Abstract: This disclosure relates to compressing and/or decompressing a group of similar data units, such as a table or queue of data units processed by a networking device or other computing apparatus. Each data unit in the group may only have values for fields in a master set. The described systems are particularly suited for hardware-level processing of groups of sparsely-populated data units, in which a large number of the data units have values for only a small number of the fields. In an embodiment, non-value carrying fields in a data unit are compressed based on a compression profile selected for the data unit. The compression profile indicates, for each master field, whether the compressed data unit includes a value for that field. Non-value carrying fields are omitted from the compressed data unit. The compression profile also permits compression of value-carrying fields using variable-width field lengths specified in the profile.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for multi-homing in an extended bridge, including both multi-homing of port extenders and multi-homing of end stations. In various embodiments, a controlling bridge device receives a packet via an ingress virtual port and determines a destination virtual port link aggregation group based at least in part on a destination media access control (MAC) address of an end station in the packet. The controlling bridge device selects one of multiple egress virtual ports of the destination virtual port link aggregation group. The end station of the extended bridge is reachable through any of the egress virtual ports of the destination virtual port link aggregation group. The controlling bridge device forwards the packet through the selected egress virtual port, and the forwarded packet includes an identifier of a destination virtual port to which the end station is connected.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to compressing and/or decompressing a group of similar data units, such as a table or queue of data units processed by a networking device or other computing apparatus. Each data unit in the group may only have values for fields in a master set. The described systems are particularly suited for hardware-level processing of groups of sparsely-populated data units, in which a large number of the data units have values for only a small number of the fields. In an embodiment, non-value carrying fields in a data unit are compressed based on a compression profile selected for the data unit. The compression profile indicates, for each master field, whether the compressed data unit includes a value for that field. Non-value carrying fields are omitted from the compressed data unit. The compression profile also permits compression of value-carrying fields using variable-width field lengths specified in the profile.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to compressing and/or decompressing a group of similar data units, such as a table or queue of data units processed by a networking device or other computing apparatus. Each data unit in the group may only have values for fields in a master set. The described systems are particularly suited for hardware-level processing of groups of sparsely-populated data units, in which a large number of the data units have values for only a small number of the fields. In an embodiment, non-value carrying fields in a data unit are compressed based on a compression profile selected for the data unit. The compression profile indicates, for each master field, whether the compressed data unit includes a value for that field. Non-value carrying fields are omitted from the compressed data unit. The compression profile also permits compression of value-carrying fields using variable-width field lengths specified in the profile.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to compressing and/or decompressing a group of similar data units, such as a table or queue of data units processed by a networking device or other computing apparatus. Each data unit in the group may only have values for fields in a master set. The described systems are particularly suited for hardware-level processing of groups of sparsely-populated data units, in which a large number of the data units have values for only a small number of the fields. In an embodiment, non-value carrying fields in a data unit are compressed based on a compression profile selected for the data unit. The compression profile indicates, for each master field, whether the compressed data unit includes a value for that field. Non-value carrying fields are omitted from the compressed data unit. The compression profile also permits compression of value-carrying fields using variable-width field lengths specified in the profile.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for multi-homing in an extended bridge, including both multi-homing of port extenders and multi-homing of end stations. In various embodiments, a controlling bridge device receives a packet via an ingress virtual port and determines a destination virtual port link aggregation group based at least in part on a destination media access control (MAC) address of an end station in the packet. The controlling bridge device selects one of multiple egress virtual ports of the destination virtual port link aggregation group. The end station of the extended bridge is reachable through any of the egress virtual ports of the destination virtual port link aggregation group. The controlling bridge device forwards the packet through the selected egress virtual port, and the forwarded packet includes an identifier of a destination virtual port to which the end station is connected.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for creating and detecting prefix-based entropy labels in a multi-protocol label switching communication network. Each label in a label stack is provided with at least a common prefix field and a computed hash field without the use of entropy label indicators (ELIs). Label stacks generated are processed by transit LSRs in an MPLS communications network where the transit LSR uses the first N labels of the label stack to determine the hash computations for load balancing. By scattering prefix-based entropy labels throughout the label stack, the transit LSR uses one or more prefix-based entropy labels for the hash computation.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for multi-homing in an extended bridge, including both multi-homing of port extenders and multi-homing of end stations. In various embodiments, a controlling bridge device receives a packet via an ingress virtual port and determines a destination virtual port link aggregation group based at least in part on a destination media access control (MAC) address of an end station in the packet. The controlling bridge device selects one of multiple egress virtual ports of the destination virtual port link aggregation group. The end station of the extended bridge is reachable through any of the egress virtual ports of the destination virtual port link aggregation group. The controlling bridge device forwards the packet through the selected egress virtual port, and the forwarded packet includes an identifier of a destination virtual port to which the end station is connected.

Abstract: An system comprising an ingress device configured to receive and process data, wherein the ingress device comprises a plurality of processing stages configured to process the data, wherein a configurable subset of the stages comprises a selectable tap point, and wherein the ingress device is further configured to, upon reaching a selected tap point, suspend processing and send at least a portion of the data to another device; an offload engine device configured to receive data from the ingress device, after the selected tap point has been reached, and to provide additional processing of the data, which the ingress device is not configured to provide; an egress device configured to transmit the data that has been additionally processed by the offload engine device.

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: Disclosed are various embodiments for multi-homing in an extended bridge, including both multi-homing of port extenders and multi-homing of end stations. In various embodiments, a controlling bridge device receives a packet via an ingress virtual port and determines a destination virtual port link aggregation group based at least in part on a destination media access control (MAC) address of an end station in the packet. The controlling bridge device selects one of multiple egress virtual ports of the destination virtual port link aggregation group. The end station of the extended bridge is reachable through any of the egress virtual ports of the destination virtual port link aggregation group. The controlling bridge device forwards the packet through the selected egress virtual port, and the forwarded packet includes an identifier of a destination virtual port to which the end station is connected.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a port interface that is arranged and configured to receive a packet from an ingress port, a traffic management module being operatively coupled to the port interface and that is arranged and configured to manage routing of the packet to a destination, and a packet processing engine that is arranged and configured to perform packet processing on the packet and to associate a tag with the packet, where the tag includes a packet processing source field, a destination field, and a fabric source field.

Abstract: An system comprising an ingress device configured to receive and process data, wherein the ingress device comprises a plurality of processing stages configured to process the data, wherein a configurable subset of the stages comprises a selectable tap point, and wherein the ingress device is further configured to, upon reaching a selected tap point, suspend processing and send at least a portion of the data to another device; an offload engine device configured to receive data from the ingress device, after the selected tap point has been reached, and to provide additional processing of the data, which the ingress device is not configured to provide; an egress device configured to transmit the data that has been additionally processed by the offload engine device.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a port interface that is arranged and configured to receive a packet from an ingress port, a traffic management module being operatively coupled to the port interface and that is arranged and configured to manage routing of the packet to a destination, and a packet processing engine that is arranged and configured to perform packet processing on the packet and to associate a tag with the packet, where the tag includes a packet processing source field, a destination field, and a fabric source field.