Programmable Switch Fill Word Insertion for Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network switches face performance degradation due to latency issues when the link-rate of a transmit port is faster than the link-rate of a receive port, causing data packets to backlog and increasing overall latency.
Innovation Solution
A programmable switch element that operates in default, immediate, threshold, or interleave modes, where the transmit port inserts fill words with unique characters when network information is unavailable, allowing for immediate transmission as soon as data is available, and adjusts transmission based on threshold conditions to optimize link utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the transmit port operates at a higher link-rate than the receive port, then transmission speed is improved, but data packets backlog in the receive buffer causing increased latency
Solution Approach 1:
The transmit port inserts fill words in advance when no data is available, maintaining continuous transmission flow. This preliminary action prevents transmission idle time and ensures the transmit port is ready to send data immediately when it becomes available, reducing overall latency while operating at higher link-rates
Solution Approach 2:
Fill words act as an intermediary mechanism between the transmit and receive ports. These special characters with unique identifiers facilitate smooth data flow by occupying the transmission medium during idle periods, allowing the transmit port to maintain its higher link-rate operation without causing receive buffer backlogs
2Stability of the object's composition
If the transmit port waits for data to be received before transmitting, then data flow synchronization is improved, but transmission port idle time increases reducing overall performance
Solution Approach 1:
The transmit port alternates between transmitting actual data and transmitting fill words in a periodic manner. When data is unavailable, fill words are transmitted; when data is available, it is transmitted immediately. This periodic action pattern maintains continuous transmission activity, eliminating idle time while preserving data flow synchronization through the unique character identification of fill words
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transmission content parameter by introducing fill words with unique characters as a temporary substitute for actual data. This parameter change allows the transmit port to maintain its operational state and link-rate without idle waiting, improving productivity while the receive port can identify and handle fill words differently from actual data
Data Source
AI summary
Method and system for routing network information using a switch element coupled to a network link is provided. The switch element includes a programmable control system to configure the switch element to operate in a default mode, an immediate mode, a threshold mode or an interleave mode; and during the immediate mode, a transmit port inserts at least a fill word with at least a unique character when network information is not available, and transmits network information as soon as it is available. The method includes, determining if an immediate mode is enabled; transmitting at least a fill word with a unique character to a receive port, if network information is unavailable and transmitting network information if the immediate mode is enabled and network information is available.