Deadlock-free multipath routing for direct interconnect networks

Abstract

A method of routing for direct interconnect networks which generates multiple edge-disjoint paths between all source and destination nodes, while providing deadlock-free routing. The method requires limited use of virtual layers, which makes it suitable for less complex and more energy efficient hardware devices, and inter-layer edge-disjointedness is preferably integrated, which improves the throughput capacity of multipath traffic patterns. The method allows for distributed route calculation, wherein each node is responsible for generation of its own routes without the need for a centralized algorithm controller or elected master (with global knowledge), as it is, for instance, with InfiniBand. The method also involves a method of mapping arbitrary topologies from any dimension to bi-dimensional coordinate system. In addition, the method employs a lower number of turn restrictions than other prior solutions because it uses six direction types instead of only four as used in Up*/Down*. This increase in the number of directions translates into a more diversified set of routes, and consequently, better routing solutions.