Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Concurrent input/output processing and data transfer
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-22
2002-02-12
Lee, Thomas (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Concurrent input/output processing and data transfer
C710S015000, C710S018000, C710S021000, C710S033000, C710S036000, C710S061000, C710S062000, C709S200000, C709S213000, C709S224000, C709S225000, C709S229000, C709S232000, C709S235000, C709S238000, C709S248000, C709S249000, C709S250000, C709S241000, C712S225000, C370S229000, C370S230000, C370S235000, C370S236000, C370S254000, C370S445000, C370S910000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06347345
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ATM-LAN(Asynchronous Transfer Mode-Local Area Network) switch, and in particular to an improved information transferring apparatus between processors for an ATM-LAN switch which is capable of effectively transferring information among a plurality of processors performing a transmission/receiving operation of data based on an Ethernet protocol through a backplane.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional ATM-LAN switch in which a plurality of processor modules
20
,
30
-
1
, . . . ,
30
-n, on a backplane
10
. As shown therein, the ATM-LAN switch includes a plurality of input/output modules
30
-
1
, . . . ,
30
-N inputting and outputting an information in response to a control signal from a control module
20
, and a control module
20
transmitting a control signal to the input/output modules
30
-
1
, . . . ,
30
-N, respectively and gathering the data from the input/output modules
30
-
1
, . . . ,
30
-N and outputting to an externally connected management part.
For reference, recently, two control modules
20
are installed for thereby implementing a dual operation of the system.
The ATM-LAN switch is implemented using a protocol Ethernet for a data communication between one or two control modules
20
sharing the backplane
10
and a plurality of
30
-
1
, . . . ,
30
-N. Therefore, the control module
20
and the input/output modules
30
-
1
, . . . ,
30
-N include an information transferring apparatus for transferring an information through the backplane.
FIGS. 2A and 2B
illustrate an information transferring apparatus in the control module
20
and the input/output modules
30
-
1
, . . . ,
30
-N.
As shown in
FIG. 2A
, the information transferring apparatus of the control module
20
includes a NIC(Netwrk Interface Controller)
22
which is an Ethernet controller connected in series with a host CPU(Central Processing Unit)
21
, a RIC(Repeater Interface Controller)
24
receiving packets from the input/output modules
30
-
1
, . . . ,
30
-N and transmitting the same to the NIC
22
, an ENDEC(ENcoder and DECoder)
23
for encoding or decoding the packets between the NIC
22
and the RIC
24
, and a CTI(Coaxial Transceiver Interface)
25
converting an input/output signal from the backplane
10
into a signal level proper for 10BASE-2.
As shown in
FIG. 2B
, the information transferring apparatus of each of the input/output modules
30
-
1
, . . . ,
30
-N includes a NIC
32
, an ENDEC
33
and a CTI
34
which are connected in series between the host CPU
31
and the back plane
10
. Each block operates in the same manner as the blocks of FIG.
2
A.
The operation of the information transferring apparatus of the control module
20
and the input/output module
30
will be explained.
First, the NIC
22
and
32
are an Ethernet controller, namely, a commercially available device capable of implementing a MAC(Media Access Control) used for a transmission/receiving operation of a packet designed under an Ethernet spec, namely, IEEE 802.3. Here, the MAC is directed to a transmission control technique which is used for the LAN and is an access control in order for several nodes to use an inner cable for thereby implementing a data link layer function because it is set at a lower sublayer of a data link layer of an OSI(Open System Interconnection) model for thereby commonly operating with a LLC(Logic Link Control) of an upper sublayer. Namely, the MAC performs an interface function between the LLC and the physical layer.
In addition, the ENDEC
23
and
33
encode the packet from the NIC
22
for a proper transmission and outputs to the RIC
24
or the CTI
34
and decodes the packet inputted from the RIC
24
or the CTI and outputs to the NIC
22
and
32
.
The RIC
24
is provided at only the control module
20
and receives the packets from the input/output modules
30
-
1
, . . . ,
30
-N and transmits to the NIC
22
through the ENDEC
23
.
The CTI
25
and
34
convert the signals into a 10BASE-2 signal level and output thorough a connector connected in the backplane
10
. Here, the 10BASE-2 is a LAN transmission spec standardized based on the IEEE 802.3. In this case, the transmission speed is 10 Mbit/s, the base band modulation method is used, and the length of the segment is about 200 m.
In the thusly constituted ATM-LAN switch, when the control signal passed through the backplane
10
through each of the blocks
21
,
22
, . . . ,
25
of the control module
20
is inputted into the input/output modules
30
-
1
, . . . ,
30
-n, a predetermined data passed through the blocks
31
,
32
, . . . ,
34
at a corresponding input/output module is transmitted to the control module
20
through the backplane
10
.
As described above, the conventional information transferring apparatus includes the ENDEC
23
and
32
, the RIC
24
and the CTI
25
and
34
for transmitting the 10BASE-2 signal to the backplane based on the Ethernet spec(IEEE 802.3). These elements are the devices used for an Ethernet communication using an Ethernet cabling method between the remotely separated apparatuses.
Therefore, in order to implement a communication between the modules connected through the backplane, the Ethernet communication using the Ethernet cabling when communicating between the separated apparatuses is used for thereby increasing the number of elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an information transferring apparatus between processors for an ATM-LAN switch which overcomes the aforementioned problems encountered in the background art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information transferring apparatus between processors for an ATM-LAN switch which is capable of preventing a consumption of the devices when performing an information transfer between the processors of an ATM-LAN switch using an Ethernet communication through a backplane.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information transferring apparatus between processors for an ATM-LAN switch which is capable of effectively implementing an information transfer even when an information request between processor modules and a response timing are unclear.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information transferring apparatus between processors for an ATM-LAN switch which is applicable to implementing a hot swap and dual operation structure.
To achieve the above objects, there is provided an information transferring apparatus between processors for an ATM-LAN switch which includes more than at least one processor module which performs an Ethernet data transmission and receiving operation therebetween, and a controller for directly receiving a data among a plurality of processor modules and controlling a communication, and a synchronizing unit provided for an operation timing of the controller.
To achieve the above objects, there are provided a controller included in the backplane sub-board for controlling a data communication between processor modules, a BTL transceiver included in the backplane or each module for transmitting a clock signal for a data transmission and receiving operation and performing a data transmission and receiving operation, a NIC(Network Interface Controller) included in each module for performing a medium access control for the data transmission and receiving operation, and an oscillator for generating a clock signal having a predetermined frequency and applying to the controller or the BTL transceiver, wherein an ATM-LAN switch includes one or two control modules controlling a plurality of input/output modules mounted at each slot of the backplane and inputting and outputting data in response to a predetermined request, one or two control modules controlling the input/output modules, and a backplane sub-board connected through the backplane connector.
Additional advantages, objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from t
Fleshner & Kim LLP
Lee Thomas
LG Information & Communications Ltd.
Nguyen Tanh
LandOfFree
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