EtherChannel

Abstract: In one embodiment, a connection is maintained between a pair of ethernet ports that have circuitry connected in series with the ports and receiving power-over-ethernet (PoE) from one of the ports, by providing a controllable bypass circuit coupled to the pair of ethernet ports in parallel with the circuitry receiving power-over-ethernet, sensing a preselected condition, and opening and closing the bypass circuit in response to the presence or absence of the preselected condition. Power sourcing equipment (PSE) may supply the one of the ports with power over ethernet, and the circuitry may transports data between the pair of ethernet ports. The circuitry may also supply the switch with a control signal in response to the detection of the preselected condition.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a switching processor configured to execute logic, a plurality of ports, at least some of the ports being grouped together in one or more link aggregations (LAGs), logic adapted to create at least a first virtual local area network (VLAN) interface for Ethernet traffic using transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) that is received on at least one of the plurality of ports, and logic adapted to create at least a second VLAN for storage area network (SAN) traffic using Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) and/or remote direct access memory (RDMA) over Converged Enhanced Ethernet (RoCEE) that is received on at least one of the plurality of ports, wherein no SAN traffic using FCoE and/or RoCEE is assigned to the first VLAN, and wherein no Ethernet traffic using TCP/IP is assigned to the second VLAN.

Abstract: A method for power-efficient configuration of one or more physical ports at a network device in an EtherChannel is provided. Parameters for allocation of the physical ports to a logical port are negotiated with a link partner. Thereafter, bandwidth load at the logical port is compared with the parameter. The physical ports are configured, based on the comparison.

Abstract: Network switching systems (10, 110, 210, 310, 410) for use in an Ethernet network are disclosed. Each of the switching systems includes switch devices (20) supporting multiple (e.g., eight) local ports, and one gigabit high-speed port; each of the high-speed ports are full-duplex ports. Each switching system also includes a gigabit switch device (30) having two full-duplex gigabit ports. According to one aspect of the invention, the switches (20, 30) are connected in a ring using their respective gigabit ports, with each of the switches (20, 30) having a Ring ID value. Upon receipt of a message packet at one of its local ports, the switches (20) attach a pretag with the Ring ID value upon the packet, and begin forwarding the packet around the ring until the destination address is registered with one of the switches (20, 30), or until the packet returns to the original switch (20) which, upon detecting its own Ring ID value, filters or discards the packet. According to another aspect of the invention, switches (20) have their gigabit ports connected to a crossbar-matrix switch (100); pretags added by the switches to their received packets indicate the crossbar ports to which the packets are addressed. According to another aspect of the invention, each of the switches (20, 30) applies flow control over the gigabit ports in response to a message occupying more buffer space than remaining buffers; this permits buffer space to be utilized when traffic permits, without allowing a small minority of channels to adversely affect others.