Switching Units

#1

Types of switching elements

Telephone switches
switch samples

INPUTS

Datagram routers

switch datagrams

ATM switches
switch ATM cells

OUTPUTS

#2

Look Inside a Router

Two key router functions:
run routing algorithms/protocol (RIP, OSPF, BGP)

switching datagrams from incoming to outgoing ports

#33

Repeaters, bridges, routers,

and gateways
Repeaters/Hubs: at physical level (L1)
Bridges: at datalink level (L2)

based on MAC addresses

discover attached stations by listening

Routers: at network level (L3)

participate in routing protocols
Application level gateways: at application level (L7)
treat entire network as a single hop
Gain functionality at the expense of forwarding

speed

for best performance, push functionality as low as

possible

#4

Types of services
Packet vs. circuit switches
packets have headers and samples dont
Connectionless vs. connection oriented

connection oriented switches need a call setup

setup is handled in control plane by switch
controller
connectionless switches deal with selfcontained datagrams

#5

Other switching unit functions

Participate in routing algorithms
to build routing tables
Next Lecture!
Resolve contention for output trunks
buffer scheduling
Previous Lecture!
Admission control
to guarantee resources to certain streams

#6

Requirements
Capacity of switch is the maximum rate at which it

can move information, assuming all data paths are

simultaneously active
Primary goal: maximize capacity

subject to cost and reliability constraints

Circuit switch must reject call if cant find a path

for samples from input to output

goal: minimize call blocking

Packet switch must reject a packet if it cant find a

buffer to store it awaiting access to output trunk

goal: minimize packet loss

Subgoal: Dont reorder packets

#7

Internal switching
In a circuit switch, path of a sample is determined

at time of connection establishment

No need for a sample header--position in frame is enough

In a packet switch, packets carry a destination

field

Need to look up destination port on-the-fly

Datagram
lookup based on entire destination address
Cell
lookup based on VCI used as an index to a table
Other than that, switching units are very similar

#8

Blocking in packet switches

Can have both internal and output blocking
Internal

no path to output
Example: head of line blocking.

Output

output link busy

If packet is blocked, must either buffer or

drop it

#9

Dealing with blocking

Overprovisioning

internal links much faster than inputs

Buffers

at input or output

Backpressure

if switch fabric doesnt have buffers, prevent

packet from entering until path is available

Parallel switch fabrics

increases effective switching capacity

#10

Three generations of packet

switches
Different trade-offs between cost and

performance
Represent evolution in switching capacity,
rather than in technology

With same technology, a later generation

switch achieves greater capacity, but at
greater cost

All three generations are represented in

current products

#11

First generation switch

computer

CPU

queues in memory

linecard

linecard

linecard

Most Ethernet switches and cheap packet

routers
Bottleneck can be CPU, host-adaptor or
I/O bus, depending

#12

Second generation switch

computer
bus
front end processors
or line cards

Port mapping intelligence in line cards

Bottleneck is the bus (or ring)

#13

Third generation switches

Third generation switch provides parallel

paths (fabric)

ILC
IN

ILC

OLC
NxN
packet
switch
fabric

ILC

OLC

OUT

OLC

control

#14

Third generation (contd.)

Features

self-routing fabric
output buffer is a point of contention

unless we arbitrate access to fabric

potential for unlimited scaling,

as long as we can resolve contention for output buffer

#15

Switching - Fabric

#16

Switching: abstract model

Number of connections: from few (4 or 8) to huge (100K)

#17

Multiplexors and demultiplexors

Multiplexor: aggregates sessions
N input lines
Output runs N times as fast as input
Demultiplexor: distributes sessions
one input line and N outputs that run N times
slower
Can cascade multiplexors
1
2

1
2
MUX
N

1 2

De-Mux
N

#18

Time division switching

Key idea: when demultiplexing, position in

frame determines output link

Time division switching interchanges
sample position within a frame:

Time slot interchange (TSI)

M
U
X

TSI

D
E
M
U
X

#19

Time Slot Interchange (TSI) :

example
sessions: (1,3) (2,1) (3,4) (4,2)

