Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for monitoring performance of a Maintenance Entity (ME) in a computer network. In one embodiment, a method of monitoring performance of an ME includes receiving a control frame via the ME. The method further includes using a hardware performance monitor to provide to a programmable processor a metric indicative of a performance parameter associated with the ME based at least in part on information in the control frame. The method further includes using the programmable processor to determine the performance parameter associated with the ME based at least in part on the metric provided using the hardware performance monitor.

Abstract: A network device includes at least one source physical port configured to be coupled to a network, a plurality of egress ports, and a packet processor. The packet processor includes a processing stage configured to implement a logical port assignment mechanism to assign source logical port information to a data packet received via one of the at least one source physical port, wherein the source logical port information is based on characteristics of the data packet, wherein the source logical port information corresponds to a logical entity that is different from any source physical port, and a forwarding engine to determine one or more egress ports for forwarding the data packet based on at least the assigned source logical port information.

Abstract: A method of controlling a plurality of forwarding databases provided in an Ethernet bridge having a plurality of devices. The method includes aging a first set of entries in a first forwarding database maintained by a first one of the plurality of devices. The first set of entries are owned by the first one of the plurality of devices. The method also includes transmitting one or more new address messages from the first one of the plurality of devices to a second one of the plurality of devices. The method further includes aging a second set of entries in the first forwarding database. The second set of entries are owned by the second one of the plurality of devices.

Abstract: A network device includes at least one source physical port coupled to a network, and a plurality of egress ports. A logical port assignment mechanism assigns source logical port information to a data packet received via one of the at least one physical port. The source logical port information is based on characteristics of the data packet, and the source logical port information corresponds to a logical entity that is different from any source physical port. A forwarding engine determines one or more egress ports for forwarding the data packet based on at least the assigned source logical port.

Abstract: Packets are received from a network, and for each received packet, it is determined whether the packet belongs to one of a plurality of previously identified flows using a plurality of existing flow rules. For each received packet determined to belong to one of the previously identified flows, a flow identifier is assigned to the packet to indicate the previously identified flow to which the packet belongs and the packet or a packet descriptor corresponding to the packet is directed to a next location in a packet forwarding pipeline. Additionally, for each received packet determined not to belong to one of the previously identified flows, it is determined whether the packet belongs to a currently unknown flow.

Abstract: An apparatus for forwarding packets includes a packet processing pipeline having a processing unit that processes packets compliant with a recognized communication protocol. A first port coupled to the packet processing pipeline is configured to receive a packet that does not comply with the recognized communication protocol and has a header that conforms to a second communication protocol. A data extraction unit extracts first destination information from the header of the packet and, based on the first destination information, generates second destination information that conforms to the recognized communication protocol. The processing unit determines, based on the second destination information, an egress interface to which the packet is to be forwarded.

Abstract: A network device comprises a plurality of physical ports, and a packet processing pipeline coupled to the plurality of physical ports. The packet processing pipeline is configured to assign a virtual port from a plurality of virtual ports to a packet received via one of the physical ports, wherein a quantity of the plurality of virtual ports is larger than a quantity of the plurality of physical ports, and wherein, for each of at least some of the physical ports, multiple virtual ports correspond to one physical port. The packet processing pipeline is also configured to assign a virtual domain from a plurality of virtual domains to the packet based on the assigned virtual port, and process the packet based on one or more of i) the assigned virtual port, ii) the assigned virtual domain, and iii) a header field of the packet, including determining zero, one, or more physical ports to which the packet is to be forwarded.

Abstract: The invention provides novel methods of forwarding multicast data packets to selected egress ports in a MAC bridging environment. A multicast data packet is received via an ingress port. A source IP address and a destination multicast IP address are retrieved from the multicast packet. In a forwarding database, different groups of egress ports correspond to different combinations of a source address, a destination multicast address, and a virtual local area network identifier (VLAN-ID). The forwarding database is accessed, based on the retrieved source address, the retrieved destination multicast address, and a VLAN-ID, to thereby determine a corresponding group of egress ports. The multicast packet is then forwarded to the corresponding group of egress ports.

Abstract: A system and method of managing data packets for transmission in a virtual network are disclosed. In some implementations, a network switch may generally comprise a packet modifier that modifies a VLAN tag state of a packet to be egressed as a function of an egress interface and a VLAN-ID assignment. The modified VLAN tag state may include one or more VLAN tags that are in a different order, or that have a different content, in comparison to the VLAN tags of the packet at the time of ingress.

Abstract: A network device includes at least one source physical port coupled to a network, and a plurality of egress ports. A logical port assignment mechanism assigns source logical port information to a data packet received via one of the at least one physical port. The source logical port information is based on characteristics of the data packet, and the source logical port information corresponds to a logical entity that is different from any source physical port. A forwarding engine determines one or more egress ports for forwarding the data packet based on at least the assigned source logical port.

