High performance frame time monitoring system and method for a fiber optic switch for a fiber optic network

Claim 2

The system (100) of claim 1, wherein said logic network (100b) further comprises: frame return determination means (203) for determining when said frame (11) is returnable and nonreturnable to said source port; and frame busy means (204, 207) for determining elapse of a predetermined frame busy time period based upon said timer states (144) when said frame (11) is returnable, said frame busy means (204, 207) for generating a frame busy signal (146) after said elapse of said frame busy time period.

Claim 3

The system (100) of claim 1, wherein said processor (100a) is a digital signal processor (100a).

Claim 4

The system (100) of claim 1, wherein said logic network (100b) is implemented in hardware with an integrated circuit (100b) and wherein said timer (164) is implemented in software within said processor (100a).

Claim 5

A frame time monitoring system (100) for tracking with high performance the time in which data frames (11) reside within a fiber optic switch (30) for a fiber optic network, the network switch (30) for transferring the data frames (11) from source to destination fiber optic channels (32), comprising: (a) a plurality of ports (33) corresponding respectively with said channels (32); (b) a memory means (84) associated with said ports (33), said memory means (84) for temporarily storing an incoming new data frame (11) from a source port (33); (c) a distribution network (42, 44) configured to interconnect said ports (33); (d) a sentry (104) in communication with said memory means (84), said sentry (104) configured to determine when said new data frame (121) has been received by said memory means (84); (e) a scheduler (118) which maintains a destination queue (121) corresponding with each of said ports (33), said scheduler (118) configured to receive path data (151) pertaining to said new data frame (121) from said sentry (104) after said sentry (104) determines receipt of said new data frame (121), said path data (151) including a source port indicator (151d), a memory address (151c, 151b) identifying a location of said frame (11) in said memory means (84), and a destination port indicator (155a), and said scheduler (118) configured to place said path data (151) within a destination queue (121) corresponding with said destination port (33) and to retrieve said path data (151) from said destination queue (121) based upon an order defined by said queue (121); (f) an arbitrator (123) configured to control said distribution network (42, 44) and to communicate with said scheduler (118), said arbitrator (123) configured to determine, after said arbitrator (123) receives a frame transfer request (122) from said scheduler (118), when said destination port (33) is busy servicing another frame transfer request (122) and when said destination port (33) is available for accommodating said frame transfer request (122), and said arbitrator (123) configured to allow communication of said new data frame (121) to said destination port (33) via said distribution network (42, 44) when said destination port (33) is available and to disallow said frame transfer request (122) when said destination port (33) is busy; and (g) a frame time monitoring mechanism (100) configured to track time associated with said new data frame (121), said frame time monitoring mechanism (100) having: (1) a processor (100a) configured to implement a timer (164) relative to said new data frame (11), said timer (164) being initiated by said sentry (104) when said new data frame (11) is determined to exist within said memory means (84), said processor (100a) configured to output timer states (144), said timer (164) being cleared via a clear signal (142) from said arbitrator (123) when said frame transfer request (122) corresponding to said new data frame (121) is allowed; and (2) a logic network (100b) connected to said processor (100a) to receive said timer states (144), said logic network (100b) for communicating a delete signal (147) to said scheduler (118) after a predetermined delete time period unless said clear signal (142) is received from said arbitrator (123).

Claim 6

The system (100) of claim 5, wherein said frame time monitoring mechanism (100) further comprises: frame return determination means (203) for determining when said frame (11) is returnable and nonreturnable to said source port (33); and frame busy means (204, 207) for determining elapse of a predetermined frame busy time period based upon said timer states (144) when said frame (11) is returnable, said frame busy means (204, 207) for generating a frame busy signal (146) after said elapse of said frame busy time period.

Claim 7

A frame time monitoring method (100) for tracking with high performance the time in which data frames (11) reside within a fiber optic switch (30) for a fiber optic network, the switch (30) for transferring the data frames (11) from source ports (33) to destination ports (33), comprising the steps of: (a) implementing a timer (164) in software with a processor (100a); (b) commencing said timer (164) after receipt of a frame (11); and (c) passing timer states (144) from said timer (164) to a logic network (100b) in hardware, said logic network (100b) performing the following steps: (1) determining (204, 207) elapse of a predetermined delete time period based upon said timer states (144); and (2) generating (206, 208) a delete signal (147) after said elapse of said predetermined delete time period.

Claim 8

The method of claim 7, wherein said logic network (100b) as recited in step (c) further performs the following steps: (3) determining (203) when said frame (11) is returnable and nonreturnable to said source port; and (4) determining (204, 207) elapse of a predetermined frame busy time period based upon said timer states (144) when said frame (11) is returnable, and when said frame (11) is returnable, generating a frame busy signal (146) after said elapse of said frame busy time period.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of: determining (176) a frame type corresponding with said frame (11); retrieving (188) a time value corresponding with said frame type; decrementing (191, 192) said time value; and generating (193) said timer states (144) based upon a status of said time value.

Claim 10

The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of specifying a plurality of frame busy time periods and a plurality of delete time periods corresponding with different frame types.