JP3132986B2 - Packet switch - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a packet switch,
It concerns packet trunk allocation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a packet processing device (specifically, for example, a packet trunk) is distributed in a conventional packet switch, the state of the distributed packet processing device when a communication request with a terminal / public network occurs is generated. If there is a packet processing device that can be investigated and used, the packet processing device is used evenly or sequentially.

[0003]

However, when an event such as a failure of the packet processing device (packet trunk) or congestion of the packet processing device occurs, the service capacity (logical channel) of the terminal or line for which the connection request has been made. If there is no packet processing device that can process the packet, there is a problem that even if there is a connection request from a terminal or a line of high importance, no usable packet processing device is allocated, and packet communication cannot be provided to the terminal.

[0004] For example, in FIG. 2, when the packet processing device PHM # 3 connected to the public network becomes faulty or congested, even if the PHM # 1 and PHM # 2 are not faulty or congested in the system. Regardless, since there is no packet processing device PHM that can provide the service capacity (the number of logical channels = 200) of the connection line to the public network, a packet communication link cannot be set, and packet communication cannot be provided.

Specifically, terminal A (logical channel = 12)
The logical channel for 0) is accommodated in the memory of PHM # 1, and the logical channel for terminal B (logical channel = 80) is also accommodated in the memory circuit of PHM # 1, leaving 55 channels free. Further, when an accommodation request for terminal C (logical channel = 100) is given, PHM
The # 1 memory circuit cannot be accommodated because there are 55 channels available. Therefore, it is accommodated in the memory circuit of PHM # 2, and 155 channels remain unoccupied. However, even if an attempt is made to accommodate the logical channel = 200 of the public network, it cannot be accommodated because neither of the memory circuits of the PHMs # 1 and # 2 has room.

That is, in the conventional packet processing system, (1) irrespective of the priority of packet communication (the importance of the line and the accommodated terminal), the packet processing device PHM (packet trunk) in the exchange in the order in which the communication requests are generated. : PKT
Since T) is used, even if the packet processing device PHM is not in failure or congestion, the packet processing device PHM that can use the logical channel for the connection request disappears immediately in the order of the communication request, and a new packet communication request is issued. May not be able to respond.

(2) The packet processing device PHM (packet trunk:
PKTT), the packet processing device PH
When M is faulty or congested, the redundantly prepared packet processing device PHM is used by allocating it to the terminal or line that requested the communication promptly, so that it cannot be used when a connection request is made from a special important line. is there.

As described above, a plurality of packet trunks are efficiently allocated to a packet communication request with a very simple configuration to prevent congestion prevention and to prevent packet processing from being unacceptable due to a failure. There is a demand for a packet switch that can reliably receive a packet communication request.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a packet switch for processing packets from a plurality of terminals or lines using one of a plurality of packet trunks. It is provided with "management means" for grouping and managing, and "registration means" for registering accommodation target information for accommodating terminals or lines and registering correspondence with the group. Further, when a packet communication request is given from a terminal or a line, the packet switch of the present invention searches for the accommodation target information corresponding to the terminal or the line, and finds a corresponding packet from the accommodation target information obtained by the search. "Determining means" for selecting a trunk group, searching the "management means" from the selected group, and determining a packet trunk for performing packet processing for the packet communication request.
Is provided to solve the above-described problem.

[0010]

According to the configuration of the present invention, the importance (for example, importance, non-importance) to the terminal or line accommodating a plurality of packet trunks mounted on the packet switch, the usage (for example, extension correspondence, external line) Correspondence), information such as the number of terminals or lines to be accommodated, etc., is determined and managed in advance as a determinant.

[0011] Further, the registration means registers in advance the accommodating target information for the accommodating terminal or line so that the correspondence relation with the group can be understood. It is preferable to register a group number or a group code corresponding to the grouping as the accommodation target information in order to select an optimal packet trunk. In addition, it is practically preferable to register the communication speed information, the packet size information, the subscriber number or the line number for the accommodation terminal or the accommodation line together.

With the management means and the registration means as described above, when a packet communication request is given from a terminal or a line by the deciding means, the receiving object information corresponding to the terminal or the line is searched. A corresponding packet trunk group is selected from the accommodation target information obtained by this search, and a management means is searched from the group to determine a packet trunk for performing packet processing for a packet communication request.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent a shortage of available packet processing devices as in the prior art, and efficiently allocate a plurality of packet trunks to packet communication requests with a very simple configuration. As a result, it is possible to avoid an inability to accept packet processing due to a failure, and to reliably accept an important packet communication request.

