Patent ID: 6304552
Filing Date: 2001-10-16
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A switch for processing data units, said switch including:a plurality of input ports for receiving data units;a plurality of output ports for releasing data units;a lossy switch fabric for selectively establishing a plurality of logical pathways between said input ports and said output ports, each logical pathway connecting a certain input port to a certain output port, whereby a data unit received at the certain input port is transported to the certain output port on the logical pathway between said certain output port and said certain input port;a plurality of transport nodes forming points of transfer of data units to and from said switch fabric, whereby each logical pathway passing through said switch fabric includes at least one transport node of said switch fabric;a discard control mechanism associated with a certain transport node of said switch for controlling the discard of data units, said discard control mechanism comprising a queue for storage of data units flowing through the certain transport node associated with said discard control mechanism, said discard control mechanism being operative to distinguish and selectively discard data units on a basis of the transport nodes at which the data units have been transferred to said switch fabric.