Abstract: Method and system for a network device having a plurality of ports for sending and receiving information is provided. The device includes a global quality of service (QOS) module for receiving QOS information from a plurality of QOS modules regarding bandwidth used by the plurality of ports for sending information. For selecting a request from among a plurality of pending requests from the plurality of ports to transmit information, the global QOS module adds bandwidth consumed by the plurality of ports when the ports belong to a non-local link aggregation group (LAG). The global QOS module uses local QOS information from a same QOS bin assigned to the plurality of ports, when the plurality of ports belong to a local LAG.

Abstract: A device having a storage location for receiving an original data and a corresponding original error correction code (ECC) is provided. The device includes ECC modification pattern generator logic for comparing modified data and the original data for generating a pattern for modifying the original ECC and ECC modification logic for modifying the original ECC based on the pattern.

Abstract: Network device for sending and receiving information is provided. The network device includes a port having a receive segment for receiving information and a transmit segment for transmitting information. The port can be configured to operate as an independent port using a single link operating at 25 gigabits per second.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a network device are provided. The network device includes a receive segment for receiving frames for a plurality of sub-ports complying with the plurality of protocols. A frame complying with a first protocol is received at a first clock rate for a first sub-port and a frame complying with a second protocol is received at a second clock rate for a second sub-port. To process frames regardless of protocol type, the receive segment adds an internal header for the frame complying with the first protocol and for the frame complying with the second protocol. The internal header indicates a frame protocol type and identifies the first sub-port and the second sub-port such that the same logic can be used to process the frame complying with the first protocol and the frame complying with the second protocol.

Abstract: Methods and systems for packet grouping in a network are provided. A packet is received at a receive segment of a port of a first network device for transmission to a destination port of a second network device. The port determines if the packet is a start packet of a packet sequence. When the packet is not the start packet of the packet sequence, the port determines whether the packet has a destination that is the same as a destination of a last prior packet. When the packet is for the same destination, a grouping count is increased and the packet priority is elevated.

Abstract: System and methods for providing quality of service (QOS) in networks. The method includes determining whether a transmit segment of a port of a network device has received a grant from a scheduler to transmit a packet. The port includes a plurality of sub-ports that share the transmit segment to transmit packets and a receive segment to receive packets. When the transmit buffer has received the grant, a virtual queue associated with the grant is mapped to a QOS bin that includes a minimum bandwidth limit threshold value, a maximum bandwidth threshold value, and a counter for counting actual bandwidth consumed. The QOS bin monitors bandwidth consumed by a source traffic group for adjusting QOS priority and the source traffic group includes the virtual queue.

Abstract: Method, system and network device for programming lane alignment markers are provided. The method includes configuring the first port having a plurality of sub-ports, as at least a dual lane port where each lane of the dual lane port is configured to receive and transmit frames; negotiating with the first network device to determine a lane alignment marker that is acceptable by the first network device; and programming the first port to identify the lane alignment marker associated with the vendor of the first network device for processing frames received from the first network device and transmitted to the first network device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for negotiating between a first network device and a second network device connected to a network, is provided. The method determining if a first port of the first network device having a plurality of Sub-Ports, is auto-negotiation enabled; wherein the plurality of Sub-Ports can be configured to operate independently as a port for sending and receiving information using one of a plurality of network links at a plurality of rates complying with a plurality of protocols; configuring any one or more of the Sub-Ports as one quad lane, two dual lane, one dual lane and two single lane, or four single lane ports; determining if lanes of the first port are physically swapped by identifying which one or more of the Sub-Ports will operate as a lane 0 for communicating with a particular lane 0 of the second network device; and processing auto-negotiation on all lanes.

Abstract: Method and system for a network device are provided. The method includes generating error correction code (ECC) for writing data to a ternary content addressable memory used by the network device; storing the ECC code and the data at the TCAM; generating an ECC for a search key, used for searching the TCAM; and detecting any error in the stored data by using the search key with appended ECC.

Abstract: Method and system for a first network device communicating with a second network device are provided. A first duration is compared with a stored maximum pause delay value and the first duration is set as a new maximum pause delay value when the first duration is greater than the maximum pause delay value. The new maximum pause delay value is compared with a programmed pause delay threshold value that indicates a duration after which the first network device will stop sending frames, after the pause frame is received by the first network device. A pause threshold value and the programmed pause delay threshold value are adjusted based on the comparison between the new maximum pause delay value and the programmed pause delay threshold value.

