A switch capable of on-the-fly reduction in a network is provided. The switch is equipped with a reduction engine that can be dynamically configured to perform on-the-fly reduction. As a result, the network can facilitate an efficient and scalable environment for high performance computing.

A network interface controller (NIC) capable of efficiently utilizing an output buffer is provided. The NIC can be equipped with an output buffer, a host interface, an injector logic block, and an allocation logic block. The output buffer can include a plurality of cells, each of which can be a unit of storage in the output buffer. If the host interface receives a command from a host device, the injector logic block can generate a packet based on the command. The allocation logic block can then determine whether the packet is a multi-cell packet. If the packet is a multi-cell packet, the allocation logic block can determine a virtual index for the packet. The allocation logic block can then store, in an entry in a data structure, the virtual index, and a set of physical indices of cells storing the packet.

A network interface controller (NIC) capable of efficiently utilizing an output buffer is provided. The NIC can be equipped with an output buffer, a host interface, an injector logic block, and an allocation logic block. The output buffer can include a plurality of cells, each of which can be a unit of storage in the output buffer. If the host interface receives a command from a host device, the injector logic block can generate a packet based on the command. The allocation logic block can then determine whether the packet is a multi-cell packet. If the packet is a multi-cell packet, the allocation logic block can determine a virtual index for the packet. The allocation logic block can then store, in an entry in a data structure, the virtual index, and a set of physical indices of cells storing the packet.

Examples described herein relate to a network interface device comprising circuitry to: allocate a first number of buffers to store received packets associated with a first descriptor ring; allocate a second number of buffers to store received packets associated with a second descriptor ring; and based on receipt of a packet, copy the received packet into a number of buffers based on whether the received packet is associated with the first descriptor ring or the second descriptor ring. In some examples, the circuitry is to copy the received packet starting at an offset from a start of a starting buffer in a number of buffers, wherein the offset is based on whether the received packet is associated with the first descriptor ring or the second descriptor ring and wherein the number of buffers is based on whether the received packet is associated with the first descriptor ring or the second descriptor ring.

Examples described herein relate to a network interface device comprising circuitry to: allocate a first number of buffers to store received packets associated with a first descriptor ring; allocate a second number of buffers to store received packets associated with a second descriptor ring; and based on receipt of a packet, copy the received packet into a number of buffers based on whether the received packet is associated with the first descriptor ring or the second descriptor ring. In some examples, the circuitry is to copy the received packet starting at an offset from a start of a starting buffer in a number of buffers, wherein the offset is based on whether the received packet is associated with the first descriptor ring or the second descriptor ring and wherein the number of buffers is based on whether the received packet is associated with the first descriptor ring or the second descriptor ring.

Techniques for moving buffers between ports, or virtual lanes of a port, of a networking device of a credited network while maintaining the ports in an active state without dropping any frames. The techniques may include determining that a number of buffers are to be reallocated from a first port of a networking device to a second port of the networking device. The techniques may also include causing a peer port connected to the first port to decrement, by the number, a transmit credit counter associated with the peer port. Based at least in part on determining that the peer port decremented the transmit credit counter, the first port may release the number of the buffers from a buffer pool associated with the first port, and the number of the buffers may be reallocated to the second port.

Techniques for moving buffers between ports, or virtual lanes of a port, of a networking device of a credited network while maintaining the ports in an active state without dropping any frames. The techniques may include determining that a number of buffers are to be reallocated from a first port of a networking device to a second port of the networking device. The techniques may also include causing a peer port connected to the first port to decrement, by the number, a transmit credit counter associated with the peer port. Based at least in part on determining that the peer port decremented the transmit credit counter, the first port may release the number of the buffers from a buffer pool associated with the first port, and the number of the buffers may be reallocated to the second port.

Data-driven intelligent networking systems and methods are provided. The system can accommodate dynamic traffic while applying injection limits to different traffic classes at an ingress edge port. The system can maintain state information of individual packet flows, which can be set up or released dynamically based on injected data. Each flow can be provided with a flow-specific input queue upon arriving at a switch. Packets of a respective flow can be acknowledged after reaching the egress point of the network, and the acknowledgement packets can be sent back to the ingress point of the flow along the same data path. Furthermore, an edge switch can dynamically allocate the ingress port bandwidth among the traffic classes that are active at a given moment.

Methods and systems are provided for performing lossy dropping and ECN marking in a flow-based network. The system can maintain state information of individual packet flows, which can be set up or released dynamically based on injected data. Each flow can be provided with a flow-specific input queue upon arriving at a switch. Packets of a respective flow are acknowledged after reaching the egress point of the network, and the acknowledgement packets are sent back to the ingress point of the flow along the same data path. As a result, each switch can obtain state information of each flow and perform per-flow packet dropping and ECN marking.

Methods and systems are provided for performing lossy dropping and ECN marking in a flow-based network. The system can maintain state information of individual packet flows, which can be set up or released dynamically based on injected data. Each flow can be provided with a flow-specific input queue upon arriving at a switch. Packets of a respective flow are acknowledged after reaching the egress point of the network, and the acknowledgement packets are sent back to the ingress point of the flow along the same data path. As a result, each switch can obtain state information of each flow and perform per-flow packet dropping and ECN marking.