Abstract: A switching apparatus includes multiple ports, each including a respective buffer, and a switch controller. The switch controller is configured to concatenate the buffers of at least an input port and an output port selected from among the multiple ports for buffering traffic of a long-haul link, which is connected to the input port and whose delay exceeds buffering capacity of the buffer of the input port alone, and to carry out end-to-end flow control for the long haul link between the output port and the input port.

Abstract: A method for communication includes receiving a packet at a first node for transmission over a link to a second node. The data in the packet is divided into a sequence of cells of a predetermined data size. The cells have respective sequence numbers. The cells are transmitted in sequence over the link, while storing the transmitted cells in a buffer at the first node. The first node receives acknowledgments indicating the respective sequence numbers of the transmitted cells that were received at the second node. Upon receiving an indication at the first node that a transmitted cell having a given sequence number was not properly received at the second node, the stored cells are retransmitted from the buffer starting from the cell with the given sequence number.

Abstract: A Network Interface (NI) includes a host interface, which is configured to receive from a host processor of a node one or more work requests that are derived from an operation to be executed by the node. The NI maintains a plurality of work queues for carrying out transport channels to one or more peer nodes over a network. The NI further includes control circuitry, which is configured to accept the work requests via the host interface, and to execute the work requests using the work queues by controlling an advance of at least a given work queue according to an advancing condition, which depends on a completion status of one or more other work queues, so as to carry out the operation.

Abstract: Network apparatus includes a plurality of interfaces, which are coupled to a network so as to receive and transmit data packets having respective link-layer headers and network-layer headers. Each link-layer header includes respective source and destination link-layer addresses and a link-layer priority value. Switching and routing logic is configured, responsively to the network-layer headers, to transfer each data packet from a respective ingress interface to a respective egress interface and to modify the source and destination link-layer addresses of the transferred data packet while copying the link-layer priority value from the ingress interface to the egress interface without modification.

Abstract: A switching apparatus includes multiple ports, each including a respective buffer, and a switch controller. The switch controller is configured to concatenate the buffers of at least an input port and an output port selected from among the multiple ports for buffering traffic of a long-haul link, which is connected to the input port and whose delay exceeds buffering capacity of the buffer of the input port alone, and to carry out end-to-end flow control for the long haul link between the output port and the input port.

Abstract: A method includes receiving in a network switch of a communication network communication traffic that originates from a source node and arrives over a route through the communication network traversing one or more preceding network switches, for forwarding to a destination node. In response to detecting in the network switch a compromised ability to forward the communication traffic to the destination node, a notification is sent to the preceding network switches. The notification is to be consumed by the preceding network switches and requests the preceding network switches to modify the route so as not to traverse the network switch.

Abstract: A method includes receiving in a network switch of a communication network communication traffic that originates from a source node and arrives over a route through the communication network traversing one or more preceding network switches, for forwarding to a destination node. In response to detecting in the network switch a compromised ability to forward the communication traffic to the destination node, a notification is sent to the preceding network switches. The notification is to be consumed by the preceding network switches and requests the preceding network switches to modify the route so as not to traverse the network switch.

Abstract: A Network Interface (NI) includes a host interface, which is configured to receive from a host processor of a node one or more cross-channel work requests that are derived from an operation to be executed by the node. The NI includes a plurality of work queues for carrying out transport channels to one or more peer nodes over a network. The NI further includes control circuitry, which is configured to accept the cross-channel work requests via the host interface, and to execute the cross-channel work requests using the work queues by controlling an advance of at least a given work queue according to an advancing condition, which depends on a completion status of one or more other work queues, so as to carry out the operation.

Abstract: A method for communication includes sending a pause frame from a first node to a second node over a communication link between the nodes. In response to the pause frame, one or more data frames are immediately transmitted from the second node to the first node upon receipt of the pause frame at the second node.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a Content-Addressable Memory (CAM) and packet processing circuitry. The packet processing circuitry is configured to store in respective regions of the CAM multiple Access Control Lists (ACLs) that are defined for respective packet types, to classify an input packet to a respective packet type selected from the packet types, to identify a region holding an ACL defined for the selected packet type, and to process the input packet in accordance with the ACL stored in the identified region.

