Patent ID: 11134125

Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for supporting active link status during LAN interface reset and reconfigurations. Under one aspect, during normal operations traffic is transmitted over an Ethernet link coupling a first link partner to a second link partner. In response to a network interface re-configuration event, transmission of traffic over the Ethernet link is paused while keeping the Physical layer (PHY) of the Ethernet link active. The configuration of the first link partner is updated while the transmission of traffic is paused and the PHY of the Ethernet link is active. Upon completion of the configuration update, the link partners resume transmission of traffic over the Ethernet link. Additional schemes are provided that support re-configuration of network interfaces that support link and per priority flow control. According to another aspect, separate power domains are used for the PHY and the MAC circuitry, enabling the MAC circuitry to be reset via a power cycle while maintaining power to the PHY circuitry.