Patent ID: 7058057
Filing Date: 2006-06-06
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A method for storing data conveyed by each of a plurality of packets arriving at a network switch port in a memory of the network switch port, and for thereafter reading the data out of the memory and forwarding the data from the switch port, wherein each packet also conveys a flow identification number (FIN), the method comprising the steps of: a. associating some values of the FIN with a sequence-by-sequence forwarding mode and associating other values of the FIN with a cell-by-cell forwarding mode, b. generating a separate cell sequence corresponding to each packet arriving at the network switch, wherein each cell contains a separate portion of the data conveyed by the packet; c. writing cells of each cell sequence generated at step b into separate storage blocks of the memory such that the memory stores cells of a plurality of cell sequences corresponding to the plurality of packets; d. assigning the sequence-by-sequence forwarding mode to those cell sequences that correspond to packets conveying FIN values associated with the sequence-by-sequence forwarding mode, and assigning the cell-by-cell forwarding mode to others of the cell sequences that correspond to packets conveying FIN values associated with the cell-by-cell forwarding mode; e. reading cells of each cell sequence out of the memory and forwarding them from the network switch port, wherein all cells of each cell sequence assigned the sequence-by-sequence forwarding mode are sequentially read out of the memory in uninterrupted succession during an interval when no cell of any other cell sequence is being read out of the memory; and wherein cells of separate cell sequences assigned the cell-by-cell forwarding mode are alternately read out of the memory such that cell sequences assigned the cell-by-cell mode are interleaved when read out of the memory.