Lite network switch architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10476816-B2
Application number	US-201715706561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2017
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments include a network switch having a first number of switch elements and a second number of switch elements cross-connected to the first switch elements to passively route network traffic through the network switch in accordance with a predefined configuration.

First claim

We claim:

1. A network switch, comprising:
a first plurality of switch elements; and
a second plurality of switch elements cross-connected to the first plurality of switch elements to passively route network traffic through the network switch in accordance with a predefined configuration, wherein there exists corresponding one direct electrical connection between each of the first plurality of switch elements and each of the second plurality of switch elements; and
a plurality of line cards, wherein each line card of the plurality of line cards includes one corresponding switch element from the first plurality of switch elements and one corresponding switch element from the second plurality of switch elements.

2. The network switch of claim 1 , wherein network traffic traversing any two switch elements of the first plurality of switch elements or the second plurality of switch elements requires traversing only three switch elements.

3. The network switch of claim 1 , wherein network traffic traversing any two switch elements of the first plurality of switch elements and the second plurality of switch elements requires traversing only two switch elements.

4. The network switch of claim 1 , wherein each switch element includes at least one port and each port is a pre-configured uplink port or a downlink port.

5. The network switch of claim 4 , wherein the network switch is pre-configured such that network traffic traverses passively from a pre-configured uplink port to a pre-configured downlink port.

6. The network switch of claim 1 , wherein each switch element includes at least one port and each port is pre-configured as an uplink port or a downlink port for a particular network usage upon installation of the network switch.

7. The network switch of claim 1 , wherein each switch element includes a port and each port of each switch element is pre-configured as an uplink port or a downlink port such that all network traffic traverses passively from a pre-configured uplink port to a pre-configured downlink port.

8. The network switch of claim 1 , wherein each switch element includes a port configured to passively route only some network traffic such that at least some of the network traffic is blocked.

9. The network switch of claim 1 , wherein each switch element includes a port configured to drop packets intended to traverse the network switch.

10. The network switch of claim 1 , wherein a switch element includes an uplink port configured to receive network traffic as indicated by the network switch to a device sending the network traffic.

11. The network switch of claim 1 , wherein the network switch is configured to passively route network traffic in accordance with a particular usage of a network using the network switch.

12. The network switch of claim 1 , comprising:
a fabric connect module including:
a cross-connect module including the plurality of line cards;
a fan control module configured to operate a forced convection unit; and
a fan control carrier module configured to support the fan control module by providing power and control signals to power and control the operation of the forced convection unit.

13. The network switch of claim 12 , comprising:
a first printed circuit board (PCB) including the cross-connect module; and
a second PCB separate and distinct from the first PCB, the second PCB including a connector to couple the fabric connect module to a horizontal control plane module.

14. The network switch of claim 12 , comprising:
a control module including a central processing unit for controlling operations of each switch element; and
a horizontal control plane module configured to electrically connect the control module to the fabric connect module via connectors of the horizontal control plane module.

15. The network switch of claim 12 , comprising:
a chassis management module configured to control a fan via a system inter-integrated circuit bus.

16. The network switch of claim 12 , comprising:
a complex programmable logic device configured to control behavior of the forced convection unit.

17. A network switch, comprising:
a plurality of interconnected switch elements including:
a pre-configured plurality of uplink ports; and
a pre-configured plurality of downlink ports cross-connected to the uplink ports such that network traffic traversing the network switch is transported passively from the uplink ports to the downlink ports in accordance with pre-configured routes;

wherein the plurality of interconnected switch elements includes a first group of switch elements and a second group of switch elements, there exists corresponding one direct electrical connection between each of the first group of switch elements and each of the second group of switch elements, and each line card of a plurality of line cards includes one corresponding switch element from the first group of switch elements and one corresponding switch element from the second group of switch elements.

18. The network switch of claim 17 , wherein each uplink port is configured to drop packets being blocked by other packets.

19. The network switch of claim 17 , wherein the network switch is configured to cause a network device to delay sending packets to an uplink port when the uplink port is blocked by other packets.

20. A network switch comprising:
a first plurality of switch elements;
a second plurality of switch elements cross-connected to the first plurality of switch elements, wherein there exists corresponding one direct electrical connection between each of the first plurality of switch elements and each of the second plurality of switch elements; and
a fabric cross-connect module including:
a cross-connect module including:
a plurality of line cards, wherein each line card of the plurality of line cards includes one corresponding switch element from the first plurality of switch elements and one corresponding switch element from the second plurality of switch elements, and
at least one port pre-configured as an uplink port or a downlink port such that network traffic passively traverses the network switch from a pre-configured uplink port to a pre-configured downlink port; and

a control module configured to power the cross-connect module and communicate control signals to the cross-connect module.

21. A method performed by a network switch of a computer network, the method comprising:
receiving network traffic by a plurality of uplink ports of at least a portion of a plurality of switch elements of a plurality of line cards;
passively routing the received network traffic to a plurality of downlink ports of at least a portion of the plurality of switch elements;
wherein the plurality of interconnected switch elements includes a first group of switch elements and a second group of switch elements, there exists corresponding one direct electrical connection between each of the first group of switch elements and each of the second group of switch elements, and each line card of a plurality of line cards includes one corresponding switch element from the first group of switch elements and one corresponding switch element from the second group of switch elements.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising, prior to receiving network traffic:
pre-configuring each port of the plurality of switch elements as either an uplink port or a downlink port in accordance with a network usage such that the network switch is configured to passively route the rece

Assignees

• Facebook Inc

Inventors

• Leung Che Kin
• Wang Xu
• Yao Zhiping
• Schmidtke Hans-Jergen
• Wu Lingjun

Classifications

• H04L49/1515

  Non-blocking multistage, e.g. Clos · CPC title

• G06F13/4278

  using an embedded synchronisation · CPC title

• G06F13/4081 Primary

  Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging (current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004) · CPC title

• G06F13/4022

  using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network (G06F13/4009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F2213/4004

  Universal serial bus hub with a plurality of upstream ports · CPC title