Many network protocols, including certain Ethernet protocols, include specifications for multiplexing using of virtual lanes. Due to skews and/or other uncertainties associated with the process, packets from virtual lanes may arrive at the receiver out of order. The present disclosure discusses implementations of receivers that may use multiplexer based crossbars, such as Clos networks, to reorder the lanes. State-based controllers for the Clos networks and state-based methods to assign routes in are also discussed.

A method of sending data to a switch fabric includes assigning a destination port of an output module to a data packet based on at least one field in a first header of the data packet. A module associated with a first stage of the switch fabric is selected based on at least one field in the first header. A second header is appended to the data packet. The second header includes an identifier associated with the destination port of the output module. The data packet is sent to the module associated with the first stage. The module associated with the first stage is configured to send the data packet to a module associated with a second stage of the switch fabric based on the second header.

In general, techniques are described for facilitating balanced cell handling by fabric cores of a fabric plane for an internal device switch fabric. In some examples, a routing system includes a plurality of fabric endpoints and a switching fabric comprising a fabric plane to switch cells among the fabric endpoints. The fabric plane includes two fabric cores and one or more inter-core links connecting the fabric cores. Each fabric core selects an output port of the fabric core to which to route a received cell of the cells based on (i) an input port of the fabric core on which the received cell was received and (ii) a destination fabric endpoint for the received cell, at least a portion of the selected output ports being connected to the inter-core links, and switches the received cell to the selected output port.

Many network protocols, including certain Ethernet protocols, include specifications for multiplexing using of virtual lanes. Due to skews and/or other uncertainties associated with the process, packets from virtual lanes may arrive at the receiver out of order. The present disclosure discusses implementations of receivers that may use multiplexer based crossbars, such as Clos networks, to reorder the lanes. State-based controllers for the Clos networks and state-based methods to assign routes in are also discussed.

One embodiment describes a network system. The system includes a primary enclosure including a network switch system that includes a plurality of physical interface ports. A first one of the plurality of physical interface ports is to communicatively couple to a network. The system further includes a sub-enclosure comprising a network interface card (NIC) to which a computer system is communicatively coupled and a downlink extension module (DEM) that is communicatively coupled with the NIC and a second one of the plurality of physical interface ports of the network switch system to provide network connectivity of the computer system to the network via the network switch system.

Many network protocols, including certain Ethernet protocols, include specifications for multiplexing using of virtual lanes. Due to skews and/or other uncertainties associated with the process, packets from virtual lanes may arrive at the receiver out of order. The present disclosure discusses implementations of receivers that may use multiplexer based crossbars, such as Clos networks, to reorder the lanes. State-based controllers for the Clos networks and state-based methods to assign routes in are also discussed.

Described are embodiments of methods, apparatuses, and systems for multi-protocol tunneling across a multi-protocol I/O interconnect of computer apparatus. A multi-protocol I/O interconnect may include a switching fabric operatively coupled to a first protocol-specific controller and a second protocol-specific controller, and may be configured to simultaneously route packets of the first protocol to the first protocol-specific controller and packets of the second protocol to the second protocol-specific controller. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

In general, techniques are described for facilitating balanced cell handling by fabric cores of a fabric plane for an internal device switch fabric. In some examples, a routing system includes a plurality of fabric endpoints and a switching fabric comprising a fabric plane to switch cells among the fabric endpoints. The fabric plane includes two fabric cores and one or more inter-core links connecting the fabric cores. Each fabric core selects an output port of the fabric core to which to route a received cell of the cells based on (i) an input port of the fabric core on which the received cell was received and (ii) a destination fabric endpoint for the received cell, at least a portion of the selected output ports being connected to the inter-core links, and switches the received cell to the selected output port.

A crossbar switch is disclosed having a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port, the crossbar switch comprising: a first switching element coupled between the first port and the third port; a second switching element coupled between the first port and the fourth port; a third switching element coupled between the second port and the third port; and a fourth switching element coupled between the second port and the fourth port, wherein the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, and the fourth switching element are configured to couple only one of the first port and the second port to the third port, at any given time.

A crossbar switch is disclosed having a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port, the crossbar switch comprising: a first switching element coupled between the first port and the third port; a second switching element coupled between the first port and the fourth port; a third switching element coupled between the second port and the third port; and a fourth switching element coupled between the second port and the fourth port, wherein the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, and the fourth switching element are configured to couple only one of the first port and the second port to the third port, at any given time.