Patent ID: 8374175
Filing Date: 2013-02-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system, comprising: a first system node; a direct memory access (DMA) controller; a second system node; and a network switch fabric coupling together the first and second system nodes, the network switch fabric comprises a rooted hierarchical bus; wherein the DMA controller is configured to perform a DMA transfer of data between the first and second system nodes across the network switch fabric; and wherein the data is formatted as one or more remote DMA (RDMA) protocol messages that are routed across the network switch fabric based on a bus end-device identifier corresponding to the second system node; wherein the network switch fabric provides an active path between the first system node and the second system node that facilitates a first data packet exchange that travels along a first path constrained within a hierarchy of the rooted hierarchical bus; and wherein the network switch fabric further provides an alternate path between the first system node and the second system node that facilitates a second data packet exchange that travels along a second path at least part of which is not constrained within the hierarchy of the rooted hierarchical bus; wherein a third system node, coupled to the network switch fabric, comprises said DMA controller.