[0014]

Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partial functional configuration diagram of an example of a packet switch for realizing the present invention. In FIG. 1, the packet switch of the present embodiment mainly includes a central processing module (CPM) 10, a time division switch (TSW) 11,
Highway interface control circuit (HWIC) 12
And the basic rate interface extension circuit (BRI
S) 14a to 14n and a packet trunk (PKTT)
15a to 15n, a terminal A, and a command input terminal 4. The actual hardware configuration of the packet switch is as shown in FIG. 3, which will be described later.
In FIG. 1, the description will focus on the characteristic functional components of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the characteristic feature is the functional configuration inside the central processing module 10. The central processing module 10 includes a state management memory 1 for managing the operation states of the packet trunks 15a to 15n mounted on the packet switch, and stores subscriber data such as lines or terminals accommodated in the packet switch to operate the packet switch. A subscriber data memory circuit 3 for storing at start-up or adding / changing during operation and storing; and for processing packets from a terminal or a public network, any group of packet trunks 15a to 15n in a packet switch. And a configuration management memory 2 that manages the packet trunks by grouping whether to perform processing.

The subscriber data memory circuit 3 receives a command from the command input terminal 4 when the packet switch starts operation.
The subscriber data for the accommodated terminal is registered in the subscriber data memory 3 via the I / O controller 5.
FIG. 5 shows an example of the subscriber data. In FIG. 5, for example, the data terminal A to be accommodated is defined as an important terminal (for example, a terminal for emergency communication), the subscriber number of the terminal, communication parameters (for example, communication speed, packet size, etc.), and important groups. register. In the same way, for example, a line from the public network is used as a general line,
For example, it is registered as a group B. At this time, communication parameters, subscriber numbers, and the like are set.

The state management memory 1 includes a packet trunk 1
The operating states of 5a to 15n are periodically collected based on the notification from the highway interface control circuit (HWIC) 12, and the operating states are monitored. That is, the state of the packet trunk (PKTT) 15a to 15n is set to normal (NM).
L), failure (FLT), busy (BSY) (no free memory), etc. are managed by the state management memory 1.

The configuration management memory 2 includes a packet trunk 1
5a to 15n are grouped and managed.
For example, the redundant PKTT group A uses # 1 (1
5a) and # 2 (15b) are redundantly configured. Further, the redundancy group B is # 3 (15) as a packet trunk used for packet processing with the public network.
c), a group using # 6 (15f). Furthermore, the important group is # 4 (15) as a packet trunk used to process important terminal packets.
d), # 5 (15e) is used as a redundant configuration.

The group configuration of the configuration management memory 2 is as follows.
Even when the packet switch is operating, the configuration management memory circuit 2 of the central processing module 10 can be changed by an instruction from the command input terminal 4.
That is, when the packet processing is performed in the packet trunks 15a to 15n, even if the memory contents are temporarily rewritten by the operation of the central processing module 10, the processing in the next cycle for the packet can be performed based on the new group configuration. It does not cause any problems.

Further, the packet trunks 15a to 15n are grouped by the configuration management memory 2, so that
In order to solve the conventional problem that even if the packet trunk is not faulty or congested, the number of packet trunks that can use the logical channel for the connection request is quickly eliminated and it is impossible to respond to a new packet communication request. It will contribute. In addition, it was a conventional problem,
This contributes to solving the problem that it is not possible to cope with a connection request from a special important line.

Similarly to the above configuration management memory 2, the subscriber data memory circuit 3 adds or changes subscriber data based on an instruction from the command input terminal 4 even during the operation of the packet switch. Can be easily performed.

(Operation): Next, the operation of FIG. 1 will be described. First, at the time of constructing the system of the packet switch (when starting operation), the above-mentioned subscriber data is registered in the subscriber data memory circuit 3 via the I / O controller 5 by an online command from the command input terminal 4. Furthermore, the above-mentioned group composition is organized (assigned) by an online command.
(Group number and packet trunk number) via the I / O controller 5 for the configuration management memory 2
Register to

When the subscriber data and the group data for configuration management are registered as described above, the packet communication request from the terminal or the public network line which has made the packet communication request is next based on the registered data. Is performed on the packet.

Therefore, a packet communication request from the terminal A, which is an extension, is sent to the basic rate interface extension circuit 14.
a, the packet communication request is supplied to the highway interface control circuit 12. The highway interface control circuit 12 causes the processor MP to search the subscriber data memory 3 in order to confirm the subscriber data of the terminal A that has made the packet communication request. When this search confirms that the data terminal A is an important terminal as shown in FIG. 5, the processor MP recognizes that the packet trunk of the important group is used.
Then, the processor MP searches the configuration management memory 2 and selects a packet trunk that can be used in the important group C as PKTT # 4 (5a) or # 5 (15b).

