A first node of a packet switched network transmits at least one flow of protocol data units of a network to at least one output context of one of a plurality of second nodes of the network. The first node includes X virtual output queues (VOQs). The first node receives, from at least one of the second nodes, at least one fair rate record. Each fair rate record corresponds to a particular second node output context and describes a recommended rate of flow to the particular output context. The first node allocates up to X of the VOQs among flows corresponding to i) currently allocated VOQs, and ii) the flows corresponding to the received fair rate records. The first node operates each allocated VOQ according to the corresponding recommended rate of flow until a deallocation condition obtains for the each allocated VOQ.

A server includes a normal NIC as an NIC having an expansion function, and a virtual patch panel having a transfer function of transferring packets between the normal NIC and an accelerator utilization type NIC, which is implemented by software. The server is configured such that, when a packet is transferred between the normal NIC and the accelerator utilization type NIC via the virtual patch panel, the target function transfers the packet to and from the APLs.

Each switch unit in a networking system shares its local state information among other switch units in the networking system, collectively referred to as the shared forwarding state. Each switch unit creates a respective set of output queues that correspond to ports on other switch unites based on the shared forwarding state. A received packet on an ingress switch unit operating in accordance with a first routing protocol instance can be enqueued on an output queue in the ingress switch; the packet is subsequently processed by the egress switch unit, operating in accordance with a second routing protocol instance that corresponds to the output queue.

A packet processing method and device are provided, to save CPU resources consumed by parsing a packet. The method includes: parsing, by an intelligent network interface card, a received first packet to obtain an identifier of the first packet; updating, by the intelligent network interface card, a control field of a first memory buffer based on the identifier of the first packet; storing, by the intelligent network interface card, a payload of the first packet or a packet header and a payload of the first packet into the first address space through DMA based on an aggregation position of the first packet; aggregating, by a host, the first address information and at least one piece of second address information based on an updated control field in the first mbuf; and reading, by a virtual machine, address information, to obtain data in an address space indicated by the address information.

A network switch is capable of supporting cut-through switching and interface channelization with enhanced system performance. The network switch includes a plurality of ingress tiles, each tile including a virtual output queue (VOQ) scheduler operable to submit schedule requests to a fabric scheduler. Data is requested in unit of quantum, which may aggregate multiple packets, and which reduces schedule latency. Each request is associated with a start-of-quantum (SoR) state or a middle-of-quantum (MoR) state to support cut-through. The fabric scheduler performs a multi-stage scheduling process to progressively narrow the selection of requests, including stages of arbitration in virtual output port level, virtual output port group level, tile level, egress port level, and port group level. Each tile receives the grants for its requests and accordingly sends request data to a switch fabric for transmission to the destination egress ports.

Described embodiments provide systems and methods for upgrading user space networking stacks without disruptions to network traffic. A first packet engine can read connection information of existing connections of a second packet engine written to a shared memory region by the second packet engine. The first packet engine can establish one or more virtual connections according to the connection information of existing connections of the second packet engine. Each of the first packet engine and the second packet engine can receive mirrored traffic data. The first packet engine can receive a first packet and determine that the first packet is associated with a virtual connection corresponding to an existing connection of the second packet engine. The first packet engine can drop the first packet responsive to the determination that the first packet is associated with the virtual connection.

Aspects include includes receiving, at an input/output (I/O) processor, a transport control word (TCW) that includes an instruction to perform virtual port mirroring. The I/O processor identifies a first port to be mirrored and a virtual port to perform the mirroring. The virtual port is a first memory location in a memory. In response to outbound data being sent to the first port for transmission to a first target device and to the instruction specifying outbound port mirroring, the I/O processor stores a copy of the outbound data in the first memory location. In response to inbound data being received at the first port and to the instruction specifying inbound port mirroring, a copy of the inbound data is stored at the first memory location.

The invention provides a data communication method, including: sending, by the first electrical node, request information to an electrical node, where the request information is used to request an expected data volume quota of a first VOQ, and the first VOQ stores at least one first data packet to be sent to the electrical node; receiving response information, where the response information includes a target data volume quota; and sending the at least one first data packet to the electrical node via the at least one optical node based on the target data volume quota.

A system and method can support efficient packet switching in a network environment. A networking device, such as a network switch, which includes a crossbar fabric, can be associated with a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports. Furthermore, the networking device operates to detect a link state change at an output port on the networking device. The output port can provide one or more credits to an output scheduler, and the output scheduler allows one or more packets targeting the output port to be dequeued from one or more virtual output queues, based on the one or more credits.

A system and method can support packet switching in a network environment. A networking device, such as a network switch, which includes a crossbar fabric, can be associated with a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports. Furthermore, the networking device can detect a link state change at an output port that is associated with the networking device. Then, the networking device can notify one or more input ports, via the output port, of the link state change at the output port.