Mitigating priority flow control deadlock in stretch topologies

A non-transitory computer readable storage device including instructions that, where executed by a processor, enable the processor to perform an operation, the operation, comprising:

• initializing a plurality of queues in a buffer of a leaf switch at a local cluster of a site in a network fabric including a plurality of clusters, wherein each queue of the plurality of queues corresponds to a respective one cluster of the plurality of clusters;
• receiving a pause command for no-drop traffic on the leaf switch, the pause command including an internal Class-of-Service (iCoS) identifier associated with a particular cluster of the plurality of clusters and a corresponding queue in the plurality of queues;
• and
• in response to determining that the iCoS identifier is associated with a different cluster than the local cluster:
• forwarding the pause command to a local spine switch in the local cluster;
• and
• implementing the pause command on the corresponding queue in the buffer.

A network switch, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory, including a buffer and instructions that when executed by the processor enable the network switch to:
• initialize a plurality of queues in the buffer, wherein each queue of the plurality of queues corresponds to a respective one cluster of a plurality of clusters in a site of a network fabric in which the network switch is deployed;
• receive a pause command for no-drop traffic, the pause command including an internal Class-of-Service (iCoS) identifier associated with a particular cluster of the plurality of clusters and a corresponding queue in the plurality of queues;
• in response to determining that the iCoS identifier is associated with a local cluster to which the network switch is deployed:
• implementing the pause command on the corresponding queue in the buffer;
• and
• in response to determining that the iCoS identifier is associated with a different cluster than the local cluster:
• forwarding the pause command to a local spine switch in the local cluster;
• and
• implementing the pause command on the corresponding queue in the buffer.