This paper focuses on the analysis of a large N x N high-performance Fast Packet switch suitable for mixed ATM and IP traffic. It is a Banyan network using cyclic interconnection among switching elements of the same stage. We employ deflection-routing algorithm in each switching element. The proposed routing is as simple as that of the generic banyan network, and all the Switching Elements (SEs) have a uniform structure. To design the proposed network and to develop its self-routing property, we observe that all the SEs of the banyan network are arranged in a regular pattern topologically. We, thus, present a growable switch architecture based on the topological properties of banyan networks. As a result, we show that the new network has a far better performance than the other networks.

Fast packet switches route the packets towards their respective destinations at a high speed of a few Gigabits per second. They provide low bit error rates, and are well supported for use on high-speed fiber links. They find their application in Broadband Integrated Services Digital Networks (B-ISDN) and Asynchronous Transfer Mode/ Internet Protocol Integrated Networks (A/I Net) (Lea et al.,1999; Schmitt et al., 2000; and Tsui et al., 2000). An ATM/IP fast packet switch is shown in Figure 1.

The core of a fast packet switch which influences both the performance and the cost is its switching fabric (Onvural, 1995). Banyan network is a popular choice due to its suitability to Very-Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) implementation and its self-routing capability (Cheneemalavagu and Malek, 1982). The switching fabrics based on banyan networks are self-routing, simple and modular, but they are blocking type switches.

To treat the problem of blocking, deflection routing is used in high-speed networks since it gives a good performance and is easy to implement. Deflection routing in delta networks was proposed by Park et al. (1995) for implementation of a cyclic banyan network. It requires complex routing decisions at switching element level, which increases delay. To resolve the issue, a reconfigurable switching fabric was introduced in (Laskaridis et al., 2002). It used traffic history for quick switching, a highly complex design.

Telecommunications Journal, Switching Elements, Fast Packet Switches, Broadband Integrated Services Digital Networks, Internet Protocol Integrated Networks, Cyclic Banyan Network, Asynchronous Transfer Mode, Performance Evaluation, Routing Algorithm, Very Large Scale Integration, VLSI.