JP2836538B2 - Duplex system switching device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a duplex system switching device for switching between two active and standby cell transmission modules for transmitting cells as transmission units in asynchronous transfer mode communication, and more particularly to an asynchronous system switching device. The present invention relates to a duplex system switching device that switches between two cell transmission modules that transmit cells.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to improve the reliability of communication, a working system and a protection system transmission device are prepared, and when a failure occurs in the working system transmission device, the system is immediately switched to the protection system to continue communication. Is commonly done. Information to be transmitted is divided into units of 48 bytes, and a cell having a 5-byte header added thereto is used as a unit of transmission. Even in the asynchronous transfer mode (hereinafter referred to as ATM) communication in which the cells are transferred asynchronously, the cells can be transmitted. In many cases, a duplex configuration of the transmission module is achieved.

[0003] In the ATM communication, cells are transmitted asynchronously, so that cell fluctuations, which are dynamic changes in the cell transmission amount in each channel, are allowed to some extent. However, since the maximum transmission amount of the line cannot be exceeded, it is necessary to suppress the fluctuation to a certain amount or less. For example, in a transmission module used in an ATM exchange or the like, a buffer for accumulating cells is provided at an output stage thereof in order to absorb fluctuations of cells arriving asynchronously. When the transmission module has a duplex configuration, buffers for absorbing cell fluctuation are also provided individually. Switching between the active and standby transmission modules is performed by selecting a buffer from which cells are read.

[0004] When switching the transmission module from the active system to the standby system, it is necessary to prevent the loss of cells and the duplicate transmission of the same cell before and after the switching. That is, when switching the buffer from which cells are read, it is necessary to avoid missing or overlapping cells between the cells that are being read from the working buffer and the cells that are being read from the standby buffer. For this reason, the duplex system switching device in the conventional ATM exchange and the like is provided with a phase adjusting buffer for adjusting the phases of the working system and the standby system cell in addition to the buffer absorbing the cell fluctuation. .

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 5-292119 discloses a duplex system switching device capable of performing cell phase adjustment only with a buffer that absorbs cell fluctuation without using a phase adjustment buffer. I have. In this device, when it is necessary to switch the system, the system waits until the number of cells stored in the buffer becomes smaller than a certain amount and then switches the switching cell for adjusting the phase between cells to the active system. Input to both the buffer and the standby system. When the switching cell arrives at the exit of the buffer of the working system, transmission of the cell from this system to the line is stopped. Then, when the switching cell arrives at the exit of the standby buffer, the cell from the standby buffer is transmitted to the line.

[0006]

If a buffer for phase adjustment is provided in addition to a buffer for absorbing cell fluctuations in order to prevent cell loss and redundant transmission, the number of buffers increases and the circuit scale increases. There is a problem that it becomes larger. Although the number of buffers used in the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-292119 is reduced, monitoring of the number of cells stored in the buffer, merging of switching cells, detection of switching cells at the buffer outlet, and the like are performed. Need to do
There is a problem that the configuration of the additional circuit for switching control becomes complicated. In addition, since the switching cell is inserted, when switching from the active system to the standby system, transmission of the original cell for transmitting data is temporarily interrupted, and there is a problem that the line use efficiency is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a duplex system switching apparatus having a simple circuit configuration capable of switching from an active system to a standby system without causing cell loss or redundant transmission.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there are provided: (a) first cell transmitting means for transmitting a cell serving as a transmission unit in communication in an asynchronous transfer mode; and (b) this first cell. A second cell transmitting means for transmitting a cell having the same data as the transmitting means; and (c) outputting a first system display signal indicating whether the first cell transmitting means should be used as an active system or a standby system. First system display signal output means; (d) the first system display signal output means;
The first system display signal output from the system display signal output means is shown.
The information is stored in the header of each cell transmitted from the first cell transmitting means.
First system instruction information adding means to be added to the data portion;
Second system display signal output means for outputting a second system display signal indicating whether the second cell transmission means should be the active system or the standby system; and (f) output of the second system display signal. means
Sends the information indicated by the second display signal output by the second cell
Second added to the header of each cell sent from the means
(G) first and second cell storage means for storing a plurality of cells, and (h) first system instruction.
When the information added by the information adding means indicates the active system, the cell from the first cell transmitting means is input to the first cell storage means and added by the first system instruction information adding means.
The first cell transmission when the added information indicates a standby system.
A first cell filter means for inputting the empty cell is a dummy cell to the first cell storing means in place of cells from means output, it is applied by (i) the second system identification information appending means
When the received information indicates the active system, the cell from the second cell transmitting means is input to the second cell storage means, and the second system finger is inputted .
A second cell filter means for inputting an empty cell to the second cell storing means in place of the cell from the second cell transfer means when shown is added by the information adding means information represents the standby system, ( j) a cell reading means for sequentially reading from each cell storing means at the same timing the cells stored in the first and second cell storing means to the storage order (Le)
Cell selection means for selecting one of the cell read from the first cell storage means and the cell read from the second cell storage means; (ヲ) a cell read from the first cell storage means Is the first to determine if is a free cell
(A) second empty cell determining means for determining whether or not the cell read from the second cell storage means is an empty cell; and (f) cell currently selected by the cell selecting means. If the system display signal corresponding to the cell storage unit from which the cell is read is switched from the active system to the standby system, and the vacant cell determination unit corresponding to the cell storage unit is a vacant cell read from the cell storage unit. a selected cell switching means for switching a reading source of the cell storage means of the cell for selecting the cell selecting means when it is determined, (yo)
Added to the header of the cell selected by the cell selection means
Removes the information that has been saved
Cell header conversion means for converting to a format
A switching device is provided.

