Abstract: An Infiniband port can be provided. The port can have an input buffer for storing received data, a flow control manager operable to detect an available space in the input buffer, and a packet generator operable to generate a flow control packet to advertise available space in the input buffer to a remote device transmitting data for storage in the input buffer. The flow control manager can be operable to trigger the packet generator to generate a flow control packet on the basis of at least one of a timer, a received data quantity characteristic for the input buffer and a buffer utilization characteristic for the input buffer.

Abstract: An Infiniband switch can have an input port and a plurality of output ports. The switch can be configured to interrogate at least a header portion of a received packet to determine an output port for the packet and to forward the packet to an output buffer associated with the determined output port. The switch can also be configured to determine an output buffer ratio in dependence upon at least an inbound data rate characteristic of the input port and an outbound data rate characteristic of the determined output port. The output port can be configured to commence onward transmission of the packet once a proportion of the packet conforming to the output buffer ratio has been written into the output buffer.