Patent ID: 7209478
Filing Date: 2007-04-24
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A switch for use with an InfiniBand network, the switch comprising: a crossbar that redirects packet-based data; at least one port that receives the packet-based data from a network and selectively transfers the packet-based data to the crossbar over a dynamically variable number of virtual lanes allocated within a buffer; and a state machine that controls dynamic variation of the number of virtual lanes during active transmission and reception of the packet-based data; wherein the state machine adds virtual lanes by monitoring existing virtual lanes and resizing the existing virtual lanes when the amount of data in each existing virtual lane is less than the required size for the resized lane; and creating a new virtual lane using the space created by the resizing; and wherein the state machine further monitors the amount of time that has been spent monitoring existing virtual lanes and upon the expiration of a predetermined amount of time, resizes the existing virtual lanes.