data packet is released from the buffer, while in response to receiving the NACK signal, the stored data packet is retransmitted until at least one of the first and second NIC receives an ACK signal.