Abstract: A switch or other network device may be configured as an ingress edge telemetry node in a telemetry domain. The ingress edge telemetry node may clone certain data units it processes, for example in response to certain telemetry triggers being met. The ingress edge telemetry node may further inject telemetry and/or other data into the cloned data unit. The cloned data unit continues along the same path as the original data unit until it reaches an egress edge telemetry node in the telemetry domain. The second node extracts the telemetry data from the cloned data unit and sends telemetry information based thereon to a telemetry collector, while the original data unit continues to its final destination. Nodes along the path between the first node and the second node may be configured as transit telemetry nodes that insert or otherwise update the telemetry data.

Abstract: Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for assigning paths to network packets. The path assignment techniques utilize path state information and/or other criteria to determine whether to route a packet along a primary candidate path selected for the packet, or one or more alternative candidate paths selected for the packet. According to an embodiment, network traffic is at least partially balanced by redistributing only a portion of the traffic that would have been assigned to a given primary path. Move-eligibility criteria are applied to traffic to determine whether a given packet is eligible for reassignment from a primary path to an alternative path. The move-eligibility criteria determine which portion of the network traffic to move and which portion to allow to proceed as normal. In an embodiment, the criteria and functions used to determine whether a packet is redistributable are adjusted over time based on path state information.

Abstract: The performance of a switch or other network device is improved by adjusting the number of idle bytes transmitted between data units—that is, the size of the interpacket gap—to increase the bandwidth of a network interface. In some embodiments, the adjustments may be made in a manner designed to compensate for potential mismatches between the clock rate of the network interface and clock rates of interfaces of other network devices when retransmitting data received from those other network devices. In yet other embodiments, the adjustments may be designed to increase available bandwidth for other purposes. In an embodiment, the idle reduction logic is in a Media Access Control (“MAC”) layer of a network interface. The idle reduction logic may be enabled or disabled based on user preference, or programmatically based on factors such as a transmission utilization level for the MAC layer, buffer fill level, and so forth.

Abstract: A switch or other network device may be configured as an ingress edge telemetry node in a telemetry domain. The ingress edge telemetry node may clone certain data units it processes, for example in response to certain telemetry triggers being met. The ingress edge telemetry node may further inject telemetry and/or other data into the cloned data unit. The cloned data unit continues along the same path as the original data unit until it reaches an egress edge telemetry node in the telemetry domain. The second node extracts the telemetry data from the cloned data unit and sends telemetry information based thereon to a telemetry collector, while the original data unit continues to its final destination. Nodes along the path between the first node and the second node may be configured as transit telemetry nodes that insert or otherwise update the telemetry data.

Abstract: Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for assigning paths to network packets. The path assignment techniques utilize path state information and/or other criteria to determine whether to route a packet along a primary candidate path selected for the packet, or one or more alternative candidate paths selected for the packet. According to an embodiment, network traffic is at least partially balanced by redistributing only a portion of the traffic that would have been assigned to a given primary path. Move-eligibility criteria are applied to traffic to determine whether a given packet is eligible for reassignment from a primary path to an alternative path. The move-eligibility criteria determine which portion of the network traffic to move and which portion to allow to proceed as normal. In an embodiment, the criteria and functions used to determine whether a packet is redistributable are adjusted over time based on path state information.

Abstract: Network devices perform multiple stage path resolution. The path resolution may be ECMP resolution. Any particular stage of the multiple stage path resolution may be skipped under certain conditions. Further, the network device facilitate redistribution of traffic when a next hop goes down in a fast, efficient manner, and without reassigning traffic that was going to other unaffected next hops, using multiple stage ECMP resolution.

Abstract: A network device, such as a switch, implements enhanced linked-list processing features. The processing features facilitate packet manipulation actions performed, e.g., by hardware or software processes. Hardware processes may run for egress ports, for example, to traverse the linked-lists to apply the packet manipulation actions on packets before sending packets out of the ports.

Abstract: Network devices perform multiple stage path resolution. The path resolution may be ECMP resolution. Any particular stage of the multiple stage path resolution may be skipped under certain conditions. Further, the network device facilitate redistribution of traffic when a next hop goes down in a fast, efficient manner, and without reassigning traffic that was going to other unaffected next hops, using multiple stage ECMP resolution.