Abstract: An apparatus having a corresponding method and computer program comprises a processor; a plurality of ports to transmit and receive packets of data, the plurality of ports comprising a processor port in communication with the processor, the packets comprising broadcast packets and multicast packets; a memory to store a table that associates the processor port with one or more Internet protocol (IP) addresses; and a forwarding engine to transfer the packets between the ports, to transfer each of the broadcast packets to the processor port only when the table associates a target IP address of the broadcast packet with the processor port, and to transfer each of the multicast packets to the processor port only when the table associates a target IP address of the multicast packet with the processor port.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer-readable media for a switch comprising a plurality of network ports and a central processing unit (CPU) interface comprises receiving, on one of the network ports, a packet comprising a source media access control (MAC) address; sending, to the CPU interface, a request to approve an association between the one of the network ports and the source MAC address when no request to approve the association between the one of the network ports and the source MAC address has been sent to the CPU interface; and sending, to the CPU interface, the request to approve the association between the one of the network ports and the source MAC address when an association between the source MAC address and a different one of the network ports has been approved.

Abstract: A method of managing network traffic. The method includes initializing a database in communication with a network device. The database includes a number of MAC address entries and a network flooding entry associated with each of the number of MAC address entries. Each of the number of MAC address entries is associated with a station known to the network. The method also includes receiving network traffic at the network device. The network traffic is associated with a MAC source address. The method further includes determining whether the MAC source address is included in the database, automatically learning a location associated with the MAC source address, and forwarding the network traffic over the network if the MAC source address is included in the database. Additionally, the method includes dropping or trapping the network traffic if the MAC source address is not included in the database. Dropping the network traffic is performed without interaction with a CPU.

Abstract: A system and method of extending a standard bridge to enable execution of logical bridging functionality are disclosed. In some implementations, a logical bridge may assign source logical port information to a data packet based on characteristics of the data packet, employ the source logical port information to learn the source address and to forward the data packet to a logical egress port, and map the logical egress port to a physical egress port at which the data packet is to be egressed. A tunnel interface may optionally be applied to a data packet upon egress.

Abstract: Devices, systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with cascaded memory tables for searching are described. In one embodiment, an integrated chip is implemented with two or more address tables. The two or more address tables are implemented with separate memory tables to store addresses. The two or more address tables are comprised of a first address table and a second address table. Connection lines connect the first address table and the second address table to create a cascaded address table. Search logic initiates a search of the first address table for an address. If the address is not found, the search logic initiates a search of the second address table through the connection lines.

Abstract: An apparatus having a corresponding method and computer program comprises network interfaces; a processor interface; a control circuit to remove the processor interface from associations between the interfaces and a domain; a classifier to assign codes to packets addressed to the processor interface, wherein the each code represents a protocol and comprises a flag; an allowance circuit to set the flag in the code for a packet when the packet comprises a protocol associated with the network interface that is the source of the packet, and to clear the flag otherwise; and an egress circuit to receive packets addressed to the processor interface, to drop the received packets having a code comprising a flag that is clear, and to transfer the received packets having a code comprising a flag that is set to the processor interface.

Abstract: An Ethernet network device includes a port logic module that is associated with a device port of the Ethernet network device. A packet processing module includes an ingress processing module that receives an incoming packet and that generates a control traffic tag. An ingress command execution module receives the incoming packet and the control traffic tag, generates a duplicate packet that is identical to the incoming packet, and generates a device interface code that identifies the port logic module based on the control traffic tag. A control traffic routing module receives the duplicate packet and the device interface code and forwards the duplicate packet to the port logic module. A network traffic analysis device receives the duplicate packet. The port logic module replaces a first destination header of the duplicate packet with a second destination header that is identical to a destination header of the incoming packet.

Abstract: A system and method of managing data packets for transmission in a virtual network are disclosed. In some implementations, a network switch may generally comprise a packet modifier that modifies a VLAN tag state of a packet to be egressed as a function of an egress interface and a VLAN-ID assignment. The modified VLAN tag state may include one or more VLAN tags that are in a different order, or that have a different content, in comparison to the VLAN tags of the packet at the time of ingress.

Abstract: A system and method of extending a standard bridge to enable execution of logical bridging functionality are disclosed. In some implementations, a logical bridge may assign source logical port information to a data packet based on characteristics of the data packet, employ the source logical port information to learn the source address and to forward the data packet to a logical egress port, and map the logical egress port to a physical egress port at which the data packet is to be egressed. A tunnel interface may optionally be applied to a data packet upon egress.