TWI505675B - Network switch and data updating method - Google Patents

Description

Network switch and data update method

The present invention relates to a communication device, and more particularly to a network switch and a data update method.

Generally, the Network Switch establishes a Media Access Control (MAC) address lookup table, for example, stored in the memory of the network switch. The MAC address of the source of the received packet is learned into the address check table, and the destination of the packet is determined by the destination in the packet. The MAC address checklist consumes a portion of the memory each time a new MAC address is learned/recorded. In order to improve the use efficiency of the memory, it is generally used in the prior art to check whether the learned address is updated every time a set time (for example, a few minutes or a few hours), if at the above set time If there is no update, it is judged that the address does not exist and the address and related information are deleted to release the memory space. This method is called aging.

However, there are several disadvantages to using the above aging process to update the address checklist. For example, when the learned address fails, for example, the host with the MAC address is off. When the machine is set, it must wait until the above set time, that is, when the aging mechanism occurs, the invalid address in the address check table will be cleared. Therefore, the memory cannot be released immediately, and the efficiency of use is relatively low.

In another case, the host of the learned address is moved to another location (for example, connecting the network switch with another connection or connecting through another network switch), and within the set time of the aging process, The address above is still present in the address learning table before the address of the host that was moved to it is re-learned. In such a case, the packet whose original destination is the above address will still be continuously transmitted to the corresponding port, and it is impossible to immediately detect that the above address has expired.

The invention provides a network switch and a data update method, which can more effectively update the address information in the address check table.

The network switch of the present invention includes a plurality of ports, memory units, and processing units. A plurality of ports connect a plurality of network devices, wherein the network devices each have a media access control address. The memory unit is configured to store an address check table, wherein the address check table is used to record the media access control address of the network device and the connection port of the corresponding connection. The processing unit is connected to the port and the memory unit. Wherein, when a connection state of one of the ports is interrupted, the processing unit deletes all media access control addresses of the network devices in the address check table corresponding to the ports whose connection status is interrupted.

In an embodiment of the invention, the network devices are respectively a host or a routing device.

In an embodiment of the invention, the address check table further includes a plurality of aging processing parameters respectively corresponding to the media access control address of the network device, and the processing unit does not have the media access control bit within the predetermined time. When the network device of one of the addresses receives the network packet, the processing unit increments the value of the aging processing parameter corresponding to the media access control address. And, when one of the aging processing parameters is greater than a set value, the processing unit deletes the media access control address corresponding to the aging processing parameter greater than the set value.

In the above embodiment of the present invention, when the connection state of one of the ports is interrupted, the processing unit further deletes all the network devices in the address check table corresponding to the connection port whose connection state is interrupted. The aging processing parameters.

In an embodiment of the invention, the network switch further includes a detecting unit coupled to the port and the processing unit for detecting the connection state of the port. When the connection state of one of the ports is interrupted, the detecting unit transmits a notification signal to the processing unit corresponding to the connection state whose connection state is interrupted. Wherein, when the processing unit receives the notification signal, the processing unit deletes, according to the notification signal, all media access control addresses of the network devices in the address check table corresponding to the connection ports whose connection status is interrupted.

The data updating method of the present invention is applicable to a network switch, and the data updating method includes the following steps. First, a plurality of network devices are connected by a plurality of ports, wherein the network devices each have a media access control address. Then, the address check table is stored, wherein the address check table is used to record the media access control address of the network device and the connection port of the corresponding connection. When the connection state of one of the ports is interrupted, all the media access control addresses of the network devices corresponding to the link whose connection state is the interrupted state are deleted.

Based on the above, the present invention provides a network switch and a data update method, which can instantly update an address check table in a network switch according to a connection state of a network switch, so that the memory in the network switch The efficiency of the unit can be improved.

The above described features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

10‧‧‧Network Switch

111~11n‧‧‧Connector

120‧‧‧ memory unit

130‧‧‧Processing unit

210~230‧‧‧Host

30‧‧‧Network

S301~S303‧‧‧Steps

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network switch according to an embodiment of the invention.

