CLIAMS:We claim:

1. A port performance ranking method performed in a multi-protocol switch, the port performance ranking method comprising:
monitoring one or more first parameters, the one or more first parameters associated with operating condition of one or more ports of the multi-protocol switch;
comparing each of the one or more first parameters with an associated predefined criterion to determine deviation from the associated predefined criterion;
determining one or more eligible ports from the one or more ports based on non-deviation of each of the one or more first parameters from the associated predefined criterion;
comparing, for each of the one or more eligible ports, each of one or more second parameters with an associated predefined threshold, the one or more second parameters associated with port traffic statistics; and
ranking the one or more eligible ports based on the comparison between each of the one or more second parameters and the associated predefined threshold.

2. The port performance ranking method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first parameters comprise at least one of operating condition of connection interface and availability of the one or more ports.

3.The port performance ranking method of claim 1, wherein the one or more second parameters comprise at least one of total frame drop count, total frame retransmission count, total frame transaction count, total buffer utilization, and total operating bandwidth utilization for each of the one or more ports.

4. The port performance ranking method of claim 1, wherein the one or more second parameters lower than the associated predefined thresholds are given higher weightage scores than the one or more second parameters higher than the associated predefined thresholds.

5. The port performance ranking method of claim 1, further comprising determining a final ranking score for each of the eligible one or more ports in response to comparison between each of the one or more second parameters and the associated predefined threshold.

6. The port performance ranking method of claim 5, wherein the final ranking score is determined for each of the one or more eligible ports by summing weightage score for each of the one or more second parameters.

7. The port performance ranking method of claim 5, wherein determining the final ranking score is performed iteratively.

8. The port performance ranking method of claim 5, wherein a best performing port is determined based on the final ranking score for each of the eligible one or more ports.

9. The port performance ranking method of claim 8, wherein the best performing port is determined based on at least one of a predefined prioritized order associated with the second parameters and a weightage score associated with the second parameters.

10. A system for performing port ranking in a multi-protocol switching device, the system comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing processor executable instructions which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:
monitor one or more first parameters, the one or more first parameters associated with operating condition of one or more ports of the multi-protocol switch;
compare each of the one or more first parameters with an associated predefined criterion to determine deviation from the associated predefined criterion;
determine one or more eligible ports from the one or more ports based on non-deviation of each of the one or more first parameters from the associated predefined criterion;
compare, for each of the one or more eligible ports, each of one or more second parameters with an associated predefined threshold, the one or more second parameters associated with port traffic statistics; and
rank the one or more eligible ports based on the comparison between each of the one or more second parameters and the associated predefined threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more first parameters comprise at least one of operating condition of connection interface and availability of the one or more ports.

12.The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more second parameters comprise at least one of total frame drop count, total frame retransmission count, total frame transaction count, total buffer utilization, and total operating bandwidth utilization for each of the one or more ports.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more second parameters lower than the associated predefined thresholds are given higher weightage scores than the one or more second parameters higher than the associated predefined thresholds.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein a final ranking score is determined for each of the one or more eligible ports in response to comparison between each of the one or more second parameters and the associated predefined threshold.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the final ranking score is determined for each of the one or more ports by summing weightage score for each of the one or more second parameters.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the final ranking score is determined for each of the one or more eligible ports iteratively.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein a best performing port is determined based on the final ranking score for each of the eligible one or more ports.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the best performing port is determined based on at least one of a predefined prioritized order associated with the second parameters and a weightage score associated with the second parameters.

Dated this 17th day of January, 2014
R. Ramya Rao
Of K&S Partners
Agent for the Applicant
,TagSPECI:TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates generally to multi-protocol switching, and more particularly to a method and a system for port performance ranking in a multi-protocol switching device.