1
2
3
4

4 3 2 1

1
2
3
4

3 1 4 2

4
1
3

Read and write to shared memory in different order

#20

TSI
Simple to build.
Multicast: easy (why?)
Limit is the time taken to read and write to memory
For 120,000 telephone circuits
Each circuit reads and writes memory once every 125 ms.
Number of operations per second : 120,000 x 8000 x2
each operation takes around 0.5 ns => impossible with
current technology
Need to look to other techniques

#21

Space division switching

Each sample takes a

different path
through the switch,
depending on its
destination
Crossbar: Simplest
possible space-division
switch
Crosspoints can be
turned on or off

i
n
p
u
t
s

outputs

#22

Crossbar - example

inputs

sessions: (1,2) (2,4) (3,1) (4,3)

1
2
3
4
1

output
#23

Crossbar
Advantages:

simple to implement
simple control
strict sense non-blocking
Multicast

Single source multiple destination ports

Drawbacks

number of crosspoints, N2
large VLSI space
vulnerable to single faults

#24

Time-space switching
Precede each input trunk in a crossbar with

a TSI
Delay samples so that they arrive at the
right time for the space division switchs
schedule
Crosspoint: 4 (not 16)
1
2
3
4

M
U
X
M
U
X

memory speed : x2 (not x4)

2 1

TSI

12

4 3

TSI

43
DeMux

DeMux

#25

Finding the schedule

Build a routing graph
nodes - input links
session connects an input and output nodes.
Feasible schedule
Computing a schedule

compute perfect matching.

1
2

1
2

3
4

3
4

#26

Time-Space: Example
time 1
time 2
2 1

2 1
4 3

TSI

3 4
3
1

2
4
TSI

Internal speed = double link speed

#27

Internal Non-Blocking Types

Re-arrangeable
Can route any permutation from inputs to outputs.
Strict sense non-blocking
Given any current connections through the switch.
Any unused input can be routed to any unused output.
Wide sense non-blocking.

There exists a specific routing algorithm, s.t.,

for any sequence of connections and releases,
Any unused input can be routed to any unused output,
assuming all the sequence was served by the routing
algorithm.

#29

Circuit switching - Space division

graph representation
transmitter nodes
receiver nodes
internal nodes
Feasible schedule
edge disjoint paths.
cost function
number of crosspoints (complexity of AxB is
AB)
internal nodes

#30

Crossbar - example

1
2
3
4
1

#31

outputs

inputs

Another Example

#32

Another Example

outputs

inputs

sessions: (1,3) (2,6) (3,1) (4,4) (5,2) (6,5)

#33

Clos Network
Clos(N, n , k) : N - inputs/outputs;
cross-points: 2 (N/n)nk + k(N/n)2
nxk
2x2
N

2x2

(N/n)x(N/n)
3x3
3x3

2x2
N/n

kxn
2x2
2x2

N=6
n=2
k=2

2x2
k

N/n
#34

Clos Network - strict sense

non-blocking
Holds for k 2n-1
Proof Methodology:

Recall: IF [A,B S and |A|+|B| > |S|] then A B

S= The k middle switches
A = middle switches reachable from the inputs
B = middle switches reachable from the outputs
Our case:
|S|=k
|A| k-(n-1)
|B| k-(n-1)

#35

Clos Network - strict sense

non-blocking
Holds for k 2n-1
Proof:

Consider an idle input and output

Input box connected to at most n-1 middle layer switches
output box connected to at most n-1 middle layer
switches
There exists an unused" middle switch good for both.

n-1
nxk

kxn

n-1
#36

Example
Clos(8,2,3)
Need to route a new call
2x3

4x4

3x2

2x3

4x4

3x2

2x3
2x3

4x4

3x2

N=8
n=2
k=3

3x2

#37

Clos Network
Why is k=n internally blocking?
nxk
2x2
2x2
2x2

(N/n)x(N/n)
3x3
3x3

kxn
2x2
2x2

N=6
n=2
k=2

2x2

#38

Clos Network - re-arrangable

Holds for k n
Proof:
Consider the routing graph.
find a perfect matching.
route the perfect matching through a
single middle switch!
remaining network is Clos(N-N/n,n-1,k-1)

1
2

1
2

3
4

3
4

summary:
smaller circuit
weaker guarantee
Multicast ?