2 is a diagram showing the relationship between a network switch and a network and a network device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a method for updating a data according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network switch according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the data exchanger 10 includes ports 111-11n, a memory unit 120, and a processing unit 130. The ports 111~11n are used to connect a plurality of network devices, wherein the network devices respectively have a Media Access Control (MAC) address, such as a computer host or a routing device. It is worth noting that the ports 111~11n are not connected to the above multiple network devices in a one-to-one manner. A connection port (for example, one of the ports 111 to 11n) can also be connected to a plurality of network devices by connecting another network switch or the like.

The memory unit 120 is configured to store an address check table, where the address check table is used to record the media access control address of the network device and the connection port of the corresponding connection (for example, one of the ports 111-11n). The processing unit 130 is connected to the ports 111 to 11n and the memory unit 120. When the link status of one of the ports 111~11n is a link-off, the processing unit 130 deletes all the network devices in the address check table corresponding to the connection port whose connection status is interrupted. Media access control address.

In an embodiment of the invention, the network switch 10 further includes a detecting unit (not shown) coupled to the ports 111-11n and the processing unit 130 for detecting the ports 111~11n. Connection Status. When the connection state of one of the ports 111 to 11n is interrupted, the detecting unit transmits a notification signal to the processing unit 130 corresponding to the connection port (for example, one of the ports 111 to 11n) whose connection state is interrupted. When the processing unit 130 receives the notification signal, the processing unit 130 may delete all the ports corresponding to the connection state interrupted in the address check table stored in the memory unit 120 according to the notification signal (for example, the ports 111 to 11n). a) media access control address of the network device.

In an embodiment of the invention, the network switch 10 also has an aging mechanism. That is, the address check table stored in the memory unit 120 further includes a plurality of aging processing parameters respectively corresponding to the media access control addresses of the network device. When the processing unit 130 does not have media access control within a predetermined time When the network device of one of the addresses receives a network packet, the processing unit 130 increments the value of the aging processing parameter corresponding to the media access control address. When one of the aging processing parameters is greater than a set value, such as a set time, the processing unit 130 deletes the media access control address corresponding to the aging processing parameter greater than the set value.

When the connection state of one of the ports 111 to 11n is interrupted, the processing unit 130 further deletes all the aging processing parameters of the network device corresponding to the connection port whose connection state is interrupted in the address check table. In fact, the address check table also corresponds to media access control address storage related parameters, such as virtual area network (VLAN) or priority (Priority) and other parameters. When the media access control address and the corresponding aging processing parameters are deleted, these parameters are also deleted at the same time.

Hereinafter, the technical content of the present invention will be exemplified by an embodiment. Table 1 below is part of the address check table in one embodiment of the present invention:

In this embodiment, the address check table has M+1 storage spaces (corresponding to M+1 columns). For the sake of simplicity, only the ports, aging parameters, and media access control (hereinafter referred to as MAC) addresses are listed in Table 1 above. In this embodiment The network switch 10 uses the port 111 to connect to the network device with the MAC address a; the port 112 connects the two network devices with the MAC address b and c; and the port 11n connects the MAC address to Network devices for x, y, and z. The MAC address and the corresponding port information are stored in the respective storage spaces as shown in Table 1 because of the different time of connecting to the network switch 10. The aging processing parameter increases with time, for example, the value of 1 is increased by one second. When one of the aging processing parameters exceeds a set value (for example, 60), the processing unit 130 empties the storage space including the aging processing parameters exceeding the set value.

When the connection state of the port 113 is interrupted (for example, detected by the detecting unit and the notification signal is transmitted to the processing unit 130), the processing unit 130 scans the M+1 storage space from the beginning of the address check table. All the information (such as the aging processing parameters and the MAC address) connected through the port 113 is deleted to release the space of the memory unit 120. The address check table after the above information is deleted is shown in Table 2 below:

In other words, the seventh, eighth, and M-1 storage spaces in the address check table that originally stored the addresses d, e, and f are all cleared due to the above-mentioned deletion action, instead of waiting until the value of the aging processing parameter exceeds the set value. Only the corresponding storage space is emptied. Since the network device (such as a computer host) is turned off or removed from the corresponding port, the connection state is interrupted, so the address check table in the network switch 10 can be borrowed. The above-described delete/clear action releases the memory space of the memory unit 120 more immediately. Moreover, since the connection port that was originally connected to the host and then removed may be connected to another host after being disconnected from the host, in such a case, the above action may also reduce the possibility of packet mistransmission. The above will be described below in conjunction with the drawings and the embodiments.

