Integration of telecommunications switching on SCS hypercube packet switches

A switch architecture is proposed which can integrate a wide range of modern service demands within one architecture and one physical realization. The proposed architecture is based on highly parallel, distributed packet interconnection networks. Hypercube-based parallel packet switches utilizing the saturated constant shuffle (SCS) algorithm appear to provide the possibility of unified services. The SCS algorithm ensures economical and highly scalable implementations. The aggregate bandwidth of these switches is available for a wide range of services. A great deal of flexibility in the allocation of this aggregate bandwidth is possible. Bandwidth can be reserved for constant bandwidth services such as telephones. Pools of bandwidth can be made available for pools of bursty traffic such as computer data; within these pools individual users can compare for bandwidth. Variable bandwidth traffic cannot consume bandwidth allocated to constant bandwidth users. The authors present the essential ideas of the proposed switch architecture, describe its performance potential, and discuss how the quality of the various services can be assured.