Some embodiments of the invention provide a forwarding element that can be configured through in-band data-plane messages from a remote controller that is a physically separate machine from the forwarding element. The forwarding element of some embodiments has data plane circuits that include several configurable message-processing stages, several storage queues, and a data-plane configurator. A set of one or more message-processing stages of the data plane are configured (1) to process configuration messages received by the data plane from the remote controller and (2) to store the configuration messages in a set of one or more storage queues. The data-plane configurator receives the configuration messages stored in the set of storage queues and configures one or more of the configurable message-processing stages based on configuration data in the configuration messages.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a service management module and a packet processor. During operation, the service management module identifies a service provided by an appliance coupled to the switch via a local port. The packet processor constructs a notification message for a remote switch. The notification message includes information about the service and the appliance. In this way, the switch allows the remote switch to request the service.

A method and a first device (110) of a switched network (100), for managing data frames received, at a first port, from a second device (120) are disclosed. The first device (110) handles the first port and a second port for transfer of data frames between the first and second devices (110, 120). The first device (110) is addressable by a Media Access Control address, “MAC address”, associated with the first port. The first device (110) receives (201), from the second device (120), at least one data frame at the second port. The first device (110) sends (202), on the first port, a message including the MAC address associated with the first port.

An automated multi-fabric link aggregation system includes leaf switch devices that have leaf switch device downlink ports, that are included in a first network fabric, and that are aggregated to provide a first aggregation fabric. Each leaf switch device generates discovery communications including a first network fabric identifier for the first network fabric, and a first aggregation fabric identifier for the first aggregation fabric. The leaf switch devices then transmit the discovery communications via the leaf switch device downlink ports. I/O modules that have I/O module uplink port are included in a second network fabric and are aggregated to provide a second aggregation fabric. The I/O modules receive the discovery communications via each of the I/O module uplink ports, determine that each received discovery communication includes the first network fabric identifier and the first aggregation fabric identifier and, in response, automatically configure the I/O module uplink ports in a LAG.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for facilitating synchronization of MAC addresses in a fabric switch. During operation, the system divides a number of media access control (MAC) addresses associated with devices coupled to an interface of the switch. The system then computes a checksum for a respective chunk of MAC addresses. In addition, the system broadcasts MAC address information of the chunk to facilitate MAC address synchronization in a fabric switch of which the switch is a member, and to manage the chunks and their corresponding checksum, thereby correcting an unsynchronized or race condition in the fabric switch.

A networking device including a plurality of client ports arranged for communicating with a plurality of clients, a service port arranged for communicating with a machine arranged to communicate with the plurality of clients, and networking componentry arranged to communicate electromagnetic communications between the plurality of client ports and the service port.

System and method for supporting a partitioned switch forwarding table in a high performance computing environment. Described methods and systems can support partitioned switch forwarding tables (e.g., partitioned LFTs) by setting up hardware registers that divide the LFT into at least two partitions, a first partition that supports legacy forwarding (e.g., standard LID based forwarding without the need to use portions of the GRH), and a second partition to support the GRH based forwarding that is described above. In such a manner, switches and other hardware within a core fabric can behave as legacy nodes/switches having standard LFTs, while also being able to support the extended addressing supplied through the use of portions of the GRH.

An example communications device may include physical communication interfaces and processing circuitry. In response to detecting that two of the physical communications interfaces are both connected to a same peer device as one another, the communications device may automatically configure the two interfaces for aggregation into the same link aggregation group. The communications device may then automatically begin negotiations with the peer device for establishment of the first link aggregation group.

A method of operating a storage system is provided. The method includes establishing a security context between a client and the storage system, the security context comprising a single ticket for multiple nodes within the storage system. The method includes distributing a first request to a first blade within the storage system and distributing a second request to a second blade within the storage system. The distributing the first request and the second request includes determining a node for handling the first request and the second request based on data within the single ticket.

A switch device includes: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: identify an adjacent switch device using a function that is operable even when a function of relaying communication is inoperable; confirm communication with the adjacent switch device which is identified, by using the function of relaying communication; and determine whether or not there is a silent failure in the switch device, based on a result of the communication confirmation.