2 is a diagram showing the relationship between a network switch and a network and a network device according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2, in the embodiment, the network devices are hosts 210-230, and the hosts 210-230 are respectively connected to the network switch 10 through ports 111-113, wherein the network switch 20 is connected. Between the host 220 and the port 112 of the network switch 10. In the present embodiment, the host 230 is unplugged from the port 113 via the user's control, and is connected to the port switch 112 of the network switch 10 via the network switch 20 in the same manner as the host 220. The port 113 originally connected to the host 230 is connected to the host 240 by the user's control.

If the network switch 10 only has the above-mentioned aging processing mechanism, the MAC address of the host 230 is still recorded in the address check table in the network switch 10 before the set time of the aging processing mechanism corresponds to the port 113. Record. Therefore, before the set time of the aging processing mechanism, the network switch 10 will still transmit all packets received by the network 30 and destined for the MAC address of the host 230 to the port 113. Since the host 240 receives the packet whose destination is not the MAC address of the host 240, it will directly discard it, and the above packet will thus become a lost packet. Until the set time of the network switch 10 is reached, or when the address of the host 230 is re-used by the network switch 10 (for example, the host 230 actively sends a message to the remote network device, etc.), the network switch 10 Will the aging mechanism be activated, or according to the host 230 The message sent actively, clears the MAC address of the host 230, or updates the MAC address of the host 230 and its corresponding port (port 112). The set time may be different depending on the implementation status. When the set time is a long time such as one hour, the source of the packet destined for the host 230 may be retransmitted numerous times, and the above is still not possible. The packet is passed to the host 230. The time when the host 230 actively sends a message to the network switch 10 depends on the activity of the user on the host 230, and cannot be accurately estimated.

When the network switch 10 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 has the technical content proposed by the present invention, when the user removes the host 230 from the port 113, the network switch 10 can detect the connection. The connection status of 113 is an interrupt, and then the MAC address of the address check table connected to the port 113, that is, the MAC address of the host 230, is scanned, and its address and related information are deleted.

When the network switch 10 receives the packet destined for the MAC address of the host 230 from the network 30, the network switch 10 does not have any information of the MAC address of the host 230 in the address check table. The above packets are transmitted to the ports 111 to 113 in a broadcast manner. When the host 230 receives the packet, the host 230 will reply a message to the network switch 10, so that the network switch 10 can determine that the current network switch 10 is connected to the host 230 by the port 112. The network switch 10 thereby updates the address check table to record the MAC address of the host 230 and the contents of the corresponding port 112 in the location check list. In this way, through the content of the present invention, the network switch 10 can update the address check table more instantaneously, so that the use efficiency of the memory space is improved, and the packet mistransmission can be reduced. Possible.

The above is merely an exemplification according to an embodiment of the present invention, and detailed implementation steps and procedures may be modified according to actual conditions at the time of implementation, and the present invention is not limited to the above.

It should be noted that the processing unit (the processing unit 130 shown in FIG. 1) in the present invention may be implemented by a physical circuit, or may be implemented by a general-purpose processor with a code, and the present invention is not limited to the above. However, the processing unit 130 implemented by the physical circuit performs an update/delete operation on the address check table, which is faster than the implementation using the processor collocation code. The detection unit mentioned in the above embodiment can be easily changed by the detection component in the current network switch, and therefore, compared with the network switch in the prior art, The network switch provided by the invention does not add excessive hardware cost.

