A technique for accomplishing deadlock free routing through a multi-stage cross-point packet switch

摘要

Apparatus and an accompanying method for establishing deadlock-free routing in a large bi-directional multi-stage inter-connected cross-point based packet switch, particularly, though not exclusively, that employed within a high speed packet network of a massively parallel processing system (400). Specifically, in selecting routes for inclusion within route tables (320, 360, 380) contained within the system, the entire network is effectively partitioned such that certain routes would be prohibited in order to isolate packet traffic that would flow solely between nodes in one partition, e.g. system half (503), of the system from packet traffic that would flow between nodes in the other partition, e.g. another system half (507). In that regard, to pick routes for packets that are to transit between nodes situated in a common partition of the system, those routes that contain a path(s) (524, 544) passing through the other system partition would be prohibited. No such route prohibition would occur in selecting a route that is to carry a packet between nodes in multiple system partitions, e.g. between different halves of the system.