Abstract: A device with dynamically tunable heterogeneous latencies includes an input port configured to receive a packet via a network, and a processing module configured to determine multiple values corresponding to a number of qualifying parameters associated with the packet. The processing module may use the values to generate a selector value and may allocate a latency mode to the packet based on the selector value.

Abstract: A system, method, and a computer readable medium for transmitting a packet in a network are provided. An overlay network is a virtual network that transmits a packet between a plurality of controlling bridges and a plurality of port extenders. A port extender connects to multiple servers in the server rack and a controlling bridge transmits packets over a network outside of the servers in the server rack. A mapping between virtual ports of a port extender and a controlling bridge is provided, such that the mapping enables the packet transmission in the overlay network.

Abstract: A device with dynamically tunable heterogeneous latencies includes an input port configured to receive a packet via a network, and a processing module configured to determine multiple values corresponding to a number of qualifying parameters associated with the packet. The processing module may use the values to generate a selector value and may allocate a latency mode to the packet based on the selector value.

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: A network device for providing statistical sampling of packet at a port. The network device includes an ingress module for randomly selecting a packet at one of a plurality of ports for statistical sampling and an egress module for randomly selecting a packet at one of a plurality of ports for statistical sampling. The network device also includes a processing module for receiving a copy of a selected packet from at least one of the ingress module or egress module and for performing statistical flow processing on the packet.

Abstract: A network device for processing packets. The network device includes applying specific fields from a packet to an associated memory device and comparing means for comparing input to the memory device with entries in the memory device. The network device also includes enabling means for enabling selection of bits, by the memory device, that are required to match exactly with bits from the input to the memory device. The network device further includes outputting means for outputting an address for a matched entry by the memory device and applying means for applying a match from the memory device to an associated entry in a table for applying actions from the table that are associated with the match to the packet.

Abstract: A network device for implementing mirroring on packets. The network device includes a plurality of ports, each of which is at least one of an ingress port, an egress port and a mirror-to port. The network device also includes processing means for supporting a plurality of mirroring types. Each of the ingress port, egress port and mirror-to port includes at least one register for supporting the plurality of mirroring types. To support mirroring at each of the ingress port, egress port and mirror-to port predefined bits in the at least one register are set. When an incoming packet is received, the predefined bits are examined to determine which of the plurality of mirroring types to apply to the packet.

Abstract: A network device for implementing VLAN translation on a packet. The network device includes a user network interface port for receiving and transmitting packets to customers of a network. The network device also includes a network to network interface port for communicating with a second network device in the network. A packet received at the user network interface port is classified, translated based on a predefined provider field associated with the packet, and encapsulated with a tag that is removed when the packet is transmitted from the user network interface port to a customer.

Abstract: A network device that processes packets and includes at least one legacy component for performing basic processing on packets in the network device. The network device further includes at least one advanced component for performing advanced processing, which can not be performed by the legacy component, on packets in the network device. When an incoming packet to the legacy component requires advanced processing, the legacy component performs the basic processing and transmits the packet to a loop-back port on advanced component. Upon receiving the packet, basic processing is disabled on the advanced component and advanced processing is performed on the packet.

Abstract: Methods and systems for processing packets in data network using multistage classification are disclosed. An example method for processing packets includes receiving a data packet at a first processing stage and examining the packet at the first processing stage to determine a first attribute of the packet. Based on the first attribute, a first classification is assigned to the packet. In the example method, the packet and the first classification are communicated from the first processing stage to a second processing stage and the packet is examined at the second processing stage to determine a second attribute of the packet. Based on the second attribute, a second classification is assigned to the packet. The example method further includes processing the packet based on the first classification and the second classification.

Abstract: A method of handling a datagram in a network device is disclosed. The steps include receiving a datagram, with the datagram having multiple field values, at a port of a network device, parsing the received datagram to obtain the field values, applying the parsed field values to a Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM), determining matches between the parsed field values and predetermined criteria in the TCAM, indexing into a policy table based on the determined matches to obtain an action entry and taking an action based on the obtained action entry.