In other words, according to the first aspect of the invention, in each of the two systems, while an instruction to make the active system is issued, a cell from the cell transmitting means is input to the cell storage means and the standby system is used. While the power instruction is issued, empty cells are input to the cell storage means. Is the current system indicated by the system display signal?
The information on whether or not the system is in the header of the cell sent from the cell sending means.
Cell storage buffer based on this information.
It is determined whether or not to enter an empty cell in the key. Soshi
Selected by the cell selection means by the cell header conversion means.
Remove the information added to the header of the
To the specified format
I have. As a result, the cell transmitted from the duplex system switching device is
To the normal NNI (network node
・ Interface) Can be transmitted in cell format
it can.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the cell header conversion
Means for converting the cell format to an NNI cell format
It is characterized by conversion and transmission to the next stage.

[0011]

[0012]

[0013]

[0014]

FIG. 1 shows an outline of the configuration of a duplex system switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This device selects first and second cell transmission modules 11 and 12 for transmitting cells, and adjusts the phase of cells transmitted from these two cell transmission modules and absorbs fluctuations to select cells on the active side. And a duplex system selection unit 13 for transmitting the data to the network side. First
The second cell transmission module transmits cells at substantially the same timing synchronized with each other, but a slight phase shift may occur due to fluctuation or the like. Therefore, strictly speaking, cells from the first and second cell transmission modules are not always synchronized.

First and second cell transmission module 1
A predetermined command is given to 1 and 12 from a higher-level status monitor (not shown), and is designated as either the active system or the standby system. Each of the cell transmission modules 11 and 12 detects a failure in its own module and notifies the state monitoring device of the failure. The status monitoring device determines which cell transmission module should be the active system according to the failure information from each cell transmission module and other various states in the device, and outputs a command for designating the active system or the standby system. doing.

First and second cell transmission module 1
Reference numerals 1 and 12 denote header information assigning units 1 for assigning information indicating whether the cell is active or standby to the header of each cell to be transmitted.
4 and 15 are provided. The header information adding units 14 and 15 change the header information of the cell to be transmitted in accordance with a command from a higher-level state monitoring device. Here, information indicating whether it is an active system or a standby system is carried using one predetermined bit in the 5-byte header information. This information given to the cell is hereinafter referred to as system identification cell information. Further, the first and second transmission modules 11 and 12 output system display signals 16 and 17 indicating whether the active system is designated or the standby system is designated according to a command from the state monitoring device. It has become.

