Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes processor; and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being adapted to: assign a VLAN type to each of a plurality of VLANs of an architecture; generate a VLAN list type-length-value (vTLV) message; and transmit information to resources based at least in part on the vTLV message, wherein the resources comprise at least one virtual switch and one or more of: at least one physical switch; at least one virtual port; at least one physical port; at least one virtual machine; at least one converged network adapter (CNA); and at least one fibre channel forwarder (FCF).

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a hardware processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being adapted to receive a traffic flow having a plurality of packets, classify the traffic flow into a traffic class based on a characteristic of the traffic flow, the traffic class being selected from a plurality of traffic classes, store an identifier of the selected traffic class to one or more of the packets, and transmit the traffic flow according to its destination based on a priority of its selected traffic class. In more embodiments, additional systems, methods, and computer program products for prioritizing traffic flow handling are described.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes an initiator port adapted to receive a traffic flow having a plurality of packets and a hardware processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being adapted to classify the traffic flow into a traffic class based on at least one criteria related to the traffic flow, the traffic class being selected from a plurality of traffic classes and transmit one or more packets of the traffic flow to a target port designated by the one or more packets of the traffic flow until an amount of flow credits allocated to the target port is insufficient to service additional packets. Other systems, methods, and computer program products for providing credit-based flow control are described in more embodiments.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a network having one or more devices interconnected therebetween, the network including a first device having a first port and logic integrated with and/or executable by a first processor, the logic being adapted to exchange credit exchange (CE) capabilities between the first port and a second port of a second device in the network, receive a credit grant packet from the second port, the credit grant packet indicating credits granted to the first port, and send one or more packets of data from the first port to the second port, the one or more packets corresponding with the granted credits. Other systems and methods for providing credit-based flow control are described according to more embodiments.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to bypassing congestion points in a network. An aspect includes sampling queues of a plurality of switches in a network. When packet congestion is detected at a congestion point of a first switch, the packet flow contributing to the packet congestion is identified. A congestion notification message indicating the identified packet flow is then propagated to upstream switches, which are upstream from the first switch in the network. The congestion notification message is then snooped by the upstream switches. Virtual queues within the upstream switches are associated with the identified packet flow to hold packets associated with the identified packet flow. The packets associated with the identified packet flow are then re-routed to bypass the packet congestion in the first switch.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to creating a coherent load or congestion map that displays the simultaneous activity of all queues of physical and virtual switches and adapters in a network without forcing clock synchronization. An aspect includes sampling, by a central processing device, a status of all queues in a plurality of elements in a network. The sampled data flows are received from the plurality of elements in the network and an image is created of the network. The image includes the status of all sampled queues in the plurality of elements at a point in time. Accordingly, a load map is created without synchronizing clocks of the plurality of elements. The load map is assembled using segments of the image of the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for providing multi-protocol overlay handling includes receiving first traffic via an input overlay tunnel at a multi-protocol virtual tunnel end point (VTEP)-enabled device, the first traffic including a plurality of overlay-encapsulated packets which adhere to a first overlay network protocol, and wherein the input overlay tunnel adheres to the first overlay network protocol; routing the first traffic to a second overlay network tunnel which adheres to a second overlay network protocol when a destination of the first traffic is specified as the second overlay network tunnel, the second overlay network tunnel being terminated at the multi-protocol VTEP-enabled device; and bridging the first traffic to a destination overlay network tunnel terminated at the multi-protocol VTEP-enabled device when the destination of the first traffic is specified as the destination overlay network tunnel, the destination overlay network tunnel being terminated at the multi-protocol VTEP-enabled devic

Abstract: A method for all-to-all message exchange between program tasks including N>1 hierarchy levels ln, n=1 to N, in which a first level l1 includes a plurality of group tasks and each higher level l(n>1) includes at least one group of level l(n?1) groups to which that task belongs in respective hierarchy levels of the network topology; sending a message via the interconnection network to a respective destination task whose hierarchical identifier is determined; and using the hierarchical identifier to send the program task and the network topology, such that the resulting exchange pattern for the all-to-all message exchange exploits a hierarchical distance in the network topology in a desired manner.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a network fabric having a plurality of fabric switches interconnected in the network fabric and a switch controller having logic adapted to configure the network fabric, determine one or more paths through the network fabric between any two hosts connected thereto, and create a source-routing table to store the one or more paths through the network fabric between any two hosts connected thereto. In another embodiment, a method includes receiving or creating a packet using a NIC of a host connected to a network fabric having a plurality of fabric switches interconnected therein, determining a path through the network fabric by consulting a source-routing table stored to the host, storing source-routing information to a packet header for the packet, the source-routing information including the path, and sending the packet to a first device or hop indicated by the path in the source-routing information.