For example, when the packet trunk PKTT # 4 (15a) is selected as the important group C, the processor MP checks in the state management memory 1 whether or not this packet trunk can be used. In this confirmation, if the packet trunk PKTT # 4 (15a) is normal and the number of available logical channels (service capacity) satisfies the number of logical channels of the terminal A, the processor MP switches the time-division switch 11 and Packet trunk PKTT # 4 (15a) via highway interface control circuit 12
, The packet communication link of the terminal A is set, and the packet processing is performed.

In addition, a packet communication request from a public network line is transmitted to a primary late interface trunk (PRI).
T) 13, the subscriber data memory 3 is checked in the same manner as described above, and if it is confirmed that the processing group for the public network is a group as shown in FIG. Confirm. In this confirmation, the packet trunk number registered in the redundancy group B is confirmed. For example, if it is confirmed that the packet trunk is PKTT # 3 (15c), this packet trunk is normal and
It is determined whether or not the number of available logical channels satisfies the number of logical channels capable of processing a packet communication request from the public network. If not, another packet trunk PKTT # 6 registered in the redundancy group B is determined. Select

The state management memory 1 checks whether this packet trunk is normal and whether the number of available logical channels satisfies the number of logical channels that can process packet communication requests from the public network. If it is determined that the packet is satisfactory, the packet trunk PKTT # 6 (15f)
Is used to set up a packet communication link from the public network and perform packet processing.

(Hardware Configuration) FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of an example of a packet switch to which the present invention is applied. In FIG. 3, a packet switch includes a central processing module (CPM) 10, a time division switch (TSW) 11, and a line trunk device (LTE).
17, a packet switch (PKSW) 18, and a workstation 4A.

The line trunk device 17 includes a highway interface control circuit (HWIC) 12, a primary late interface trunk (PRIT) 13, and a basic late interface extension circuit (BRIS) 1.
4a to 14n and a packet trunk (PKTT) 15a
To 15n and a packet highway control circuit (PKHC)
16.

The workstation 4A implements the command input terminal 4 shown in FIG. 1, and inputs subscriber data, group data for configuration management, and the like to the central processing module 10 by an online command. The central processing module 10 implements the above-described subscriber data memory 3, state management memory 1, configuration management memory 2, and the like, and exchanges data with the time division switch 11. Time-division switch 1
Reference numeral 1 denotes a circuit switch for performing a circuit switch between the highway interface control circuit 12 and the central processing module 10.

Highway interface control circuit 12
Performs transmission / reception of highway data PCM-multiplexed with the time division switch 11 and communication processing of call control information via a bus. The packet highway control circuit 16 performs multiplex control of packet frames from a trunk having a packet bus interface when performing packet switching. The packet switch 18 is connected to the packet highway control circuit 1
6. Switching of fixed-length frames multiplexed on 6 is performed.

The packet trunks 15a to 15n process packet protocols between D channels, between B channels, and between D channels and B channels. The packet trunks are grouped by the central processing module 10. It is managed separately. Basic rate interface extension circuit 14a ~
14n is the ISDN basic user / network interface S
An extension circuit that supplies points and accommodates various ISDN terminals (2B + D). The primary late interface trunk 13 is a central office trunk connected to a point T of the primary rate interface of the INS 1500, and
Has a control function of

FIG. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of the central processing module 10 described above. In FIG. 4, the central processing module 10 includes a microprocessor MP10
a, a program ROM 10b, and a working RAM 1
0c, a hard disk drive DK10d, and an I / O (input / output) controller 5. The microprocessor MP10a is the processor M of FIG.
P, a program (such as an Operating System) stored in the program ROM 10b
Also, the subscriber data input from the I / O controller 5 and the data of the grouping of the packet trunks are registered in the working RAM 10c using a program (such as an application program) stored in the hard disk device DK10d.

The signal of the operating state of the packet trunk is collected by the microprocessor MP10a and stored in the working RAM 10c. Working RA
M implements the above-described one subscriber data memory 3, state management memory 1, configuration management memory 2, and the like.

(Effects of Embodiment) According to the above embodiment, a plurality of packet trunks P that can be used
Since KTT assigns usable groups according to extensions, public network lines, important lines, etc., it is possible to prevent problems as before, and even if packet trunks are occupied in the order of packet communication requests, An important problem that there is no available packet trunk when there is a packet communication request from an important line can be solved.

That is, the subscriber data of the terminals and lines to be accommodated is registered in advance, and the packet trunks are grouped in advance according to the use purpose and the importance of the terminals and lines to be accommodated and registered in the configuration management memory. In advance, when a packet communication request is given, subscriber data corresponding to this terminal or line is searched in the subscriber data memory, and a corresponding packet trunk group is selected from the subscriber data obtained by this search. Then, by searching the configuration management memory from the selected group and determining a packet trunk for performing packet processing on the packet communication request, packet processing can be performed very efficiently without causing congestion or the like. .