Abstract: A network device for processing packets includes an ingress module for performing switching functions on an incoming packet, a memory management unit for storing packets and performing resource checks on each packet and an egress module for performing packet modification and transmitting a modified packet to an appropriate egress port. The egress module is configured to send an unmodified version of the incoming packet to an ingress mirrored-to-port when an ingress port, upon which the incoming packet is received, is configured to mirror packets received by the ingress port.

Abstract: A network device for selecting a port from a trunk group to transmit a unicast packet on the selected port. The network device includes at least one trunk group including a plurality of physical ports. The network device also includes a table with a plurality of entries. Each entry is associated with one trunk group and includes a plurality of fields that are associated with ports in the trunk group. Each entry also includes a hash field that is used to select bits from predefined fields of an incoming unicast packet to obtain an index bit for accessing one of the plurality of fields. The network device further includes transmitting means for transmitting the unicast packet to a port associated with an accessed one of the plurality of fields.

Abstract: A network device for selecting a port from a trunk group to transmit a unicast packet on the selected port. The network device includes at least one trunk group including a plurality of physical ports. The network device also includes a table with a plurality of entries. Each entry is associated with one trunk group and includes a plurality of fields that are associated with ports in the trunk group. Each entry also includes a hash field that is used to select bits from predefined fields of an incoming unicast packet to obtain an index bit for accessing one of the plurality of fields. The network device transmits the unicast packet to a port associated with an accessed one of the plurality of fields.

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: A network device for uniform distribution of non-unicast traffic, such as layer 2 broadcast, layer 2 multicast, unknown unicast and layer 3 multicast on a truch group. The network device includes at least one trunk group including a plurality of physical ports. The network device is connected to at least one other network device by a number of the plurality of physical ports. The network device also includes a table with a plurality of entries, wherein each entry is associated with the number of the plurality of physical ports on the network device. Each entry specifies if a packet should be transmitted on one of the plurality of physical ports. The network device further includes hashing means for hashing a predefined number of bits from predefined fields in the packet to select one entry in the table. The selected entry is used to identify a destination port. The network device also includes transmitting means for transmitting the packet to the destination port.

Abstract: Methods and systems for processing packets in data network using multistage classification are disclosed. An example method for processing packets includes receiving a data packet at a first processing stage and examining the packet at the first processing stage to determine a first attribute of the packet. Based on the first attribute, a first classification is assigned to the packet. In the example method, the packet and the first classification are communicated from the first processing stage to a second processing stage and the packet is examined at the second processing stage to determine a second attribute of the packet. Based on the second attribute, a second classification is assigned to the packet. The example method further includes processing the packet based on the first classification and the second classification.

Abstract: A network device for implementing mirroring on packets. The network device includes a plurality of ports, each of which is at least one of an ingress port, an egress port and a mirror-to port. The network device also includes processing means for supporting a plurality of mirroring types. Each of the ingress port, egress port and mirror-to port includes at least one register for supporting the plurality of mirroring types. To support mirroring at each of the ingress port, egress port and mirror-to port predefined bits in the at least one register are set. When an incoming packet is received, the predefined bits are examined to determine which of the plurality of mirroring types to apply to the packet.

Abstract: A network device for selecting a port from a trunk group to transmit a unicast packet on the selected port. The network device includes at least one trunk group including a plurality of physical ports. The network device also includes a table with a plurality of entries. Each entry is associated with one trunk group and includes a plurality of fields that are associated with ports in the trunk group. Each entry also includes a hash field that is used to select bits from predefined fields of an incoming unicast packet to obtain an index bit for accessing one of the plurality of fields. The network device further includes transmitting means for transmitting the unicast packet to a port associated with an accessed one of the plurality of fields.

Abstract: A network device that processes packets and includes at least one legacy component for performing basic processing on packets in the network device. The network device further includes at least one advanced component for performing advanced processing, which can not be performed by the legacy component, on packets in the network device. When an incoming packet to the legacy component requires advanced processing, the legacy component performs the basic processing and transmits the packet to a loop-back port on advanced component. Upon receiving the packet, basic processing is disabled on the advanced component and advanced processing is performed on the packet.