Abstract: A method of automatically configuring a port of a network element comprises the steps of discovering information that identifies or describes a second network element that is coupled to a port of a first network element; associating the port with a port role definition selected from a plurality of port role definitions based on the discovered information; retrieving one or more configuration settings that are associated with the selected port role definition; and applying the one or more configuration settings to the port.

Abstract: Device management commands are augmented with a condition that is evaluated prior to the command being executed at a managed device. If the condition is met, the command is executed; otherwise, execution of the command is rejected. An agent for operating a network device comprises a parser that receives from a network manager a conditional command communication that includes a condition and at least one management command. A preprocessor evaluates the condition. A command processor executes the management command if the condition is met, and transmits to the network manager a response indicative of management command execution status.

Abstract: A rate-based congestion control technique for internetworking devices having a plurality of input interface queues is disclosed. Rate-based polling comprises estimating the data arrival on each input interface queue while in a first sampling state, and separately, while in a second polling state, using the estimated data arrival rate on each input interface queue to determine both the sequence in which the input interface queues should be polled and the number of packets to be processed from each input interface queue. While in the polling state, data packet delay is averaged across the input interface queues so as to process the packets in their approximate arrival order irrespective of the input interface queue on which they arrive, thus enabling Quality of Service policies to be more effective. This is achieved by processing data from each input interface at a rate that is proportional to the data arrival rate at each input interface.

Abstract: A two-phase packet processing technique is provided for routing traffic in a packet-switched, integrated services network which supports a plurality of different service classes. During Phase I, packets are retrieved from the router input interface and classified in order to identify the associated priority level of each packet and/or to determine whether a particular packet is delay-sensitive. If it is determined that a particular packet is delay-sensitive, the packet is immediately and fully processed. If, however, it is determined that the packet is not delay-sensitive, full processing of the packet is deferred and the packet is stored in an intermediate data structure. During Phase II, packets stored within the intermediate data structure are retrieved and fully processes. The technique of the present invention significantly reduces packet processing latency, particularly with respect to high priority or delay-sensitive packets.

Abstract: A server installation, which includes multiple servers, services a client request using a filter index that is different than a destination address associated with the client request. This enables clients to generate client requests for a server installation in a conventional manner without regard to whether a server installation is formed by one server or multiple servers. Accordingly, when a server installation is scaled by increasing the number of servers for redundancy, load distribution or capacity reasons, reconfiguration of the clients utilizing the servers is unnecessary. In one arrangement, the data resides in a data structure having (i) a device identifier that uniquely identifies the server host among multiple server hosts, and (ii) a filter index which is different than the device identifier.

Abstract: The invention is directed to techniques for transferring data using a device driver that is arranged to prevent improper operation of a non-primary routine (e.g., an administrative operation) from causing improper operation of a primary routine (e.g., a data transfer operation). Accordingly, the primary routine can continue to operate properly after a failure of the non-primary routine. In one arrangement, a data communications device transfers data. The data communications device includes a port that couples to a network, and a processor coupled to the port. The data communications device further includes memory, coupled to the processor, that stores a device driver. The device driver has a first set of instructions that directs the processor to perform a data transfer routine that moves data between memory and the port, and a second set of instructions that directs the processor to perform an administrative routine.