Patent ID: 7545737
Filing Date: 2009-06-09
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of managing a virtual output queuing system in a switching fabric, the method comprising: detecting if a link is one of a non-operational-link and an operational-link, the link enabling communication between a first-switching-unit comprising one of: a switch chip, a switch adapter, and a switching-output-source port, and a second-switching-unit comprising one of a switch chip, a switch adapter, and a switching-output-destination port, the link comprising a forward-link and a return-path, the forward-link enabling the first-switching-unit to communicate with the second-switching-unit and the return-path enabling the second-switching-unit to communicate with the first-switching-unit, wherein the detecting step comprises: determining a return-path-synchronization-status, the return-path-synchronization-status indicating the return-path to be in one of a synchronized-state and an unsynchronized-state; setting a link-mode based on the forward-link-synchronization-status and the return-path-synchronization-status, the link-mode corresponding to the link, the link-mode being one of a locked mode and an un-locked mode, wherein the locked mode comprises the forward- link being in the synchronized-state and the return-path being in the synchronized-state, wherein the un-locked mode comprises at least one of the forward-link and the return-path being in the unsynchronized-state; and discarding at least one packet, the at least one packet destined for the link, the link being the non-operational-link, wherein discarding the at least one packet comprises: