The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 10, 2006
Filed:
Jun. 21, 2002
Som Sikdar, San Jose, CA (US);
Som Sikdar, San Jose, CA (US);
Finisar Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A method for synchronizing a distributed system is provided. The distributed system includes distributed analyzers. Each analyzer has a synchronization decoder circuit, a medium access controller, and a central processing unit. The distributed system synchronization method comprises receiving multicast information, generating local synchronization signals, receiving control data packets, and beginning processing of monitored data packets. The synchronization decoder circuit receives the multicast information, decodes the multicast information, and responsive to the multicast information, generates local synchronization signals. The decoder synchronization circuit of a first analyzer completes the decoding and the generating in a first time. The first time is adapted to enable the central processing unit of the first analyzer to start and end processing of monitored data packets at a first start time and a first end time. The first start time differs from a start time corresponding to any other analyzer by less than a maximum synchronization time. The first end time differs from an end time corresponding to any other analyzer by less than a maximum synchronization time. The maximum synchronization time comprises a parameter related to a smallest useful packet size and a network speed. The medium access controller receives control data packets. Each control data packet corresponds to a data stream. The monitored data packets are transmitted in a data stream selected for monitoring. Responsive to the local synchronization signals and the control data packets, the central processing unit for each analyzer processes monitored data packets.