The duplex system selection unit 13 includes first and second cell filters 21 and 22 for performing processing for replacing cells from the cell transmission module with dummy empty cells based on the system identification cell information. I have. Cells output from the first and second cell filters 21 and 22 are input to first and second cell buffers 23 and 24, respectively, for buffering cells in order to absorb fluctuation and adjust phase. . When the header information of the cell input from the corresponding cell transmission module indicates the active system, the first and second cell filters 21 and 22 directly input the cell from the cell transmission module to the cell buffer. on the other hand,
When the header information of the cell indicates the standby system, an empty cell is input to the cell buffer instead of the cell from the cell transmission module.

The synchronous read section 25 is a circuit that reads cells from the first and second cell buffers 23 and 24 in units of cells at the same synchronized timing. Reading of cells is performed in the order of input to the cell buffer. Synchronous readout unit 25 outputs a synchronous readout signal 26 indicating a cell readout timing, and outputs first and second cell buffers 23, 2
4, the synchronous read signal 26 is input. Each cell is read from the first and second cell buffers at the same phase by the synchronous reading unit 25.

The system selection section 27 is a selection circuit for selecting one of the cells read out from the first and second cell buffers 23 and 24 in the same phase. The synchronous read signal 26 is input to the system selection unit 27, and the system selection unit 27
The side can recognize the timing of reading each cell from the cell buffer. As a result, system switching is performed at the boundary between cells. The cell selected by the system selection unit 27 is input to the cell header conversion unit 28. The cell header conversion unit 28 is a circuit that removes the system identification cell information added to the header of the cell and restores the contents of the cell header information to a state before the system identification cell information is added. The cells are converted to the NNI format by the cell header conversion unit 28 and transmitted to the network.

Each of the first and second cell buffers 23 and 24 has a function of detecting that an empty cell has arrived at the exit of the buffer. When an empty cell arrives at the exit of the cell buffer, the cell buffers 23 and 24 output buffer empty signals 31 and 32, respectively. The buffer empty signals 31 and 32 are input to the synchronous reading unit 25. The synchronous read unit 25 outputs a buffer status display signal 33 indicating the status of each cell buffer based on the buffer empty signals 31 and 32. The system selection determining circuit 34 indicates a system to be selected by the system selection unit 27 based on the system display signals 16 and 17 from the cell transmission modules 11 and 12 and the buffer status display signal 33 from the synchronous read unit 25. This is a circuit portion that outputs a system selection signal 35 to be activated. The system selection discriminating circuit 34 detects that an empty cell is detected at the exit of the cell buffer of the active system by the buffer status display signal 33 after the system display signal indicating the current system is changed to the display of the standby system. Is recognized, the system selector 27 outputs an instruction to switch the system to be selected.

FIG. 2 shows an outline of a switching sequence when the system selection determining circuit switches between the active system and the standby system. The system selection determining circuit 34 monitors whether the system display signal of the system currently selected as the active system changes from the active system to the standby system (step S10).
1). When the system display signal on the side selected as the active system changes from the active system to the standby system (step S101;
Y), it is checked whether or not an empty cell has arrived at the exit of the cell buffer on the working side based on the buffer status display signal 33 (step S102). When an empty cell arrives at the exit of the cell buffer that has been used (step S1)
02; Y), an instruction to switch the current active system to the standby system and the standby system to the active system is sent to the system selector 27 (step S1).
03). In this way, immediately after the system display signal is switched from the active system to the standby system, the cell buffer to be selected after transmitting all the valid cells stored in the buffer which was the active system is not changed without changing the system. Switching.

The system indication signals 16 and 17 output from the cell transmission module can take two different state change processes when the system is switched. Here, the system on the first cell transmission module 11 side is referred to as system 0, and the system on the second cell transmission module 12 side is referred to as system 1. For example, when the system 0 changes from the active system to the standby system, the status of the system 0 is the active system and the system 1 is the standby system. May follow the process of changing to the working system. As another process of the state change, there is a case where the system 0 changes from the state of the active system and the system 1 of the standby system to the standby system of both the system 0 and the system 1 and the system 0 changes to the standby system and the system 1 changes to the active system. . As described above, when system switching is performed, the system display signals 16 and 17 both indicate the active system,
Alternatively, a standby system may be displayed together.

