Data communications system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11265265-B2
Application number	US-202017035455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2020
Priority date	Apr 3, 2018
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

This application provides a data communications system and method. The system includes a first chassis and a second chassis. The first chassis includes a first high-performance switching module and a first low-performance switching module. The second chassis includes a second high-performance switching module and a second low-performance switching module. The first high-performance switching module is connected to the second low-performance switching module. The first low-performance switching module is connected to the second high-performance switching module. The first high-performance switching module is configured to connect to a third low-performance switching module in a third chassis that is to be added to the communications system. The second high-performance switching module is configured to connect to a fourth low-performance switching module in the third chassis that is to be added to the communications system. During capacity expansion, there is no need to change cables between deployed chassis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data communications system, comprising a multi-chassis cluster data communications system, the multi-chassis cluster data communications system comprising:
a first chassis comprising a first high-performance switching module and a first low-performance switching module, wherein the first high-performance switching module has a higher performance requirement than the first low-performance switching module; and
a second chassis comprising a second high-performance switching module and a second low-performance switching module, wherein the second high-performance switching module has a higher performance requirement than the second low-performance switching module, wherein the first high-performance module and the second high-performance module are to be connected to one or more low-performance modules, wherein the first low-performance module and the second low-performance module are to be connected to only one high-performance module, wherein the first high-performance switching module is connected to the second low-performance switching module, wherein the first low-performance switching module is connected to the second high-performance switching module, wherein the first high-performance switching module is configured to connect to a third low-performance switching module in a third chassis that is to be added to the multi-chassis cluster data communications system, and wherein the second high-performance switching module is configured to connect to a fourth low-performance switching module in the third chassis that is to be added to the multi-chassis cluster data communications system, wherein the multi-chassis cluster data communications system doesn't include a central switching chassis such that a footprint of the multi-chassis cluster data communications system is reduced, and wherein the third chassis is to be separately connected to the first chassis and the second chassis to facilitate a capacity expansion of the multi-chassis cluster data communications system.

2. The data communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the multi-chassis cluster data communications system further comprises a fourth chassis, wherein the fourth chassis comprises a fifth low-performance switching module and a sixth low-performance switching module,
wherein the first high-performance switching module is connected to the fifth low-performance switching module, and wherein the second high-performance switching module is connected to the sixth low-performance switching module.

3. The data communications system according to claim 2 , wherein the first high-performance switching module is configured to:
send data received from the fifth low-performance switching module to the second low-performance switching module; and
send data received from the second low-performance switching module to the fifth low-performance switching module.

4. The data communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the multi-chassis cluster data communications system further comprises a fifth chassis, wherein the fifth chassis comprises a third high-performance switching module, a seventh low-performance switching module and an eighth low-performance switching module, wherein the first chassis further comprises a ninth low-performance switching module, wherein the second chassis further comprises a tenth low-performance switching module,
wherein the third high-performance switching module is connected to the ninth low-performance switching module and the tenth low-performance switching module, wherein the first high-performance switching module is connected to the seventh low-performance switching module, wherein the second high-performance switching module is connected to the eighth low-performance switching module, and
wherein the third high-performance switching module is configured to connect to an eleventh low-performance switching module in the third chassis that is to be added to the multi-chassis cluster data communications system.

5. The data communications system according to claim 4 , wherein the multi-chassis cluster data communications system further comprises a sixth chassis, and wherein the sixth chassis comprises a twelfth low-performance switching module, a thirteenth low-performance switching module and a fourteenth low-performance switching module, and
wherein the twelfth low-performance switching module is connected to the first high-performance switching module, the thirteenth low-performance switching module is connected to the second high-performance switching module, and the fourteenth low-performance switching module is connected to the third high-performance switching module.

6. The data communications system according to claim 4 , wherein the first high-performance switching module is configured to:
send data received from the second low-performance switching module to the seventh low-performance switching module;
send data received from the seventh low-performance switching module to the second low-performance switching module;
after the third chassis is added to the multi-chassis cluster data communications system, send data received from the third low-performance switching module to one of the second low-performance switching module and the seventh low-performance switching module; and
after the third chassis is added to the multi-chassis cluster data communications system, send data received from the one of the second low-performance switching module and the seventh low-performance switching module to the third low-performance switching module.

7. The data communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the first chassis further comprises a first service forwarding module and a second service forwarding module, wherein the first service forwarding module and the second service forwarding module are configured to communicate with a device outside the multi-chassis cluster data communications system, and wherein the first low-performance switching module is configured to:
send data received from the first service forwarding module to the second high-performance switching module; and
send data received from the second high-performance switching module to the second service forwarding module.

8. The data communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the first chassis further comprises a third service forwarding module and a fourth service forwarding module, wherein the third service forwarding module and the fourth service forwarding module are configured to communicate with a device outside the multi-chassis cluster data communications system, and wherein the first high-performance switching module is configured to:
send data received from the third service forwarding module to the second low-performance switching module; and
send data received from the second low-performance switching module to the fourth service forwarding module.

9. The data communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the first high-performance switching module is configured to:
after the third chassis is added to the multi-chassis cluster data communications system, send data received from the third low-performance switching module to the second low-performance switching module; and
after the third chassis is added to the multi-chassis cluster data communications system, send data received from the second low-performance switching module to the third low-performance switching module.

10. A data communications system, comprising a multi-chassis cluster data communications system, the multi-chassis cluster data communications system comprising:
a first chassis comprising a first high-performance switching module, a first service forwarding module and a second service forwarding module, wherei

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Du Anxue
• Wang Lianqiang
• Chen Chong

Classifications

• H04L49/10 Primary

  characterised by the switching fabric construction · CPC title

• H04L49/15 Primary

  Interconnection of switching modules · CPC title

• H04Q1/02

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H04L49/45

  Arrangements for providing or supporting expansion · CPC title

• H04Q1/035

  Cooling of active equipments, e.g. air ducts · CPC title