Cell reassembly for packet based networks

Details Cell reassembly for packet based networks Cell reassembly for packet based networks

2000-03-03

2004-03-09

Elhady, Nabil (Department: 2154)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput

Computer-to-computer protocol implementing

Computer-to-computer data framing

C370S392000, C370S474000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06704794

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of invention relates to networking technology in general; and more specifically, to cell reassembly technology for packet based networks.
BACKGROUND
Various approaches may be used to model the functional layers that exist within a system that implements a node within a network.
FIG. 1
a
shows one such model for a networking system
100
. Packets are sent over network lines
101
a-x
. Network lines
101
a-x
correspond to the physical wiring (such as copper cables or fiber optic cables) that emanate from the system
100
. Network lines
101
a-x
are used to physically carry input traffic (i.e., traffic entering system
100
) and output traffic (i.e., traffic leaving system
100
) from/to other networking systems.
Line aggregation layer
102
is used to aggregate the input traffic from network lines
101
a-x
and segregate the output traffic to network lines
101
a-x
. An input port (e.g., input port
103
a
) is used to carry aggregated input traffic from one or more network lines. For example, input port
103
a
may be used to carry the input traffic only from network lines
101
a, b
. Thus each input port
103
a, b, c
is a logical structure that carries the traffic arriving to system
100
from the port's corresponding network lines.
The number of network lines that correspond to a particular input port may vary depending upon the design and/or configuration of a particular system
100
. Also, one or more input ports (e.g., input ports
102
,
b,c
) may exist, depending on the design point of a particular system. In an analogous fashion, line aggregation layer
102
is also used to segregate all the output traffic to network lines
101
a-x
. As such each output port
104
a,b,c
is a logical structure that carries the traffic leaving systen
100
from the logical port's corresponding network lines.
Packet aggregation layer
105
is used to form input packets from the input traffic on input ports
103
a, b, c
and effectively send output packets over the output traffic existing on output ports
104
a,b,c
. Various packet forms may be implemented at packet aggregation layer
105
. For example, for Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) related network lines
101
a-x
, AAL0 and AAL5 packet types may be recognized at packet aggregation layer
105
. Similarly, packets associated with the Point to Point Protocol, HDLC, Frame Relay and Ethernet may be used, as is known in the art, among others not listed above as well.
As an example of the operation of the packet aggregation layer
105
, assume that network lines
101
a-x
are ATM network lines carrying AAL5 packets with ATM cells. ATM cells correspond to the traffic on network lines
101
a-x
and input/output ports
102
-
c
103
a-c
,
104
a-c
. Packet aggregation layer
105
forms AAL5 input packets in the input direction (i.e., cell reassembly) and breaks down AAL5 output packets in the output direction (i.e., cell segmentation).
Within networking/transport Layer
106
, as shown in
FIG. 1
, an input packet is converted into an output packet. Input packets are presented to the networking/transport layer
106
by the packet aggregation layer
105
and output packets are presented to the packet aggregation layer
105
by networking/transport Layer
106
. Networking/transport layer
106
is responsible for effectively identifying the networking node that an input packet should be transmitted over when it leaves the system
100
as an output packet.
The bandwidth associated with system
100
is related to the number of packets per second the networking/transport layer
106
can process as well as the number of packets per second the packet aggregation layer can present/receive to/from the networking/transport layer
106
.
FIG. 1
b
shows an example of a packet
152
that may be processed by system
100
of
FIG. 1
a
. As seen in
FIG. 1
b
, a packet
152
may be divided into header information
150
and random customer data
151
. Header information
150
is used by the network to properly transport the packet. The packet header
150
typically has information related to the source of the packet, the destination of the packet, the priority of the packet, etc. In many cases the packet header
150
may be viewed as a collection of various headers such as a transport layer header, a networking layer header, etc. The packet random customer data
151
is the information desiring transportation across the network (e.g., an e-mail note, a file, a voice over IP (VOIP) telephone conversation or portions thereof). The random customer data
151
begins in an Internet Protocol (IP) packet after the IP header
153
as seen in
FIG. 1
b
. The IP header includes an internet layer header and may also include a transport layer header and/or application layer header.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
A cell processing pipeline is described comprising a plurality of stages for cell reassembly. The cell has a cell header and a cell payload. One of the stages is configured to parse packet header information located within the cell payload.


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