Patent ID: 7619970
Filing Date: 2009-11-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A data packet switch comprising: at least one input controller having a plurality of input ports to receive variable-size data packets; at least one output controller having a plurality of output ports to output said data packets; and a fabric to transfer said packets from said input controller to said output controller, wherein said input controller includes a manager to manage at least one credit balance, wherein the input controller is to send credit requests to the output controller based at least on the credit balance, wherein the output controller includes an output scheduler to generate credit at a rate, which is based at least on fabric congestion information from the fabric representing a degree of congestion over the fabric to yards the output controller, wherein the output scheduler is to grant an amount of the generated credit to the input controller based at least on the credit requests, wherein the input controller is to receive from the output controller an indication of the amount of credit granted by the output controller, and to update the credit balance responsive to the amount of credit granted by the output controller, and wherein the input controller is to schedule transport of at least one variable-size data packet to the output controller over the fabric if the credit balance is greater than a predefined credit-balance threshold independent of the size of the data packet.