Patent ID: 7965624
Filing Date: 2011-06-21
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for tolerating data line faults in a packet communications switch fabric, the method comprising: accepting information packets including a plurality of cells, at a plurality of port card ingress ports, the plurality of information packets addressing a plurality of port card egress ports; selectively connecting port cards to port card backplane data links; selectively connecting port card backplane data links and crossbars; sensing a connection fault in a backplane data link; and, in response to sensing the connection fault, the crossbars ceasing to grant connections for the selected data link, wherein sensing the connection fault in the backplane data link includes: each crossbar monitoring cells received on the backplane data links; and a crossbar supplying an error message to a port card in response to the received cells on a connected backplane data link exceeding an error threshold; and further comprising in response to receiving the error message, the port card reselecting a backplane data link, wherein in response to reselecting the connection between the port card port and the port card backplane data link, serially transferring packets through the port card and serially transferring packets through the crossbars to the egress port cards, wherein serially transferring packets through the port cards in response to reselecting connections between the port card port and the port card backplane data link includes the port card transferring at the rate of one cell per cell cycle; and, wherein reselecting connections between the port card and the backplane data link in response to sensing the fault includes reselecting connections within two cell cycles of detecting the fault.