Patent ID: 9094294
Filing Date: 2015-07-28
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A machine-implemented method for reporting an out-of-credit condition for a network device connected to a network, comprising: providing, by a base-port, an indication to an out-of-credit logic that a first sub-port operating using a first protocol is out of credit to transmit information from a transmit segment; wherein the first sub-port is a part of the base-port that includes a plurality of sub-ports and each sub-port is configured to operate at more than one operating speed to process packets complying with different protocols, and wherein each of the plurality of sub-ports is connected to a dedicated network link and operates using a dedicated hardware component and a shared hardware component of the network device; determining, by the out-of-credit logic, when the first sub-port is out of credit for a threshold period of time; and reporting, by the out-of-credit logic, that the first sub-port is out of credit to a processor of the network device when there is no credit available to the first sub-port for at least the threshold period of time; wherein the same out-of-credit logic is used to monitor out-of-credit conditions when a second sub-port is configured to operate using a second protocol, wherein the first protocol is Fibre Channel and the second protocol is Ethernet or Fibre Channel over Ethernet and any of the plurality of sub-ports is configurable to operate as either a Fibre Channel port, Ethernet or Fibre Channel over Ethernet port and wherein the out-of-credit logic monitors whether a pause state is active for a second threshold period of time when the second sub-port is being monitored.