Multi-service data transport architecture

Abstract

An improved architecture for transmitting data from a plurality of sources to a plurality of destinations, wherein pieces of data directed to each destination are aggregated and transmitted periodically. In one embodiment, a plurality of ingress edge units and a plurality of egress edge units which are each coupled to an optical switching matrix. The ingress edge units are configured to parse incoming signals into components, each of which is destined for a particular one of the egress edge units. A switch is configured to store the data components destined for each egress edge unit in a corresponding buffer or set of buffers. Each of the buffers is read sequentially during a corresponding timeslot, with the data stored therein being transmitted to the designated egress edge unit. The data is thereby time-multiplexed for transmission to the egress edge units.

1 . A system for transporting data from a plurality of ingress lines to a plurality of egress lines comprising: 
 a data switching matrix having a plurality of ingress ports and a plurality of egress ports, wherein the data switching matrix is configured to transport data from each ingress port to one of the plurality of egress ports;    a plurality of ingress edge units, each of which is coupled to one of the plurality of ingress ports of the data switching matrix, wherein each of the plurality of ingress edge units is configured to receive data from a corresponding one or more of a plurality of ingress lines; and    a plurality of egress edge units, each of which is coupled to one of the plurality of egress ports of the data switching matrix, wherein each of the plurality of egress edge units is configured to transmit data received from the data switching matrix to one or more of a plurality of egress lines;    wherein each of the plurality of ingress edge units is configured to 
 examine data received via the corresponding one or more of the plurality of ingress lines,  
 package or repackage the data into cells,  
 identify respective destinations for the cells,  
 selectively direct the cells to plurality of buffers, each of which is for containing data destined for a corresponding egress edge unit,  
 periodically read the plurality of buffers in sequence, wherein each buffer has a predetermined time slot, and  
 transmit data read from each buffer to the corresponding egress edge unit via the data switching matrix in the predetermined time slot.  
   
   
   
       2 - 6 . (canceled)  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ingress edge unit is configured to receive the data as one or more optical data signals.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more optical data signals comprises light having multiple wavelengths.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ingress edge unit comprises a line component configured to provide line functions and a service component configured to provide service functions.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the line component is configured to provide SONET line functions and wherein the service component is configured to provide IP service functions.  
   
   
       11 . An ingress edge unit for a data switching matrix, wherein the ingress edge unit comprises: 
 one or more ingress ports, each of which is configured to be coupled to an ingress data line;    a crossbar switch coupled to the one or more ingress ports; and    a plurality of buffers coupled to the crossbar switch;    wherein the crossbar switch is configured to route packet data for repackaging into data cells, receive the data cells, selectively store the data cells in the plurality of buffers, wherein each of the plurality of buffers has a corresponding predetermined time slot, wherein the data stored in each of the plurality of buffers is destined for a corresponding one of a plurality of destinations; and    wherein the ingress edge unit is configured to periodically read the plurality of buffers in sequence and transmit data from each of the plurality of buffers in the corresponding predetermined time slot and wherein the ingress edge unit is configured to schedule data from each of the plurality of buffers to be delivered to the corresponding one of the plurality of destinations, independent of the predetermined time slot.    
   
   
       12 . The ingress edge unit of  claim 11 , wherein the ingress edge unit is configured to receive the data as one or more optical data signals.  
   
   
       13 . The ingress edge unit of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more optical data signals comprise light having multiple wavelengths.  
   
   
       14 . The ingress edge unit of  claim 11 , wherein the ingress edge unit comprises a line component configured to provide line functions and a service component configured to provide service functions.  
   
   
       15 . The ingress edge unit of  claim 14  wherein the line component is configured to provide SONET line functions and wherein the service component is configured to provide IP service functions.  
   
   
       16 . The ingress edge unit of  claim 11 , further comprising a multiplexer coupled to the plurality of buffers and configured to multiplex data contained in the plurality of buffers into a single data stream.  
   
   
       17 . The ingress edge unit of  claim 16  wherein the multiplexer is configured to multiplex clock data into the single data stream.  
   
   
       18 . The ingress edge unit of  claim 17  wherein the clock data is embodied in an optical signal comprising a wavelength which is distinct from a plurality of wavelengths used for optical data signals.  
   
   
       19 . The ingress edge unit of  claim 11 , wherein the ingress edge unit further comprises a plurality of network interface cards coupled to the ingress lines, wherein each network interface card is configured to receive a data signal from the corresponding ingress line in a corresponding format.  
   
   
       20 . A method for transmitting multi-service data from a Plurality of ingress lines to a plurality of egress lines with substantially reduced latency, comprising: 
 receiving a plurality of data streams, each of which comprises a series of pieces of data;    examining the pieces of data for each received data stream;    packaging or repackaging the pieces of data into cells;    identifying a destination for each cell;    selectively storing the cells in a plurality of buffer units, wherein each buffer unit holds cells having a common destination;    sequentially reading the plurality of buffer units, wherein each buffer is read during a corresponding timeslot; and    transmitting data read from each buffer unit to a corresponding destination.    
   
   
       21 . A non-blocking method for transporting data comprising: 
 parsing a received data stream into a plurality of data cells;    identifying a destination corresponding to each of the plurality of data cells;    segregating the plurality of data cells into distinct sets of data cells, wherein the data cells in each set of data cells has a common destination; and    sequentially transmitting the sets of data cells to the corresponding destinations in timeslots wherein each timeslot corresponds to the common destination of a set of data cells.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21   wherein the data stream comprises a plurality of STS 1  frames, and    wherein parsing the received data stream comprises parsing the STS 1  frames into data cells.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein each of the data cells comprises 12 overhead bytes and 84 data bytes.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein identifying the destination corresponding to each of the plurality of data cells comprises identifying destinations corresponding to the STS 1  frames from which the data cells were parsed.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein segregating the plurality of data cells into distinct sets of data cells comprises storing data cells having a common destination in a common buffer unit.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein sequentially transmitting the sets of data cells to the corresponding destinations comprises, for each of a plurality of time intervals, sequentially transmitting data cells stored in each of the buffer units to the corresponding destinations.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein each of the plurality of time intervals comprises a plurality of timeslots and wherein each of the buffer units corresponds to one of the plurality of timeslots.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein sequentially transmitting the sets of data cells to the corresponding destinations comprises transmitting data cells in more than one buffer unit to a single destination in a single time interval.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein segregating the plurality of data cells into distinct sets of data cells further comprises routing one or more of the plurality of data cells to an IP service module, determining in the IP service module which of the buffer units correspond to the one or more of the plurality of data cells, and storing the one or more of the plurality of data cells in the corresponding buffer units.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising transmitting clock information with the sets of data cells.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein transmitting the sets of data cells further comprises transmitting control data corresponding to the data cells in the same time slot as the data cells.