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`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OF'FICE
`
`6[2{0 >_,
`*?'
`
`Arr Unit 2665
`Examiner Phuongchau Ba Nguyen
`
`RECE,VED
`JUN 24 20rJ2
`rccturegy
`wnerzaoo
`
`In Re:
`Case:
`Serial No.:
`Filed:
`Subject:
`
`Deepak Mansharamani et al.
`P4506
`09t800,678
`March 6,2001
`An Improved System for X'abric Packet Control
`
`To:
`
`The Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks
`Washington, D.C. 20231
`
`Dear Sir;
`
`Amendment A
`
`4D
`U(
`
`All of the claims standing for examination are presented below in their last-
`amended form. Those claims herein amended in the present response are
`
`marked (Amended). Those claims left unchanged are marked (Unchanged).
`
`) A method for managing data traffrc at switching
`1. (Once
`element nodes in a f\ic network, each switching element node having a
`plurality of input and outlqt ports, comprising the steps of:
`
`(a) establishing at
`equal to the number of
`each virtual output queue at each
`individual input port dedicated'to * ilUiuiAual output port, itoring only
`packets destined for the associated outprt\] for managing incoming data
`traffrc; and
`
`(b) accepting or discarding data at each
`
`gutput queue directed
`
`to a queue according to the quantity of data in the queue\lative to queue
`
`capacity.
`
`Juniper Exhibit 1007
`
`

`

`\
`
`-2-
`
`2. (Unchanged) \e method of claim I wherein, in step (b), all data is
`discarded for a full\ueue.
`
`3. (Unchanged) The
`
`of claim 1 wherein the queue manager monitors
`
`quantity of queued data in
`
`ion to a preset threshold, and begins to
`
`discard data at a predetermined
`
`when the quantity of queued data
`
`reaches the threshold.
`
`4. (Unchanged) The method of claim 3
`
`the queue manager
`
`increases the rate of discarding as
`
`queued data increases above
`
`a number of i'x1ual output queues at each input port equal to the
`
`number of output ports,
`port dedicated to an individ
`
`virtual output queue at each individual input
`
`port, storing only packets destined for
`
`ipg incoming data traffic;
`
`the associated output port , for
`characterized in that the queue
`accepts or discards data
`to a.queue according to the quantity oNqn the queue relative to
`{:ected
`qubr{ capacrty.
`\
`
`6.(u
`discarded for a
`
`The switching element of claim 5 wherein all data is
`
`queue.
`
`element of claim 5 wherein the queue
`
`manager monitors quantity of
`
`data against a preset tbreshold, and
`
`begins to randomly discard data w
`
`the quantity of queued data exceeds
`
`\A)
`&a-
`
`

`

`the threshold.
`
`8. (Unchanged) The switching
`
`of claim 7 wherein the queue
`
`manager increases the rate of di
`
`g as the quantity of queued data
`
`increases above the preset threshold.
`
`ry
`'pj
`f'
`
`x(Once Amended) A data router having
`
`al connections to other data
`
`route\.comprising:
`an\ternal fabric network; and
`
`a plurali.ry of switching element nodes in the internal fabric network,
`
`each switching ele\ent node having a plurality of input and output ports,
`and at each input port,\umber of virtual output queues equal to the
`
`number of output ports,
`
`virtual output queue at each individual input
`
`port dedicated tq an indiv
`
`t port, storing only packets destined for
`
`the associated output port, for
`
`incomine data traffic:
`
`characteized in that the
`
`accepts or discards data
`
`directed to a queue according to the
`
`of data in the queue relative to
`
`queue capacity.
`
`10. (Unchanged) The data router of claim 9 whereiri
`
`ll data is discarded for
`
`a full oueue.
`
`

`

`-4-
`
`REMARKS
`
`The present amendment is responsive to the Office Action mailed in
`
`the above-referenced case on May 9, 2002. Claims l-12 are presented for
`examination. The Examiner objects to the drawings, and rejects claim I
`under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, due to informalities. Claims l-8
`
`are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(b) has been anticipated by Kline
`
`(5,7 93,7 47), hereinafter Kline.
`
`Regarding the Examiner's objection to drawings, applicant herein
`
`submits redlined drawings clearly labeling the numbers of reference with
`
`descriptive legends in accordance with the Examiner's requirements.
`
`Regarding the Examiner's 112 rejection of claim 1, and the
`
`Examiner's merit rejection of claims 1-8, applicant has carefully studied the
`
`prior art cited and by the Examiner, and the Examiner's statements and
`
`rejections, and in response herein amends the claims to more particularly
`
`point out and distinctly claim the subject matter regarded as the invention.
`
`Applicant amends the language of the base claims to recite a method for
`
`managing data traffic at switching element nodes in a fabric network, each
`
`switching element node having a plurality of input and output ports,
`comprising the steps of (a) establishing, at each input port, a nlmber of
`virnral output queues equal to the number of output ports, each individual
`
`output queue at each individual input port dedicated to an individual output
`
`port, storing only packets destined for the associated output port, and (b)
`
`accepting or discarding data at each virnral output queue according to the
`
`quantity of data in the queue relative to queu.e capacity.
`
`In applicant's specification, with reference to the description for Fig.
`
`2, a crossbar switch 203 in fabric card 201 is disclosed, crossbar 203 having
`
`multiple input and output ports. Crossbar 203 connects each port to every
`
`

