Patent ID: 6249520
Filing Date: 2001-06-19
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A switch for receiving data simultaneously from multiple sources and for forwarding data to multiple destinations, the switch having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports and comprising:at least one buffer provided within the switch to store a plurality of packets received simultaneously from the plurality of input ports, wherein each of the plurality of packets is associated with one of a plurality of channels and wherein there are ordering constraints between the plurality of channels;at least one ordered queue comprising a plurality of flag fields, each of the plurality of flag fields for storing a channel identification flag associated with at least one of the plurality of channels to indicate storage of one of the plurality of packets of the associated channel by said at least one buffer; anda plurality of output managers provided within the switch, one output manager associated with each of the plurality of output ports, each of the plurality of output managers coupled to the at least one ordered queue to select a packet from the at least one buffer for output at the associated one of a plurality of output ports in response to the flag fields of each of the at least one ordered queue, wherein the packets are selected from the at least one buffer in response to the ordering constraints between the plurality of channels.