US 7,483,374 B2
	Method and apparatus for achieving dynamic capacity and high availability in multi-stage data networks using adaptive flow-based routing
Chandrasekharan Nilakantan, Cupertino, Calif. (US); Siva V. Kumar, Menlo Park, Calif. (US); Andrew Leslie Laursen, Auburn, Calif. (US); Saroop Mathur, Los Altos, Calif. (US); Gary Michael Jaszewski, Los Gatos, Calif. (US); and Mei-Ying Chan, Los Altos, Calif. (US)
Assigned to Scalent Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, Calif. (US)
Filed on Oct. 24, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/692,667.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/493054, filed on Aug. 05, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2005/0091396 A1, Apr. 28, 2005
Int. Cl. G01R 31/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 370—235  [370/389; 370/392; 370/400; 370/401; 370/386; 718/105; 709/232]

21 Claims

1. A method, comprising determining, in a centralized fashion, paths for flows within a multi-stage network made up of processing nodes grouped into clusters having similar functionality, by encoding node selection information representing flow path decisions for all clusters of the multi-stage network in packets of each flow within the multi-stage network, the centralized determination being made by a designated node acting as an entry point for the flows into the multi-stage network and that sets up an end-to-end flow paths within the multi-stage network.