Patent ID: 8116305

Claim:
A multi-plane cell switch fabric system comprising: a plurality of distribution units corresponding to inputs of the switch fabric system; a plurality of reordering units corresponding to outputs of the switch fabric system; and a plurality of switching units each asynchronously performing data switching from the plurality of distribution units to the plurality of reordering units, wherein each distribution unit includes: a mechanism that arranges input variable-length packets at a first division length unit classified for each address; a mechanism that divides the packets into fixed-length cell payloads at a second division length unit that is an integer multiple being twice or more as large as the first division length unit and forms the fixed-length cell by providing, as a cell header, at least destination information, a source ID, a sequential number, and packet head/tail information to each of the cell payloads to indicate where a packet head and a packet end of the packets are located; and a mechanism that distributes the cells to all the switching units one by one whenever the cells are collected to be the same number as the plurality of distribution units, and each reordering unit includes: a mechanism that classifies the cells by the source ID of the cell received through the plurality of switching units, and reorders the sequential number in an original order; a mechanism that reassemble the packets by the packet head/tail information of the cell; and a mechanism that outputs the reassembled packets, wherein each distribution unit includes a mechanism that distributes each cell to different switching units one by one even when the cells equal to the number of switching units are not collected in the case where the packets following the second packet of the same address have not reached even after a specified time elapses.