Cisco Technology, Inc.

Steven Philip Holmes

Mohammed Ismael Tatar

Promode Nedungadi

Garry Paul Epps

Mark Andrew Gustlin

Guy Fedorkow

David Doak

Randall A Johnson

John William Marshall

Matthew Hayden Harper

Michael E Lipman

James Alexander Markevitch

John P Prokopik

Michael J Taylor

Paramananda Ponnaiyan

Leonardo Amatori

Jeffrey Nelson Shaw

In one embodiment, an apparatus cascades groups of serialized data streams through devices, and performs operations based on information communicated therein. A received group of serialized data streams is aligned, but not framed, and forwarded to a next device (e.g., a next stage in a linear or tree cascaded formation of devices). Eliminating the framing and subsequent serialization operations performed on the received group of serialized data streams reduces the latency of communications through the cascaded devices, which can be significant when considered in relation to the high-speed communication rates. The received group of serialized data streams is also framed to create a sequence of data frames for processing (e.g., associative memory lookup operations, controlling multiplexing of received downstream serialized data streams, general or other processing) within the device.

Cascaded communication of serialized data streams through devices and their resulting operation

A device and method for packet flow control is described. The method may comprise, at a packet sender device, adding a flow control identifier to a packet and transmitting a packet with the packet flow control identifier to a packet receiver device over a data path. Thereafter, the packet receiver device may receive, from the packet receiver device, flow control data that includes a received flow control identifier generated in response to the sent flow control identifier. The sent flow control identifier may then be compared with the received flow control identifier and a state of a receiver buffer at the receiver packet device may be estimated based on the comparison. In an example embodiment, at the packet sender device, a flow control instruction may be added to the packet to instruct the packet receiver device to enter a 'no transmit' state.

Flow control in a variable latency system

A port adapter for connecting zero or more network interfaces to a host system having a SPI-4 bus is disclosed. The port adapter comprises zero or more network interfaces; a SPI-4 bus coupled to a host system to provide a communication channel between the host and the network interfaces; a control bus coupled to the host system for controlling and monitoring the port adapter; and interface logic that interfaces the SPI-4 bus and the control bus to the network interfaces. Methods are provided for selecting and using one of a small plurality of different packet formats for various networking technologies, so that the port adapter can hide details of the technology that it handles from the host system, and for operating the host system's SPI-4 bus at one of several speeds based on bandwidth requirements of the port adapter.

Port adapter for high-bandwidth bus

Growing community of inventors

Wake Forest, NC, United States of America

Steven Philip Holmes