For example, even if both systems indicate the active system, the system display signal of the active system shifts to the standby system, and an empty cell arrives at the exit of the corresponding system cell buffer. The actual switching of the system is performed from. As a result, system switching can be performed without an instantaneous interruption while avoiding cell loss and cell double transmission. In addition, by inputting an empty cell into the cell buffer while the header information of the cell indicates the standby system, it is possible to recognize the timing of switching the system at the timing of reading the cell from the exit of the buffer. Further, by inputting an empty cell into the standby cell buffer, it is possible to avoid a state in which no cell is stored in the cell buffer, and the cell is simultaneously read from both cell buffers at the timing indicated by the synchronous reading unit 25. Can be read.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the timing relationship between the system display signal and the system selection signal when the system is switched. The system display signal (a in the figure) output from the cell transmission module of system 0 indicates that the system is active when it is in the high state and that it is standby when it is in the low state.
0 based system display signal is changed to the standby system from the working time T _2. The system display signal of the first system (b in the figure) is at time T ₂
Prior to the time T ₁ , the standby system is changed to the working system, and between the time T ₁ and the time T ₂ , both the 0 system and the 1 system are in a state representing the working system. The 0-system cell buffer, time T _2, after, the empty cell is inputted. Since at the time of time T _2, the 0-system multiple valid cell in the cell buffer of being accumulated, the system selection signal (FIG. C) does not change from the low state. The system selection signal indicates that the system 0 is selected in the low state, and that the system 1 is selected in the high state.

[0025] The empty cell, which is the start of the input from the time T ₂ are, have arrived at the outlet of the cell buffer to the time T _3. At time T ₃ the empty cells is detected to have arrived at the outlet of the cell buffer, the system selection signal is changed to a high state, instructs the system selection unit to select a system is sent.

FIG. 4 schematically shows the state of the cell buffer after the 0-system display signal changes to the standby system. The cell buffer 41 of the system 0 stores cells 42 input before the system display signal of the system 0 is switched to the standby system and empty cells 43 input after the system display signal of the system is switched to the standby system. Have been. In the cell buffer of the 1 system,
Empty cells 45 input when the system display signal of the first system is the standby system and cells 46 input after the system display signal of the first system changes to the active system are stored.

In the 0-system cell buffer 41 and the 1-system cell buffer 44, two cells 47 having the same contents are overlapped. This means that the period in which both the 0-system display signal and the 1-system display signal indicate the active system exists for two cells. At this time, since an empty cell has not yet arrived at the exit of the cell buffer 41 of the system 0 in which the system display signal indicates the active system, the system selector 48 reads the cell 49 read from the buffer of the system 0. Is selected.

FIG. 5 schematically shows the state of the cell buffer when the active system is switched from the 0 system to the 1 system. In this state, the 0 system display signal has already been changed to the standby system and the 1 system display signal has changed to the active system. Then, only the empty cells 52 are accumulated in the cell buffer 51 of the 0 system which was the active system before, and the empty cells have arrived at the exit. 1-system cell buffer 53
Is the empty cell 45 stored in the state shown in FIG. 4 and 2 inputted during the period when both systems overlap and become the active system.
After the reading of the two cells 47 is completed, only the valid cells 54 are stored. Since the system display signal of the system 0 has changed from the active system to the standby system, and an empty cell has arrived at the exit of the cell buffer of the system 0, the system selection unit 55 switches the system, selects the system 1 and selects the system 1. I have.

In the embodiment described above, the information indicating the working system and the protection system is added to the header portion of the cell. However, the information indicating whether the system is the working system or the protection system need not necessarily be carried in the cell. For example, the system display signal may be input to the cell filter, and when the system display signal indicates the standby system, an empty cell may be input to the cell buffer instead of the cell input from the cell transmission module. . In this case, the cell filter needs to detect the head of each cell arriving from the cell transmission module and replace it with an empty cell in cell units.

[0030]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, cells are read from the buffers of both systems at the same synchronized timing, and the system is switched when an empty cell arrives at the exit of the buffer. Since the switching has been performed, system switching does not occur in the middle of valid cells, and double transmission of cells and loss of cells can be prevented.

