Providing a snapshot of buffer content in a network element using egress mirroring
AssigneeMellanox Technologies Tlv Ltd.
InventorsGil Levy, Liron Mula, Barak Gafni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A network element includes circuitry and multiple ports. The multiple ports are configured to connect to a communication network. The circuitry is configured to receive multiple packets from the communication network via one or more input ports, and store the received packets in a buffer of the network element, to schedule transmission of the packets stored in the buffer to the communication network via one or more output ports, and in response to a request to provide a snapshot of at least a portion of the buffer, to mirror for transmission, via one or more dedicated ports, only a part of the portion that was received in the network element prior to the request.
Claims22
A network element, comprising:
- multiple ports, configured to serve as one or more input ports and one or more output ports for communicating over a communication network, the ports including one or more dedicated ports for minoring;
- a buffer for storing packets received from the communication network via the input ports;
- and
- circuitry, which is configured to:
- receive a snapshot request, which requests the network element to provide a snapshot of at least a portion of the buffer;
- receive from the communication network packets to be stored in the buffer, and mark each received packet to indicate whether the packet was received before or after the snapshot request;
- schedule transmission of the packets stored in the buffer to the communication network via the output ports;
- and
- mirror for transmission, via the one or more dedicated ports, only scheduled packets that are marked as having been received before the snapshot request,
- wherein the circuitry comprises a snapshot handler that holds a snapshot flag associated with the snapshot, and wherein the circuitry is configured to flip the snapshot flag upon receiving the snapshot request, and to mark each received packet to indicate whether the packet was received before or after the snapshot request, by writing the snapshot flag into a descriptor of the packet.
A method, comprising:
- in a network element that comprises multiple ports that serve as one or more input ports and one or more output ports for communicating over a communication network, the ports including one or more dedicated ports for mirroring, receiving a snapshot request, which requests the network element to provide a snapshot of at least a portion of a buffer of the network element, wherein the buffer stores packets received from the communication network via the input ports;
- receiving from the communication network packets to be stored in the buffer, and marking each received packet to indicate whether the packet was received before or after the snapshot request;
- scheduling transmission of the packets stored in the buffer via the output ports;
- and
- mirroring for transmission, via the one or more dedicated ports, only scheduled packets that are marked as having been received before the snapshot request,
- wherein the network element comprises a snapshot handler that holds a snapshot flag associated with the snapshot, and comprising flipping the snapshot flag upon receiving the snapshot request, and wherein marking each received packet comprises writing the snapshot flag into a descriptor of the packet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.