Abstract: A network device for monitoring a memory partitioned by an identifier can include at least one port configured to receive at least one packet. The at least one packet includes an identifier relating to priority of the at least one packet. The network device can also include a buffer memory having at least one buffer configured to store the at least one packet, and a counter configured to modify a counter value therein when the buffer memory is accessed with respect to the at least one data packet, wherein the counter corresponds to the identifier with respect to the at least one packet.

Abstract: A network device for monitoring a memory partitioned by an identifier can include at least one port configured to receive at least one packet. The at least one packet includes an identifier relating to priority of the at least one packet. The network device can also include a buffer memory having at least one buffer configured to store the at least one packet, and a counter configured to modify a counter value therein when the buffer memory is accessed with respect to the at least one data packet, wherein the counter corresponds to the identifier with respect to the at least one packet.

Abstract: A network device for controlling data flow can have a buffer configured to receive a packet, a first determining unit configured to determine a multicast group number from the packet, a first table storage unit configured to store at least one first bit vector and at least one first pointer, and configured to have the multicast group number indexed thereto, and a second table storage unit configured to store at least one second bit vector and at least one second pointer, and configured to have the at least one first pointer indexed thereto.

Abstract: A network component for processing a packet can include a buffer configured to receive a packet, a forwarding unit configured to forward the packet received at the first buffer to a loopback port, and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the packet out of the loopback port. In addition, the network component can include a loopback unit configured to loop back the packet into the loopback port, a first identification unit configured to identify an egress port, and a second transmitting unit configured to transmit the packet looped back from the loopback port out of the egress port.

Abstract: A network component for processing a packet can include a buffer configured to receive a packet in an ingress port at a network component, a first identification unit configured to identify a destination address and a network identifier from the packet received at the buffer, and a look-up table configured to be indexed by the destination address and the network identifier identified by the identification unit to obtain an outgoing port bit map. In addition, the network component can include a forwarding unit configured to forward the packet to a destination module and out of an egress port within the network component based on the outgoing port bit map.

Abstract: A network device for processing a packet can include an ingress port configured to receive the packet. In addition, the network device can include a membership port bit map table configured to store at least one membership port bit map, an outgoing port bit map table configured to store at least one outgoing port bit map. A first storage unit within the network device can be configured to store an egress port bit map. The egress port bit map is based on the membership port bit map and the outgoing port bit map. Furthermore, the network device can have at least one egress port configured to transmit out the packet. The at least one egress port can correspond to the egress port bit map.

Abstract: A network device for monitoring a memory partitioned by an identifier can include at least one port configured to receive at least one packet. The at least one packet includes an identifier relating to priority of the at least one packet. The network device can also include a buffer memory having at least one buffer configured to store the at least one packet, and a counter configured to modify a counter value therein when the buffer memory is accessed with respect to the at least one data packet, wherein the counter corresponds to the identifier with respect to the at least one packet.

Abstract: A network device for network communications is disclosed. The device includes at least one data port interface, the at least one data port interface supporting at least one ingress data port receiving data and at least one egress port transmitting data. The device also includes a memory communicating with the at least one data port interface and a memory management unit including a memory interface for communicating data from the at least one data port interface and the memory. The memory management unit comprises a scheduler and a prefetch scheduler and the memory comprises at least two queues for containing packet data. Additionally, the prefetch scheduler is configured to fetch packet data from a first queue of the at least two queues and placing the packet data on a second queue of the at least two queues and the scheduler is configured to fetch packet data from the second queue and send the packet data to the at least one egress port.

Abstract: A network device includes a port, a buffer, a flow control module, and a service differentiation module. The port is configured to send and receive a packet, wherein the port is connected to a network entity. The buffer is configured to store the packet. The flow control module is configured to control the transmission of the packet within the network device. The service differentiation module is coupled with the buffer and the flow control module. The service differentiation module is configured to regulate storage of the packet in the buffer and to regulate the transmission of the packet from the network device to the network entity. The service differentiation module is also configured to determine excess bandwidth available within the network device and to allocate the excess bandwidth to transmit the packet to the network entity.

Abstract: A network device includes a port, a buffer, a flow control module, and a service differentiation module. The port is configured to send and receive a packet and the port is connected to a network entity. The buffer is configured to store the packet, and the flow control module is configured to control the transmission of the packet within the network device. The service differentiation module is coupled to the buffer and the flow control module. The service differentiation module is configured to regulate the storage of the packet in the buffer and to regulate the transmission of the packet from the network device to the network entity. The service differentiation module is also configured to regulate the transmission of the packet based upon whether a size of the packet satisfies operating parameters defined by the network device and the network entity.

Abstract: A network device includes a port, a mapping module, a signaling module, an encapsulation module, a port interface, and an address learning module. The port is configured to send and receive a packet. The mapping module is configured to determine a virtual path LAN segment assigned to the port. The signaling module is configured to determine virtual channel information assigned to the port. The signaling module is configured to exchange the virtual channel information to a second network entity. The encapsulation module is configured to add stacking labels to a header of the packet. The encapsulation module is configured to assign a quality of service to be applied to the packet. The port interface is configured to map a routing path for the packet. The address learning module is configured to learn the routing path to transport the packet from the first to the second network entity.

Abstract: A process of discovering a topology of devices on a network is disclosed. A discover frame is sent to nodes in communication with a central processing unit, with the discover frame having an identification list. After a response frame from the nodes is received, the response frame is processed to determine whether a node sending the response frame has an identification value. If the node has the identification value, then a routing table is updated. When the node does not have the identification value, an identification assign frame is sent to the node and an identification assign acknowledgement frame is received from the node.

Abstract: A process of filtering packet data in a network device is disclosed. At least one mask is applied to a portion of an incoming packet and a field is extracted from the portion of the incoming packet. A rules table is searched for a matching value for the extracted field and one of a hit and a miss is recorded depending on the matching value. A combination table is accessed based on the at least one mask and the one of the hit and the miss is combined with another search result to obtain a combined search result. One of a hit action and a miss action is executed from the combination table based on the combined search result.

Abstract: According to one aspect of this invention, a method of controlling data flow in a network device is discussed. An incoming data packet is received and an IP multicast group number is determined from the incoming data packet. An IP multicast group vector is determined from an. IP multicast group vector table using the IP multicast group number. That IP multicast group vector is then used to obtain a series of VLAN IDs from a VLAN ID table corresponding to bit positions defined by the IP multicast group vector. The data packet is then replicated and forwarded onto each VLAN ID of the series of VLAN IDs. A network for controlling data therein is also discussed.

Abstract: A process of filtering packet data in a network device is disclosed. A descriptor table is accessed to obtain a first descriptor and a first field is extracted from a packet based on the first descriptor. An action table is accessed based on a value of the first field of the packet. Then an action from the action table is executed when a valid bit from the action table for the action is set or an action from a miss action table is executed when a valid bit from the action table for the action is not set.