Abstract: Method and system for a network device having a plurality of queues for receiving information from another device is provided. A frame is received at a receive queue of the network device. The process determines that the receive queue of the network device has reached a programmable threshold value and determines if a frame waiting at the receive queue is eligible for being dropped. The frame is eligible for being dropped when a drop eligibility bit is set in a frame header by a sender of the frame, when a priority established for the frame indicates that the frame is drop eligible and when a destination for the frame is congested.

Abstract: Method and system for a network device having a plurality of queues for receiving information from another device is provided. The device determines if all requests for transferring frames from the plurality of queues have been sent to an arbitration module that arbitrates and selects requests for transmitting frames associated with the selected requests. When all requests have not been selected, then selecting a tag having information regarding a next frame, when a destination of the next frame or a transmit queue of the next frame does not match a destination or a transmit queue of any other frame for which a request has been sent to the arbitration module.

Abstract: A method and system for routing frames based on a port's speed using a switch element. The method includes receiving a portion of a frame in a receive buffer of a port; determining a frame length threshold value; and setting up a status bit based on the port's speed, the frame length threshold value and an amount of the frame received. The status bit is sent to a transmit segment of the switch element and the frame length threshold value is proportional to the port's speed. Also, if the receive buffer is almost full when the frame arrives at the receive port, then a cut status is based on the frame's end of frame (“EOF”) value.

Abstract: Method and system for reporting out-of-credit condition for a network device connected to a network. An indication to an out-of credit logic is provided that a first sub-port operating using a first protocol is out of credit to transmit information from a transmit segment. The first sub-port is a part of a base-port that includes a plurality of sub-ports that can be configured to operate at more than one operating speed to process packets complying with different protocols. The out-of-credit logic determines when the first sub-port is out-of-credit for a threshold period of time, and reports that the sub-port is out-of-credit to a processor of the network device.

Abstract: Method and system for configuring a receive packet queue in a network device are provided. The method includes determining how many sub-ports of a port of the network device are configured; assigning memory to each of the configured sub-ports based on the determination of how many sub-ports are configured; determining a flow control scheme to be used for packet transmission; and dividing the receive packet queue based on the determination of the flow control scheme to be used.

Abstract: Method and systems for a network device are provided. The method includes receiving configuration data having a primitive sequence comprising a first primitive and a second primitive at a first clock rate at a port of the network device; writing the configuration data into a smoothing module of the port at the first clock rate; reading the configuration data out of the smoothing module at a second clock rate; allowing a primitive to be inserted or deleted in the smoothing module to prevent smoothing module underflows or overflow; regenerating the primitive sequence at the second clock rate; and transmitting the regenerated primitive sequence to the destination port.

Abstract: Method and system for processing information at a network device connected to a network is provided. The method includes receiving information conforming to a first protocol at a first clock rate at a first sub-port; receiving information conforming to a second protocol at a second clock rate at a second sub-port; storing received information in a temporary storage device at the base-port; reading information out of the temporary storage device at a third clock rate; and processing the information at a MAC module that includes logic that is time-shared among the plurality of sub-ports to process information at the third rate for both the first protocol and the second protocol. The first sub-port is granted access to the logic in a first phase and the second sub-port is granted access to the logic in a second phase for processing the information.

Abstract: One method includes: (a) providing a memory storage device having a plurality of storage locations for storing information received by a plurality of sub-ports of a base port of the network device, where the memory storage device is shared among the plurality of sub-ports such that each sub-port is given access to the memory storage device at a certain phase of a system clock cycle; (b) storing a packet or a portion thereof at one of the storage locations when a sub-port that receives the packet has access to one or more of the storage locations; and (c) scrambling addresses for the memory storage locations such that a different one of the storage location is available to the sub-port of step (b) for a next write operation in a next phase when the sub-port of step (b) is given access to the memory storage device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a network device having a plurality of base-ports, each base-port having a plurality of sub-ports configured to operate independently as a port for sending and receiving information using one of a plurality of network links at a plurality of rates complying with a plurality of protocols. The network device includes a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) module for storing a plurality of entries for routing frames that are received for the plurality of sub-ports complying with the plurality of protocols. Each TCAM entry has an associated history value that is used by a processor for the network device to purge TCAM entries based on an age of the TCAM entries.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a network device are provided. The network device includes a stage one arbiter for a base-port for determining if there are any pending requests; blocking any other requests from a same receive queue destined for a same sub-port, same physical transmit queue, and same virtual transmit queue when there are any pending requests; selecting a group of requests with a highest priority and available resources; selecting at least two of the highest priority requests; selecting an oldest one of the requests having the same priority when there are requests with a same priority; sending the selected requests to a stage two arbiter for the base-port; and determining if any new requests have been made or if any previously pending requests have been removed.