#39

Recursive Construction: basis

The basic element:
The dimension: r=0
The two states:

#40

Recursive Construction:
Benes Network

r-1 dimension
N/2 size
r-1 dimension
N/2 size

#41

Example 16x16

#42

Benes Networks
Symmetry
Size:

F(N) = 2(N/2)*4 + 2F(N/2) = O(N log N)

Rearrangable

Clos network with k=2 n=2

Proof I:

Build routing graph.

Find 2 matchings
route one in the upper Benes and the other in
the lower.

#43

Greedy permutation routing

Start with an arbitrary node

i1

set i1 to upper.

At the output, o1 , a new constraint,

set o2 to lower.

Continue until no new constraint.

Completing a cycle.

Continue until done.

Solve for the upper and lower Benes

recursively.

#44

Example: Benes Network for r=2

I1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

level 0 switches

I2
level 2r switches

#45

Example
(

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 5 6 8 4 2 3 7

1
2

I1

3
4
5
6
7
8

level 0 switches

I2
level 2r switches

#46

Example
(

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 5 6 8 4 2 3 7

1
2

I1

3
4
5
6
7
8

level 0 switches

I2
level 2r switches

#47

Example
(

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 5 6 8 4 2 3 7

1
2

I1

3
4
5
6
7
8

level 0 switches

I2
level 2r switches

#48

Example
(

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 5 6 8 4 2 3 7

1
2

I1

3
4
5
6
7
8

level 0 switches

I2
level 2r switches

#49

CRS-1 Switch Fabric Overview

50 Gbps
136 Bytes cells
40 Gbps
8 of 8

S1

S2

16

S3

2 of 8

2
Line Card

100 Gbps/LC(2)
(2.5X Speedup)

Fabric
Chassis

1 of 8
S1

S2

S3

Line Card

2 LEVELS OF PRIORITY

MULTICAST SUPPORT

HP Low latency traffic

1M multicast groups

LP Best effort traffic

S1

S2

S3

1296 x 1296 buffered non-blocking switch

Multi-stage Interconnect3 Stage Benes topology

#50

Basic Router Architecture

3 Main components: Line cards,Switching mechanism,
Route Processor(s), Routing Applications

Forwarding Component

Control Components

Interconnect

#51

Strict Sense non-Blocking

N/2 x N/2
.
.
.

N/2 x N/2

.
.
.

N/2 x N/2

#52

Properties
Size:

F(N) = 2N*6 + 3F(N/2) = O( N1.58 )

strict sense non-blocking
Clos network with k=3 n=2

Better parameters:
n=sqrt{N}, k=2sqrt{N}-1
recursive size sqrt{N} x sqrt{N}
Circuit size O(N log2.58 N)

#53

Cantor Networks
m copies of Benes network.

m = log N its strict sense non-blocking

Network size N log2 N
Example
For

#54

Cantor Network

m=4
#55

Proof

Sketch:

Benes network:
2 log N -1 layers,
N/2 nodes in layer.
Middle layer= layer log N -1

Consider the middle layer of the Benes Networks.

There are Nm/2 nodes in in all of them combined.
Bound (from below) the number of nodes

reachable from an input and output.

If the sum is more than Nm/2:

There is an intersection
there has to be a route.

#56

Proof Sketch:
Let A(k) = number of nodes reachable at

level k.
A(0)=m
A(1)= 2A(0)-1
A(2)=2A(1)-2
A(k)=2A(k-1) - 2k-1 = 2k A(0) - k 2k-1
A(log N -1) = Nm/2 - (log N -1) N/4
Need that: 2A(log N -1) > Nm/2.

2[Nm/2 - (log N -1) N/4] > Nm/2.

Hold for m> log N-1.

#57

Advanced constructions
There are networks of size
the constants are huge!

O(N log N).

Basic paradigm also applies to large packet

switches.

#58