Abstract
This paper presents the architecture and implementation of the Rattlesnake network. It will be used as a platform for ATM communication, and will provide communication facilities for demanding distributed real-time multimedia applications.
Workstations are connected via point-to-point (TAXI) links to a switching fabric. The fabric consists of switching elements, interconnected in a Kautz topology. Kautz networks have desirable features such as: small diameter, fixed degree, fault tolerant and have a self routing capability even if some links fail.
The transfer mode is based on hybrid TDM, a combination of STM (circuit switching) and ATM (packet switching). For hard real-time traffic (e.g. voice and video) STM like end-to-end logical connections can be set up to guarantee a bounded latency. For non real-time traffic (e.g. file transfer), that has a more bursty nature, we use ATM with store- and-forward routing to achieve a high network utilisation. The nosy worms protocol is used to avoid deadlock.
The network uses real-time virtual channels. These channels can be claimed to reserve bandwidth and to guarantee a bounded latency. For the implementation we use off-the-shelf programmable components (FPGAs).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bermond J.C., Homobono N., Peyrat C.:”Large Fault-Tolerant Interconnection Networks”, Graphs and Combinatorics, 1989.
Borkar S. et al.:”Supporting Systolic and Memory Communication in iWarp”, Proc. 17th ACM/IEEE Symposium on Computer Architecture, 1990, pp 70–81.
Dally W.J.:”Virtual-channel Flow Control”, Proc. 17th ACM/IEEE Symposium on Computer Architecture, 1990, pp 60–67.
Hui J.Y.: ”Switching and traffic theory for integrated broadband networks.”, Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1990.
Imase M., Soneoka T., Okada K.: “A fault-tolerant processor interconnection network” (original in Japanese); translated in Systems and Computers in Japan, vol 17, no 8 pp 21–30, 1986.
Kautz W.H.: “Bounds on directed (d,k) graphs. Theory of cellular logic networks and machines”, AFCRL-68-0668 Final report, pp 20–28, 1968.
Mullender S.J.: “The Huygens Project”, internal memo University of Twente dept. Computer Science, 1991.
Schroeder M.D., Birrell A.D. et al.;”Autonet: a High-speed, Self-configuring Local Area Network Using Point-to-point Links”, Digital Systems Research Center, Palo Alto, CA, April 1990.
Smit G.J.M., Havinga P.J.M., Jansen P.G.: “An algorithm for generating node disjoint routes in Kautz digraphs”, Proceedings Fifth International Parallel Processing Symposium, Anaheim, CA, 1991.
Smit G.J.M., Havinga P.J.M.:”Performance analysis if routing algorithms for the Rattlesnake network”, to appear in: proceedings of MASCOTS'93, International Workshop on Modelling, Analysis and Simulation of Computer and Telecommunication Systems.
Whobrey D.: “A communications chip for multiprocessors”, Proc. CONPAR 88 pp 464–473, 1988.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Smit, G.J.M., Havinga, P.J.M. (1993). The architecture of rattlesnake: A real-time multimedia network. In: Venkat Rangan, P. (eds) Network and Operating System Support for Digital Audio and Video. NOSSDAV 1992. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 712. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-57183-3_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-57183-3_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-57183-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-47933-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive