Marvell Israel (misl) Ltd.

Marvell Semiconductor Israel Ltd.

Galileo Technologies Ltd.

Eitan Medina

David Shemla

Rami Rozenzveig

Yaniv Kopelman

Yosef Solt

A data frame is received at a network switch, the data frame containing congestion status information for at least a first traffic class and a second traffic class associated with packets being transmitted by the network switch to a network interface device. When the network switch determines, in response to the data frame containing congestion status information, that the congestion status information indicates congestion corresponding to the first traffic class, the network switch reduces a rate of transmission of packets (i) corresponding to the first traffic class and (ii) destined for the network interface device.

Method and apparatus for preventing head of line blocking in an Ethernet system

A method for preventing head of line blocking in an Ethernet system. In one embodiment, a network interface detects whether there is traffic flow congestion between the network interface and a data processing unit such as a CPU or other peripheral. If yes, the network interface communicates the congestion status to its attached Ethernet switch. In another aspect of the invention, the Ethernet switch then stops serving the congested port or queue, and informs a switch from which the traffic flow causing the congestion originates. In a further aspect, the originating switch then reduces bandwidth for the traffic flow causing the congestion. In a still further aspect, the originating switch can take the bandwidth that it acquired because of reducing the congesting traffic flow, and use it to increase bandwidth for other traffic flow.

Method and apparatus for preventing head of line blocking in an ethernet system

A switch includes a plurality of ports including at least one bus port associated with ports connected to other switches in a network and a memory to store a hash table including MAC addresses and VLAN ids of ports in the network. For each one of the VLAN ids, one of the MAC addresses identifies one of the other switches having ports belonging to the one of the VLAN ids without identifying the ports of the one of the other switches that belongs to the one of the VLAN ids.

VLAN protocol

An Ethernet switch for preventing head of line blocking by passing an Ethernet packet carrying congestion status information among Ethernet switches over the Ethernet. When a port of an Ethernet switch is congested, the switch informs other Ethernet switches by broadcasting to other switches over the Ethernet an Ethernet packet indicating that the port is congested. If another Ethernet switch finds that one of its traffic classes is destined to the congested port, this switch drops packets of that traffic flow until receiving an Ethernet packet indicating that the congestion is alleviated.

Method and apparatus for preventing head of line blocking among Ethernet switches

A network system may include a number of switches connected to a network processor that handles the bulk of the switching and/or routing in the system. The switches may provide per port flow control status information, e.g., the flow control status of a number of their ports, over a link to the network processor. The network processor may use this information to make traffic management decisions.

Flow control for multiport PHY

A network device includes a multi-port media access controller (MAC) device that comprises a plurality of MAC devices. Some of the MAC devices output respective data streams at different speeds. A plurality of speed translators translates the speeds of the respective data streams to be greater than or equal to a highest output speed of the plurality of MAC devices and generates parallel speed translated data streams. A multiplexer multiplexes the parallel speed translated data streams to generate a multiplexed data stream corresponding to one of the plurality of MAC devices with the highest output speed defined by the parallel speed translated data streams. A first serializer and deserializer receives the multiplexed data stream that is encoded at a physical coding sublayer and serially transmits the multiplexed data stream to a multi-port physical layer device.

Network device with multiple MAC/PHY ports

A method for transferring data includes connecting N ports of a crossbar to N devices, respectively, where N is an integer greater than one. Inbound data is received at one of the N ports from a respective one of the N devices. Dedicated connections are provided between an input buffer of one of the N ports and N&#x2212;1 output buffers associated with others of the N ports, respectively. At least one of the N&#x2212;1 output buffers of the others of the N ports is selected to output outbound data corresponding to the inbound data. The inbound data from the input buffer of one of the N ports is selectively transferred to at least one of the N&#x2212;1 output buffers of the others of the N ports.

Method and apparatus for controlling the flow of packets through a network switch

A switch controller includes a plurality of ports, a hash table, and a hash table control unit. The plurality of ports includes at least one bus port associated with ports connected to other switch controllers in a network. The hash table stores MAC addresses and VLAN ids of ports within the network. The hash table control unit hashes a MAC address and a VLAN id of a packet to identify a first location in the hash table. For each one of the VLAN ids stored in the hash table, one of the MAC addresses identifies one of the other switch controllers having ports belonging to the one of the VLAN ids without identifying each one of the ports of the one of the other switch controllers that belongs to the one of the VLAN ids.

A method for transferring data includes connecting N ports of a crossbar to N devices, respectively, where N is an integer greater than one. Inbound data is received at one of the N ports from a respective one of the N devices. N&#x2212;1 output buffers are associated with others of the N ports, respectively. At least one of the N&#x2212;1 output buffers is selected to output outbound data corresponding to the inbound data. The inbound data from the input buffer of one of the N ports is selectively transferred to at least one of the N&#x2212;1 output buffers of the others of the N ports.

Linking cross bar controller

A method and apparatus for managing packet memory is provided. The apparatus includes an empty list, a storage buffer and apparatus for updating the storage buffer and empty list. The empty list includes a multiplicity of single bit buffers. The storage buffer includes a multiplicity of contiguous buffers, wherein each single bit buffer is associated with one of the contiguous buffers. The state of the bit of a single bit buffer indicates the empty or full state of the associated contiguous buffer and the address of a contiguous buffer is a simple function of the address or number of its associated single bit buffer. The updating apparatus stores data in and removes data from the contiguous buffers and correspondingly updates the states of the associated single bits buffers.

Bit clearing mechanism for an empty list

A network device comprises a multi-port MAC device that includes N MAC devices and that outputs a port multiplexed and encoded parallel data stream. A first serializer/deserializer (SERDES) serializes the port multiplexed and encoded parallel data stream from the multi-port MAC device.

Method and apparatus for preventing head of line blocking among ethernet switches

A generally full-wire throughput, switching Ethernet controller used within an Ethernet network of other switching Ethernet controllers connected together by a bus. The controller comprises a plurality of ports including at least one bus port associated with ports connected to other switching Ethernet controllers. A hash table stores MAC addresses and VLAN ids of ports within said Ethernet network. A hash table address control hashes the MAC address and VLAN id of a packet to initial hash table location values, changes the hash table location values by a fixed jump amount if the address and VLAN id values stored in said initial hash table location do not match the received address and VLAN id, and provides at least an output port number of the port associated with the received address and VLAN id. A storage buffer includes a multiplicity of contiguous buffers in which to temporarily store said packet.

A crossbar for communicating with at least one device, the crossbar comprises N ports. Each one of the N ports comprises a link logic unit to receive messages and data from a respective device, N-output buffers each corresponding to another one of the N-ports and a port arbiter to select one of the N-output buffers to output data to the respective device. The stored data is transferred to the corresponding output buffer of a selected one of the other one of the N ports.

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Ramat Hasharon, Israel

Eitan Medina