A router configured to implement Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) includes circuitry configured to receive BGP updates from one or more BGP peers connected to the router, detect a trigger related to BGP updates where the trigger is indicative of a need to apply backpressure by the one or more BGP peers, and send a backpressure notification message to the one or more BGP peers based on the trigger, such that the one or more BGP peers apply the backpressure. The circuitry can be further configured to monitor one or more criteria associated with operation of the router, for the trigger.

A router configured to implement Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) includes circuitry configured to receive BGP updates from one or more BGP peers connected to the router, detect a trigger related to BGP updates where the trigger is indicative of a need to apply backpressure by the one or more BGP peers, and send a backpressure notification message to the one or more BGP peers based on the trigger, such that the one or more BGP peers apply the backpressure. The circuitry can be further configured to monitor one or more criteria associated with operation of the router, for the trigger.

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a flow control module configured to receive a first data packet from an output queue of a stage of a multi-stage switch at a first rate when an available capacity of the output queue crosses a first threshold. The flow control module is configured to receive a second data packet from the output queue of the stage of the multi-stage switch at a second rate when the available capacity of the output queue crosses a second threshold. The flow control module configured to send a flow control signal to an edge device of the multi-stage switch from which the first data packet or the second data packet entered the multi-stage switch.

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a flow control module configured to receive a first data packet from an output queue of a stage of a multi-stage switch at a first rate when an available capacity of the output queue crosses a first threshold. The flow control module is configured to receive a second data packet from the output queue of the stage of the multi-stage switch at a second rate when the available capacity of the output queue crosses a second threshold. The flow control module configured to send a flow control signal to an edge device of the multi-stage switch from which the first data packet or the second data packet entered the multi-stage switch.

A switching device in a network system for transferring data includes one or more source line cards, one or more destination line cards and a switching fabric coupled to the source line cards and the destination line cards to enable data communication between any source line card and destination line card. Each source line card includes a request generator to generate a request signal to be transmitted in order to obtain an authorization to transmit data. Each destination line card includes a grant generator to generate and send back a grant signal to the source line card in response to the request signal received at the destination line card to authorize the source line card to transmit a data cell to the destination line card.

A method and system for tracking and managing network flows including receiving a first flow counter value for a flow of first flows and determining that the flow is an elephant flow. The method further includes obtaining flow egress port information by determining an egress port on a switch for each of the first flows, obtaining port congestion information for the switch, where the port congestion information includes port congestion data for each egress port, and selecting, based on the port congestion information and the flow egress port information, a new egress port for the flow, and sending a request to update a switch chip on the switch, where the request specifies that subsequently received packets for the flow are to be forwarded out of the new egress port.

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a switch fabric having at least a first switch stage and a second switch stage, an edge device operatively coupled to the switch fabric and a management module. The edge device is configured to send a first portion of a data stream to the switch fabric such that the first portion of the data stream is received at a queue of the second switch stage of the switch fabric via the first switch stage of the switch fabric. The management module is configured to send a flow control signal configured to trigger the edge device to suspend transmission of a second portion of the data stream when a congestion level of the queue of the second switch stage of the switch fabric satisfies a condition in response to the first portion of the data stream being received at the queue.

Embodiments relate to transmission of control data between a network switch and a switch controller is provided. Aspects of the embodiments includes: configuring a plurality of control data packets by the switch controller, wherein configuring includes disposing a sequence number in each of the plurality of control data packets indicating an order of data packet transmission; storing the plurality of control data packets in a replay buffer in communication with the switch controller; transmitting the plurality of control data packets to the network switch over a secure link between the switch controller and the network switch; and responsive to determining that one or more control data packets were not received by the network switch, retrieving the one or more control data packets from the replay buffer and re-transmitting the one or more control data packets to the network switch.

This application describes routing packets from a source server to a plurality of ports of a switch. The switch is programmed by the control server and is used to direct incoming data packets to one or more ports of the switch in a manner that reduces congestion of incoming data packets to a destination server. Further, the control server queries congestion information from the switch, and then sends congestion notification back to the source server to either increase or decrease the amount of data being sent to the destination server.

A method for transmission of control data between a network switch and a switch controller is provided. The method includes: configuring a plurality of control data packets by the switch controller, wherein configuring includes disposing a sequence number in each of the plurality of control data packets indicating an order of data packet transmission; storing the plurality of control data packets in a replay buffer in communication with the switch controller; transmitting the plurality of control data packets to the network switch over a secure link between the switch controller and the network switch; and responsive to determining that one or more control data packets were not received by the network switch, retrieving the one or more control data packets from the replay buffer and re-transmitting the one or more control data packets to the network switch.