Method and apparatus for generating and implementing smooth schedules for forwarding data flows across cell-based switches

摘要

A method and apparatus is provided for generating and implementing a "smooth" schedule for forwarding of cells across a switch in a communication network, such as an AIM network. The schedule is obtained by recursively dividing bandwidth requests into nearly equal subrequests, and selectively allocating the subrequests to slots of a frame in a manner that obtains approximately uniform temporal distribution of cell forwarding over the duration of the frame. Implementation of such a schedule can eliminate clustering of cell forwarding across the switch, thereby reducing latency and space requirements for input and output buffering.