Further , according to the first aspect of the present invention,
Cell selected by the cell selection means by the header conversion means.
And remove the information added to the header
It is converted to a predetermined cell format. this
Therefore, the cells sent from the duplex system switching device
For example, it can be transmitted in the normal NNI cell format.
Wear. Also, whether to use the active system in the header of each cell
Has added a display signal indicating whether to use the standby system.
Therefore, the switching can be performed with high reliability.

[0032]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration of a duplex system switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a switching sequence when a system selection determining circuit switches between a working system and a standby system.

FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of a timing relationship between a system display signal and a system selection signal when the system is switched.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a state of a cell buffer after a system display signal of system 0 changes to a standby system.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a state of a cell buffer when an active system is switched from system 0 to system 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 11, 12 Cell transmission module 13 Duplexing system selecting unit 14, 15 Header information adding unit 16, 17 System display signal 21, 22 Cell filter 23, 24 Cell buffer 25 Synchronous reading unit 26 Synchronous reading signal 27 System selecting unit 28 Cell header Conversion units 31 and 32 Buffer empty signal 33 Buffer status display signal 34 System selection determination circuit

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-6-237266 (JP, A) JP-A-7-15463 (JP, A) JP-A-6-53982 (JP, A) JP-A-5-344144 (JP) JP-A-4-286242 (JP, A) JP-A-6-216928 (JP, A) JP-A-9-95213 (JP, A) JP-A-9-64885 (JP, A) 4-340831 (JP, A) JP-A-4-98941 (JP, A) JP-A-1-137747 (JP, A) International Publication No. 91/8632 (WO, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. . ^6, DB name) H04L 12/28 H04L 12/56

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A first cell transmitting means for transmitting a cell serving as a transmission unit in asynchronous transfer mode communication, a second cell transmitting means for transmitting a cell having the same data as the first cell transmitting means, A first system display signal output means for outputting a first system display signal indicating whether the first cell transmission means should be an active system or a standby system; and a first system display signal output means. First system display to output
The information indicated by the signal is transmitted to each of the cells transmitted from the first cell transmitting means.
First system indication information adding means for adding to a header portion of a cell
And second system display signal output means for outputting a second system display signal indicating whether the second cell transmission means should be used as an active system or a standby system, and output of the second system display signal. Secondary display signal output by means
The information indicated by the signal is transmitted to each cell transmitted from the second cell transmitting means.
Second system instruction information adding means for adding to a header portion of a file
And first and second cell storage means for storing a plurality of cells, and information added by the first system instruction information addition means.
There first system instructions with information enter the <br/> cell from the first cell transfer means to the first cell storing means when represents a primary system
When the information added by the adding means indicates the standby system, an empty cell which is a dummy cell is input to the first cell storage means instead of the cell from the first cell transmitting means.
Cell filtering means, and information added by the second system indication information adding means.
There the <br/> cell from the second cell transfer means with a second input to the cell storage means second system instruction information when representing the active system
A second cell filter means for inputting the empty cell to the second cell storage means in place of the cell from the second cell transmission means when the information added by the addition means indicates a standby system; Cell reading means for sequentially reading the cells stored in the second cell storage means from the respective cell storage means at the same timing in the storage order; cells read from the first cell storage means and second cells Cell selection means for selecting one of the cells read from the storage means; first empty cell determination means for determining whether the cell read from the first cell storage means is an empty cell; Second empty cell determination means for determining whether a cell read from the second cell storage means is an empty cell, and a read source cell of a cell currently selected by the cell selection means. When the system display signal corresponding to the product means is switched from the active system to the standby system and the empty cell determination means corresponding to the cell storage means determines that the cell read from the cell storage means is an empty cell, cell selection is performed. Selected cell switching means for switching a cell storage means from which a cell selected by the means is read, and a header portion of a cell selected by the cell selection means.
Remove the added information and set the
And a cell header conversion means for converting the data into a cell format . 2. The cell header conversion means according to claim 1 , wherein
Converts mat to NNI cell format and sends to next stage
2. The duplex system switching device according to claim 1, wherein
Place.