`

`-5-
`
`other port, so that any incoming data packet can be output to any output
`
`port. In applicant's invention the nature of the queues at the input ports is
`
`that they are also virtual output queues, each input port having multiple
`input queues, one input queue for each output port. The output port in
`
`applicant's invention is a function of the headers in the incoming data
`
`packet, so the data is managed at the input port for the virtual output load.
`
`For example, for a data packet arriving at crossbar 203, which is to be
`
`crossed to a particular output port, there is, at each input port, a virhral
`queue for that particular output port. Every input port has an equal number
`
`ofqueues as there are output ports, and only those data packets are queued
`
`that are destined for that particular output port.
`
`The system of applicant's invention as described in the specification
`
`manages, at the input port, the potential congestion at the output port.
`
`Applicant has thoroughly reviewed the prior art of Kline and is confident
`that Kline does not teach or suggest the subject matter of applicant's
`
`invention as discussed above and as recited in applicant's base claims as
`
`amended. Applicant argues that if there is a single queue at each output
`
`port, as in the prior art, there is congestion at the switch because every
`
`packet aniving must be passed through the switch before aniving at the
`destination queue, where it may be discarded. The distinct advantage of
`
`applicant's invention as recited in the claims as amended is that upon
`
`establishing a virhral output queue at each input port associated with each
`
`output port, data packets may be discarded prior to being transferred
`
`through the switch, thereby alleviating much of the data traffrc load on the
`
`switch.
`
`Applicant believes claims 1, 5 and 9 are patentable as amended and
`
`argued above, claims 2-4,6-8 and 10-12 are then patentable on their own
`
`merits, or at least as depended from a patentable claim.
`
`In view of the above arguments and amendments to the claims, it is
`
`clear that the reference provided by the Examiner does not anticipate or
`
`

`

`-6-
`
`suggest the invention as herein claimed, nor do they enable a prima-facie
`
`rejection. It is therefore respectfully requested that this application be
`
`reconsidered, the claims be allowed, and that this case be passed quickly to
`
`issue.
`
`If there are any time extensions needed beyond any extension
`
`specifically requested with this amendment, such extension of time is hereby
`
`requested. If there are any fees due beyond any fees paid with this
`
`amendment, authorization is given to deduct such fees from deposit account
`
`50-0534.
`
`

`

`Version With Markings to Show Changes Made
`
`In the claims.
`
`1. (Once Amended) A method for managing data traffic at switching
`
`element nodes in a fabric network, each switching element node having
`[trvo or more internally coupled ports] a plurality of input and output ports,
`comprising the steps of:
`
`(a) establishing [a managed queuing system comprising one or more
`queues associated with each port] at each input port, a number of virtual
`
`output queues equal to the number of output ports. each virtual output queue
`
`at each individual input port dedicated to an individual output port, storing
`
`only packets destined for the associated output port, for managing incoming
`
`data traffic; and
`
`(b) accepting or discarding data at each virtual output queue directed
`
`to a queue according to the quantity of data in the queue relative to queue
`
`capacity.
`
`5. (Once Amended) A switching element node for a fabric network,
`
`comprising:
`ftwo or more internally-coupled ports] a plurality of input and output
`ports; and
`
`[a managed queuing system comprising one or more queues
`associated with each port] a number of virtual output queues at each input
`
`port equal to the number of output ports, each virtual output queue at each
`individual input port dedicated to an individual output port, storing only
`packets destined for the associated output port, for managing incoming data
`
`traffic;
`
`characterized in that the queue manager accepts or discards data
`
`directed to a queue according to the quantity of data in the qusue relative to
`
`

`

`queue capaclty
`
`-8-
`
`9. (Once Amended) A data router having extemal connections to other data
`
`routers, comprising:
`
`an internal fabric network: and
`a plurality of switching [elements] element nodes in the internal
`fabric network, each switching element node having [internally-coupled
`ports] a plurality of input and output ports, and [a managed queuing system
`comprising one or more queues associated with each port] at each input
`
`port, a number of virtual output queues equal to the number of output ports,
`
`each virtual output queue at each individual input port dedicated to an
`
`individual output port, storing only packets destined for the associated
`
`output port, for managing incorning data traffic;
`
`characterized in that the queue manager accepts or discards data
`
`directed to a queue according to the quantity of data in the queue relative to
`
`queue capacity.
`
`Respectfully Submitted
`
`Deepak Mansharamani
`
`,,
`
`Reg. No. 35,074
`
`Donald R. Boys
`Central Coast Patent Agency
`P.O. Box 187
`Aromas, CA 95004
`(83r)726-1457
`
`