Network Switch Flow Control Engine Port Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network switch devices face congestion issues due to receiving packets faster than they can process and transmit, leading to internal memory overflow and unnecessary reduction in network link utilization when all upstream devices suspend packet transmission simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a flow control engine that detects congestion and triggers flow control messages via different subsets of ports at specific timeslots, distributing the reduction in packet flow over time among upstream network devices, allowing some to continue transmitting while others suspend, thereby improving network link utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flow control messages are transmitted via all ports simultaneously when congestion is detected, then packet loss is prevented, but network link utilization is unnecessarily reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flow control mechanism by port, allowing selective application of flow control to different port groups based on congestion patterns. Instead of applying flow control uniformly across all ports, the system divides ports into multiple groups and applies flow control messages to specific groups at different times, thereby preventing packet loss while maintaining utilization on non-congested links.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic flow control messaging where flow control messages are transmitted at different times to different port groups rather than simultaneously to all ports. This periodic approach allows the network to maintain higher overall utilization by alternating which ports receive flow control messages, preventing packet loss through timed intervention rather than continuous suspension.
2Reliability
If all upstream network devices suspend packet transmission simultaneously, then internal memory congestion is avoided, but the duration of transmission suspension increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments upstream network devices into different groups corresponding to different port groups. When congestion is detected, only specific groups are instructed to suspend transmission at any given time, rather than all devices simultaneously. This segmentation allows non-congested groups to continue transmitting, reducing overall suspension duration while still protecting against memory overflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic flow control messaging to different device groups, alternating which groups suspend transmission. This periodic action ensures that memory congestion is avoided through timed intervention while minimizing total suspension time, as different groups take turns suspending rather than all devices suspending continuously.
3Productivity
If flow control messages are transmitted via different subsets of ports at different timeslots, then network link utilization is improved, but flow control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments ports into predefined groups and applies flow control messages to specific groups at different timeslots. This segmentation approach improves network link utilization by allowing non-congested groups to transmit while congested groups receive flow control messages. The complexity is managed through systematic grouping rather than ad-hoc per-port control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic flow control messaging to different port subsets at different timeslots, which improves overall network utilization by alternating which ports are controlled. While this periodic approach increases flow control complexity compared to uniform control, the structured timing and grouping provide a manageable framework that balances utilization improvement against control complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Packets received by a network switch device from upstream network devices, coupled to respective ones of a plurality of ports of the network switch device, are temporarily stored in an internal memory of the network switch device. In response to detecting congestion in the internal memory of the network switch device, a flow control engine triggers, during respective timeslots of a timing schedule and while the flow control engine continues to monitor congestion in the internal memory of the network switch device, transmission of respective flow control messages via different subsets of ports, among the plurality of ports, to control flow of packets from different subsets of upstream network device, among the plurality of upstream network devices, to the network switch device so that flow control is distributed over time among upstream network devices of the plurality of upstream network devices.