The deployment and scaling of a network of electronic devices can be improved by utilizing one or more network transpose boxes. Each transpose box can include a number of connectors and a meshing useful for implementing a specific network topology. Different tiers of a network can be connected to one or more of the network transpose boxes, and operated as a logical switch. A control server can be used to manage the control plane operations of the logical switch.

Techniques and solutions are provided for calculating bandwidth matrices for multi-stage networks using matrix operations. For example, link status information can be obtained for network devices of the multi-stage network. Using the link status information, link state matrices can be determined representing bandwidth and connectivity between network devices of adjacent stages of the multi-stage network. Bandwidth matrices can then be calculated using the link state matrices. The bandwidth matrices represent how network traffic is distributed to destination devices.

A Fibre Channel (FC) N_Port virtualization (NPV) gateway apparatus includes an NP_Port to connect to an F_Port of an FC switch of an FC fabric, a first F_Port to connect to a host device, and a second F_Port to connect to a target device. The apparatus includes shortcut path logic to create a shortcut path between the host and target devices to permit the host and target devices to communicate with one another without the communication traversing the switch. In response to receiving communication from the host device addressed to the target device, the apparatus diverts the communication to the target device over the shortcut path in lieu of sending it to the switch. In response to receiving communication from the target device addressed to the host device, the apparatus diverts the communication to the host device over the shortcut path in lieu of sending it to the switch.

A novel and efficient method is described that creates a monolithic high capacity Packet Engine (PE) by connecting N lower capacity Packet Engines (PEs) via a novel Chip-to-Chip (C2C) interface. The C2C interface is used to perform functions, such as memory bit slicing and to communicate shared information, and enqueue/dequeue operations between individual PEs.

A system and method for mapping a network to facilitating configuration is disclosed. Address registration information is appended to an enhanced local management interface message sent between devices in a network of routers and switches. A network management system for an outside network can use that information to map out the network and configure the network as needed. The address registration information includes an Internet Protocol address and an interface index. The interface index includes both slot and port number.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a fabric switch module and a border module. The fabric switch module maintains a membership in a first fabric switch. The fabric switch includes a plurality of switches and operates as a single logical switch. The border module determines that the egress switch identifier in a first encapsulation header of a first packet is associated with a switch outside of the fabric switch. The first packet is forwardable in the first fabric switch based on the first encapsulation header. In response to the determination, the border module changes the ingress switch identifier in the first encapsulation header of the first packet to a first virtual switch identifier associated with a first virtual switch. This first virtual switch externally represents the first fabric switch.

A local area network system that includes modular, multi-frequency, multi-channel, upgradable transmission nodes. The transmission nodes may include one or more independent RF modules and may be configured to include, for example, 802.11ac and may evolve to LTE and other technologies and frequency bands.

A system and method can support partition-aware routing in a multi-tenant cluster environment. An exemplary method can support one or more tenants within the multi-tenant cluster environment. The method can associate each of the one or more tenants with a partition of a plurality of partitions. The method can then associate each of the plurality of partitions with one or more nodes of a plurality of nodes, each of the plurality of nodes being associated with a leaf switch of a plurality of switches, the plurality of switches comprising a plurality of leaf switches and a plurality of root switches. Finally, the method can generate one or more linear forwarding tables, the one or more linear forwarding tables providing isolation between the plurality of partitions, wherein each of the plurality of nodes is associated with a partitioning order.

In one example, a plurality of network devices forming an Internet protocol (IP) fabric includes first, second, third, and fourth network devices. The first network device includes a plurality of network interfaces communicatively coupled to at least the third and fourth network devices of the plurality of network devices, which are between the first network device and the second network device. The first network device also includes one or more hardware-based processors configured to determine available bandwidths for the third network device and the fourth network device toward the second network device, determine a ratio between the available bandwidths for the third and fourth network devices, and forward data (e.g., packets or bytes) toward the second network device such that a ratio between amounts of the data forwarded to the third and fourth network devices corresponds to the ratio between the available bandwidths.

An integrated circuit includes an exact-match flow table structure, a crossbar switch, and an egress packet modifier. Each flow entry includes an egress action value, an egress flow number, and an egress port number. A Flow Id is generated from an incoming packet. The Flow Id is used to obtain a matching flow entry. A portion of the packet is communicated across the crossbar switch to the egress packet modifier, along with the egress action value and flow number. The egress action value is used to obtain non-flow specific header information stored in a first egress memory. The egress flow number is used to obtain flow specific header information stored in a second egress memory. The egress packet modifier adds the header information onto the portion of the packet, thereby generating a complete packet. The complete packet is then output from an egress port indicated by the egress port number.