Some embodiments provide a network forwarding integrated circuit (IC) that includes at least one packet processing pipeline. The packet processing pipeline includes multiple match-action stages, at least one of which includes a stateful processing unit that operates at a line rate of the network forwarding IC. The stateful processing unit is configured to receive data stored in a memory location associated with a stateful table of the match-action stage. The data includes a set of values. The stateful processing unit is further configured to identify one of a maximum value and a minimum value from the set of values, and to output the identified value for use by a next match-action stage.

Methods for performing neighbor state management between peers of a Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation Group (MCLAG) are provided. In one method, a first peer of a Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation Group (MCLAG) performs state management for each neighbor entry in a first set of neighbor entries. Similarly, a second peer of the MCLAG connected in parallel with the first peer performs state management for each neighbor entry in a second set of neighbor entries, the second set of neighbor entries containing contain at least one neighbor entry absent from the first set of neighbor entries.

The precision time protocol (PTP) runs on the peer switches in an MLAG domain. PTP messages received by one peer switch on an MLAG interface is selectively peer-forwarded to the other peer switch on the same MLAG interface in order to coordinate a synchronization session with a PTP node. The peer-forwarded messages inform one peer switch to be an active peer and the other peer switch to be an inactive peer so that timestamped messages during the synchronization session are exchanged only between the PTP node and the active peer, and hence take the same data path.

A method and apparatus for transmitting a service flow based on a flexible Ethernet, where a bandwidth resource corresponding to a bundling group (BG) of a flexible Ethernet is divided into M timeslots, service data of a service flow is encapsulated in N timeslots in the M timeslots, and the method includes: when a first PHY in the BG fails, determining, based on a preconfigured first timeslot configuration table (TCT), a target timeslot (TTS) in the N timeslots that is mapped to the first PHY; searching the M timeslots for an idle timeslot (ITS) based on the first TCT; adjusting the first TCT when a quantity of ITSs is greater than or equal to a quantity of TTSs, so that all the N timeslots are mapped to PHYs other than the first PHY; and transmitting the service flow by using the mapped PHYs of the bundling group.

A network device may assign, to a port of a plurality of ports on the network device, a precision timing protocol (PTP) port priority for PTP communications between the network device and another network device. The network device and the other network device may be communicatively connected via a plurality of links in a link aggregation group (LAG). Each port, of the plurality of ports, may be associated with a respective link, of the plurality of links, in the LAG. The network device may generate a link layer discovery protocol (LLDP) frame that includes information identifying the PTP port priority assigned to the port. The network device may transmit the LLDP frame to the other network device to identify, to the other network device, the PTP port priority.

A data packet processing method, a terminal, and a gateway, where the terminal, determines to transmit network traffic using a first network and a second network simultaneously based on an aggregation flow table, and upon that determination, the terminal sends a quantity of first uplink data packets to the gateway using a first network interface card corresponding to the first network, and sends a quantity of second uplink data packets belonging to the same Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection as the first uplink data packets to the gateway using a second network interface card corresponding to the second network, where a source Internet Protocol (IP) address carried in each of the first uplink data packets is the IP address of the first network interface card, and a source IP address carried in each of the second uplink data packets is the IP address of the second network interface card.

A method includes receiving, at an unmanaged switch, a link-aggregation control protocol (“LACP”) protocol data unit (“PDU”) on each port of two or more connections to be in a link-aggregation group (“LAG”). The ports are in the unmanaged switch, which is unconfigured for LACP and is connected over the connections to a managed switch configured for LACP. The method includes, in response to the ports that received an LACP PDU being unconfigured for LACP, configuring each port receiving an LACP PDU for LACP, creating a LAG that includes the connections of the ports that received the LACP PDUs, and starting an LACP timer. The method includes, in response to determining that the LACP timer has expired, clearing the LACP configuration of the ports configured for LACP. The LACP timer expires in response to the ports in the LAG not receiving additional LACP PDUs prior to expiration of a timer period.

A method is provided. The method comprises receiving link information for each link of aggregated links, where the received link information comprises data for each link including at least one capacity, and corresponding availability due to one or more link availability factors; and generating availability data for each capacity of the aggregated links.

A method for link aggregation of a plurality of communication links, performed in a communication arrangement, the method comprising; obtaining a data segment to be transmitted, identifying a preferred communication link out of the plurality of communication links for transmission of the data segment, and, if the preferred communication link is not available for transmission of the data segment within a current time period, identifying an alternative communication link out of the plurality of communication links different from the preferred communication link, fragmenting the data segment into at least a first fragment and a second fragment, attaching a fragment header to each of the first and second fragments, each fragment header being configured to identify the respective fragment as a fragment belonging to a data segment, and transmitting the first fragment over the alternative communication link.

A multichassis link aggregation method includes receiving, by a first network device, n pieces of second information of n second network devices. The first network device and the n second network devices are in a multichassis link aggregation group (MC-LAG), n is an integer greater than or equal to 1, the n pieces of second information include n second port keys, and the n pieces of second information are in one-to-one correspondence with the n second port keys. The method also includes determining, by the first network device, a third port key based on a first port key of the first network device and the n second port keys. The third port key is an MC-LAG configuration parameter of the first network device.