Abstract: Flow control of data packets in a network may be enabled to at least one side of a virtual switching interface to provide a lossless environment. In some embodiments, wherever two buffer queues are in communication with at least one buffer queue being connected to a virtual switching interface, flow control may be used to determine if a threshold has been exceeded in one of the buffer queues. When exceeded, the transmission of data packets may cease to one of the buffer queues to prevent packet dropping and loss of data.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being adapted to: receive a plurality of flows, each flow comprising packets of data, assign a service credit to each of the plurality of flows, assign a weight parameter to each of the plurality of flows, select a flow from a head of a first control queue unless the first control queue is empty or there is indication that the first control queue should be avoided, wherein a flow is selected from a head of a second control queue when the first control queue is empty or there is indication that the first control queue should be avoided, provide a number of units of service to the selected flow, and decrease the selected flow's service credit by an amount corresponding to the number of units of service provided thereto.

Abstract: A system to manage data congestion in a computer network may include network devices to route data packets throughout the network. The system may also include a source node that sends data packets to any of the network devices. The system may further include a routing table at each network device that is updated by the source node, and the route the data packets are sent by any network device is based upon each respective routing table.

Abstract: A method to manage data congestion in a computer network may include network devices to route data packets throughout the network. The method may also include a source node that sends data packets to any of the network devices. The method may further include a routing table at each network device that is updated by the source node, and the route the data packets are sent by any network device is based upon each respective routing table.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to implement a scheduling scheme for a crossbar scheduler that provides distributed request-grant-accept arbitration between input group arbiters and output group arbiters in a distributed switch. Input and output ports are grouped and assigned a respective arbiter. The input group arbiters communicate requests indicating a count of respective ports having data packets to be transmitted via one of the output ports. The output group arbiter attempts to accommodate the requests for each member of an input group before proceeding to a next input group.

Abstract: A virtual network is implemented on a physical network. A virtual network data packet is tunneled through the physical network via encapsulation within a physical network data packet and via transmission of the physical network data packet through the physical network. A network congestion notification capability of the virtual network is preserved and modified during transmission of virtual network data through the physical network and vice-versa. Congestion notification metadata can be copied from a header of a virtual network data packet to a header of a physical network data packet when the virtual network data packet is encapsulated into the physical network data packet. Congestion notification metadata can be copied from a header of a physical network data packet to a header of a virtual network data packet when the virtual network data packet is decapsulated from the physical network data packet.

Abstract: A virtual network is implemented on a physical network. A virtual network data packet is tunneled through the physical network via encapsulation within a physical network data packet and via transmission of the physical network data packet through the physical network. A network congestion notification capability of the virtual network is preserved and modified during transmission of virtual network data through the physical network and vice-versa. Congestion notification metadata can be copied from a header of a virtual network data packet to a header of a physical network data packet when the virtual network data packet is encapsulated into the physical network data packet. Congestion notification metadata can be copied from a header of a physical network data packet to a header of a virtual network data packet when the virtual network data packet is decapsulated from the physical network data packet.

Abstract: A method for transmitting data packets from a first node to a second node. The method includes transmitting the data packet from the first node to the one second node where each data packet is determined to be sent according to a first or a second transmission mode, where, in the first transmission mode, the data packet is transmitted to the second node according to a prescheduled scheme, where the prescheduled scheme defines a cyclic one-to-one assignment between first and second node over time slots so that the data packet is forwarded to the second node during that time slot the one-to-one assignment of which assigns the first node with the one second node and in the second transmission mode, the data packet is transmitted during an actual time slot to the second node while overruling the prescheduled scheme.

Abstract: A reliability system for a Converged Enhanced Ethernet network may include a plurality of end points each comprising a layer 4 transport layer, where each end point is connected to a data center bridging (DCB) layer 2 network. The system may also include an adaptor between the layer 4 transport layer and the DCB layer 2 network to translate at least one of flow and congestion control feedback signals, provided by at least one of the DCB network and the transport layer, to consolidated feedback signals for controlling transmission by the transport layer.

Abstract: IEEE 802.1Q and Enhanced Transmission Selection provide only eight different traffic classes that may be used to control bandwidth in a particular physical connection (or link). Instead of relying only on these eight traffic classes to manage bandwidth, the embodiments discussed herein disclose using an Enhanced Transmission Selection scheduler that permits a network device to set the bandwidth for an individual virtual LAN. Allocating bandwidth in a port based on a virtual LAN ID permits a network device to allocate bandwidth to, e.g., millions of unique virtual LANs. Thus, this technique may increase the granular control of the network fabric and its performance.

Abstract: A network fabric may divide a physical connection into a plurality of VLANs as defined by IEEE 802.1Q. Moreover, many network fabrics use Priority Flow Control to identify and segregate network traffic based on different traffic classes or priorities. Current routing protocols define only eight traffic classes. In contrast, a network fabric may contain thousands of unique VLANs. When network congestion occurs, network devices (e.g., switches, bridges, routers, servers, etc.) can negotiate to pause the network traffic associated with one of the different traffic classes. Pausing the data packets associated with a single traffic class may also stop the data packets associated with thousands of VLANs. The embodiments disclosed herein permit a network fabric to individually pause VLANs rather than entire traffic classes.