Abstract: A network device processes received packets at least to determine port or ports of the network device via which to transmit the packet. The network device also classifies the packets into packet flows, the packet flows being further categorized into traffic pattern categories characteristic of traffic pattern characteristics of the packet flows. The network device buffers, according to the traffic pattern categories of the packet flows, packets that belong to the packet flows in a first packet memory or in a second packet memory, the first packet memory having a memory access bandwidth different from a memory access bandwidth of the second packet memory. After processing the packets, the network device retrieves the packets from the first packet memory or the second packet memory in which the packets are buffered, and forwards the packets to the determined one or more ports for transmission of the packets.

Abstract: Packets received by a network switch device from upstream network devices, coupled to respective ones of a plurality of ports of the network switch device, are temporarily stored in an internal memory of the network switch device. In response to detecting a first congestion state in the internal memory, the network switch device transmits a first flow control message via a first subset of ports, without transmitting the flow control message via any port not included in the first subset of ports, to cause upstream network devices in a first subset of upstream network devices to temporarily suspend transmission of packets to the network switch device. The network switch device alternates between causing different subsets of the network devices to temporarily suspend transmission of packets to the network switch device, while continuing to monitor congestion in the internal memory of the network switch device.

Abstract: A network device receives a packet is received from a network, and determines at least one port, among a plurality of ports of the network device, via which the packet is to be transmitted. The network device also determines an amount of free buffer space in a buffer memory of the network device, and dynamically determines, based at least in part on the amount of free buffer space, respective thresholds for triggering ones of multiple traffic management operations to be performed based on the packet. Using the respective thresholds, the network device determines whether or not to trigger ones of the multiple traffic management operations with respect to the packet. The network device performs one or more of the traffic management operations with respect to the packet determined to be triggered based on the corresponding one of the respective thresholds.