Patent ID: 8861366

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving a flow of ethernet frames at a first device via an ethernet switch; determining that a buffer at the first device exceeds a first threshold for an incoming flow; generating a first initiate pause frame operable to pause only a second device, the second device being the device that initiated the flow of ethernet frames that caused the buffer to exceed the first threshold, the first initiate pause frame comprising a substantially conventional pause frame but operating to pause the originating device at a link layer using a destination media access control address and length/type field within the first initiate pause frame that is operable to pass through intermediate switching and cause the second device to immediately stop sending data; transmitting the first initiate pause frame to the ethernet switch; continuing to receive ethernet frames associated with the flow from the ethernet switch based upon ethernet frames already received at the ethernet switch prior to the second device suspending transmission of the ethernet frames associated with the flow; continuing to monitor the buffer; and if the buffer exceeds a second threshold, transmitting a second initiate pause frame addressed directly to the ethernet switch.