The invention also provides a data update method suitable for a network switch. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a method for updating a data according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, first, in step S301, a plurality of network devices are connected by a plurality of ports, wherein the network devices respectively have a media access control address. Then, in step S302, an address check table is stored, wherein the address check table is used to record the media access control address of the network device and the connection port of the corresponding connection. In step S303, when the connection state of one of the ports is interrupted, all the media access control addresses of the network devices corresponding to the connection ports whose connection states are interrupted are deleted in the address check table. For detailed implementation of the method, reference may be made to the description of FIG. 1 to FIG. 2 above, and details are not described herein.

In summary, the present invention provides a network switch and a data update method, which can update the network in real time according to the connection state of the network switch without increasing the hardware cost or the computational complexity. The address check table in the switch makes the memory unit/memory in the network switch more efficient, and at the same time reduces the possibility of packet mistransmission. At the same time, the technical content proposed by the present invention can also be combined with the aging processing mechanism or other updating mechanism in the prior art to achieve more complete utility.

10‧‧‧Network Switch

111~11n‧‧‧Connector

120‧‧‧Processing unit

130‧‧‧ memory unit

Claims (10)

A network switch includes: a plurality of ports connected to a plurality of network devices, wherein the network devices respectively have a Media Access Control (MAC) address; and a memory unit for storing An address check table, wherein the address check table is used to record the media access control address of the network device and the connection port of the corresponding connection; a processing unit is connected to the connection port and the memory unit, wherein When a connection status of one of the ports is interrupted, the processing unit deletes all media access control addresses of the network devices in the address check table corresponding to the connection port whose connection status is interrupted. The address check table further includes a plurality of aging processing parameters respectively corresponding to the media access control addresses of the network devices, and the processing unit does not have the media access control bits within a predetermined time. When the network device of one of the addresses receives a network packet, the processing unit increments the value of the aging processing parameter corresponding to the media access control address. The network switch according to claim 1, wherein the network devices are respectively a host or a routing device. The network switch of claim 1, wherein: when one of the aging processing parameters is greater than a set value, the processing unit deletes the media storage corresponding to the aging processing parameter greater than the set value. Take the control address. The network switch as described in claim 3, wherein: When the connection status of one of the ports is interrupted, the processing unit further deletes all the aging processing parameters of the network devices in the address check table corresponding to the connection port whose connection status is interrupted. . The network switch of claim 1, wherein the network switch further includes: a detecting unit coupled to the ports and the processing unit for detecting the connections In the connection state of the port, when the connection state of one of the ports is interrupted, the detecting unit transmits a notification signal to the processing unit corresponding to the connection port whose connection state is interrupted, wherein the processing unit Upon receiving the notification signal, the processing unit deletes, according to the notification signal, all media access control addresses of the network devices in the address check table corresponding to the connection port whose connection status is interrupted. A data update method is applicable to a network switch, and the data update method includes: connecting a plurality of network devices by using a plurality of ports, wherein the network devices respectively have a media access control address; storing one An address check table, wherein the address check table is used to record the media access control address of the network device and the connection port of the corresponding connection, the address check table includes a plurality of aging processing parameters, respectively corresponding to the The media access control address of the network device is increased corresponding to the media access when the network packet is not received from the network device having one of the media access control addresses within a predetermined time. The value of the aging processing parameter of the control address; When a connection status of one of the ports is interrupted, all media access control addresses of the network devices in the address check table corresponding to the connection port whose connection status is interrupted are deleted. The method for updating data according to claim 6, wherein the network devices are respectively a host or a routing device. The method for updating data according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises: deleting one of the aging processing parameters when the one of the aging processing parameters is greater than a set value, and deleting the media access control corresponding to the aging processing parameter greater than the set value. Address. The method for updating data according to claim 8, wherein when the connection state of one of the ports is interrupted, deleting all the connections in the address check table corresponding to the connection state is interrupted. The step of media access control address of the network devices of the network device further includes: deleting the aging processing parameters corresponding to the network devices of the connection port whose connection status is interrupted. The method for updating data according to claim 6, wherein after the step of storing the address check table, the data update method further comprises: detecting the connection status of the ports, when the connections are When the connection state is interrupted, a notification signal is generated for the connection port whose connection state is interrupted; and according to the notification signal, all the connection ports in the address check table corresponding to the connection state being interrupted are deleted. The media access control address of the network devices.