An optimal packet trunk is selected by registering, as the subscriber data, a group number or group code, communication speed information for an accommodation terminal or an accommodation line, packet size information, a subscriber number or a line number, and the like. It becomes easier to do.

Further, by providing a status management memory for monitoring the operating status of the plurality of packet trunks, it is determined whether or not the packet trunks of the assigned group can be occupied for packet processing, such as a remaining memory amount. If it is determined that the packet trunk can be occupied, the packet trunk is occupied. If it is determined that the packet trunk cannot be occupied, the possibility of occupation of another packet trunk in the same group is confirmed, and the selection of the packet trunk is performed. It can be performed efficiently.

As described above, a plurality of packet trunks are efficiently allocated to a packet communication request with a very simple configuration to prevent congestion prevention and avoid unacceptable packet processing due to a failure. A packet switch that can reliably receive a packet communication request can be realized.

(Other Embodiments) (1) In the above embodiments, the above grouping is based on the importance of the terminal or line to be accommodated, the usage of the terminal or line to be accommodated, the number of terminals or lines to be accommodated. By using such information as a determinant, it is possible to realize a very practical packet switch with high performance.

For example, it is also possible to categorize each department. Such grouping data can be changed even during operation, so that it can be changed without stopping the operation of the exchange.

(2) The hardware configuration diagrams in FIGS. 3 and 4 described above are merely examples. As another hardware configuration, for example, a magnetic disk device or the like is mounted to store various data. You may comprise.

(3) Further, in FIG.
It is also preferable to provide a line trunk connecting to the four basic interface T points.

(4) Further, the packet switch of the above-described embodiment is used for a financial system (ATM system) or the like to register a communication line for depositing and withdrawing money as an important line, and to perform other business operations. By registering communication lines as non-important lines, even if there are many non-important packet communication requests, it is possible to always secure important lines, and to respond to packet communication requests from important lines. As a result, a packet trunk can be reliably secured.

[0045]

As described above, according to the present invention, there are provided a managing means for grouping and managing the plurality of packet trunks for processing packets, registering the accommodating information for the accommodating terminal or line, and registering the group. Registration means for registering the correspondence with the information, and when a packet communication request is given from the terminal or the line, a search is made for the accommodation target information corresponding to this terminal or the line, and from the accommodation object information obtained by this search, The apparatus further comprises determining means for selecting a corresponding packet trunk group, searching the management means from the selected group, and determining a packet trunk for performing packet processing on the packet communication request.

By adopting such a configuration, a plurality of packet trunks are efficiently allocated to a packet communication request with a very simple configuration to prevent congestion prevention and failure to accept packet processing due to a failure. A packet switch that can reliably receive important packet communication requests can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial functional configuration diagram of a packet switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a problem of a conventional packet switching process.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a packet switch according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of a central processing module (CPM) of the packet switch according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of subscriber data according to the embodiment;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... State management memory, 2 ... Configuration management memory, 3 ... Subscriber data memory, 4 ... Command input terminal, 5 ... I / O controller, 10 ... Central processing module (CPM), 1
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Time division switch, 12 ... Highway interface control circuit (HWIC), 13 ... Primary late interface trunk (PRIT), 14 ... Basic late interface extension circuit (BRIS), 15 ... Packet trunk (PKTT).

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A packet switch for processing packets from a plurality of terminals or lines by using one of a plurality of packet trunks, and a management means for grouping and managing the plurality of packet trunks for processing the packets. And registration means for registering accommodation target information for the terminal or line to be accommodated and registering correspondence with the group, and, when a packet communication request is given from the terminal or line, falls under the terminal or line. Searching for the accommodation target information, selecting a corresponding packet trunk group from the accommodation target information obtained by the search, searching the management means from the selected group, and performing packet processing for the packet communication request. A packet trunk to be determined. Ket changing machine. 2. The grouping of the management means includes information on the importance of the terminal or line to be accommodated, information on the usage of the terminal or line to be accommodated, information on the number of terminals or lines to be accommodated, and the like. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein any of the information is performed as a determinant, and the grouping of the plurality of packet trunks is set in the management unit by command input data during the packet switching process or during the packet switching process stop. Packet switch. 3. The packet switch according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit registers a group number or a group code corresponding to the grouping as the accommodation target information. 4. A monitoring means for monitoring operating states of the plurality of packet trunks, and whether or not the packet trunk determined by the determining means can be occupied for packet processing is determined from a monitoring result of the monitoring means. Determining that the packet trunk is occupied if it is determined that the packet trunk can be occupied, and that the packet trunk is occupied by another packet trunk in the same group if it is determined that the packet trunk cannot be occupied. The packet switch according to claim 1.