Abstract: A Network Interface (NI) includes a host interface, which is configured to receive from a host processor of a node one or more cross-channel work requests that are derived from an operation to be executed by the node. The NI includes a plurality of work queues for carrying out transport channels to one or more peer nodes over a network. The NI further includes control circuitry, which is configured to accept the cross-channel work requests via the host interface, and to execute the cross-channel work requests using the work queues by controlling an advance of at least a given work queue according to an advancing condition, which depends on a completion status of one or more other work queues, so as to carry out the operation.

Abstract: A method includes receiving in a network switch of a communication network communication traffic that originates from a source node and arrives over a route through the communication network traversing one or more preceding network switches, for forwarding to a destination node. In response to detecting in the network switch a compromised ability to forward the communication traffic to the destination node, a notification is sent to the preceding network switches. The notification is to be consumed by the preceding network switches and requests the preceding network switches to modify the route so as not to traverse the network switch.

Abstract: Network apparatus includes a plurality of interfaces, which are coupled to a network so as to receive and transmit data packets having respective link-layer headers and network-layer headers. Each link-layer header includes respective source and destination link-layer addresses and a link-layer priority value. Switching and routing logic is configured, responsively to the network-layer headers, to transfer each data packet from a respective ingress interface to a respective egress interface and to modify the source and destination link-layer addresses of the transferred data packet while copying the link-layer priority value from the ingress interface to the egress interface without modification.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a plurality of switch ports, each switch port including one or more port buffers for buffering data that traverses the switch port. A switch fabric is coupled to transfer the data between the switch ports. A switch control unit is configured to reassign at least one port buffer of a given switch port to buffer a part of the data that does not enter or exit the apparatus via the given switch port, and to cause the switch fabric to forward the part of the data to a destination switch port via the at least one reassigned port buffer.

Abstract: A method for communication includes routing a first packet, which belongs to a given packet flow, over a first routing path through a communication network. A second packet, which follows the first packet in the given packet flow, is routed using a time-bounded Adaptive Routing (AR) mode, by evaluating a time gap between the first and second packets, routing the second packet over the first routing path if the time gap does not exceed a predefined threshold, and, if the time gap exceeds the predefined threshold, selecting a second routing path through the communication network that is potentially different from the first routing path, and routing the second packet over the second routing path.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a Content-Addressable Memory (CAM) and packet processing circuitry. The packet processing circuitry is configured to store in respective regions of the CAM multiple Access Control Lists (ACLs) that are defined for respective packet types, to classify an input packet to a respective packet type selected from the packet types, to identify a region holding an ACL defined for the selected packet type, and to process the input packet in accordance with the ACL stored in the identified region.

Abstract: A method for communication includes sending a pause frame from a first node to a second node over a communication link between the nodes. In response to the pause frame, one or more data frames are immediately transmitted from the second node to the first node upon receipt of the pause frame at the second node.

Abstract: A network interface adapter provides a host processor with two complementary modes of submitting descriptors to be executed by the adapter: a normal mode, in which the host writes descriptors to a system memory and rings an assigned doorbell to notify the adapter; and a priority mode, in which the host writes the descriptor itself to a doorbell address of the adapter. In the priority mode, the adapter is relieved of the need to read the descriptor from the memory, and can thus begin execution as soon as it has resources available to do so.

Abstract: A method for communication includes receiving a packet at a first node for transmission over a link to a second node. The data in the packet is divided into a sequence of cells of a predetermined data size. The cells have respective sequence numbers. The cells are transmitted in sequence over the link, while storing the transmitted cells in a buffer at the first node. The first node receives acknowledgments indicating the respective sequence numbers of the transmitted cells that were received at the second node. Upon receiving an indication at the first node that a transmitted cell having a given sequence number was not properly received at the second node, the stored cells are retransmitted from the buffer starting from the cell with the given sequence number.

Abstract: A network interface adapter includes an outgoing packet generator, adapted to generate an outgoing request packet for delivery to a remote responder responsive to a request submitted by a host processor and a network output port, coupled to transmit the outgoing request packet over a network to the remote responder. A network input port receives an incoming response packet from the remote responder, in response to the outgoing request packet sent thereto, as well as an incoming request packet sent by a remote requester. An incoming packet processor receives and processes both the incoming response packet and the incoming request packet, and causes the outgoing packet generator, responsive to the incoming request packet, to generate, in addition to the outgoing request packet, an outgoing response packet for transmission to the remote requester.