Apparatus and method for processing flush requests within a packet network

A requester device for use in a packet network to receive a flush request generated by a remote agent requesting that one or more data items be flushed to a point of persistence, the requester device comprising translation circuitry to translate the flush request into a packet-based flush command conforming to a packet protocol of the packet network, for onward transmission through the packet network to a completer device used to trigger a flush operation within a persistence domain incorporating the point of persistence:

• wherein the packet-based flush command is arranged to identify a flush type and the flush type is used to distinguish between
• an address-based flush type where the one or more data items to be flushed are identified by an address range determined by the completer device from address information provided with the packet-based flush command, and
• a flow identifier flush type where a flow identifier is provided within the packet-based flush command, and the one or more data items to be flushed are those data items within the persistence domain that have not yet reached the point of persistence and which have the flow identifier associated therewith.

A completer device for use within a packet network, the completer device having flush operation trigger circuitry, responsive to receipt by the completer device of a packet-based flush command conforming to a packet protocol of the packet network, to trigger a flush operation within a persistence domain in order to flush one or more data items identified by the packet-based flush command to a point of persistence within the persistence domain:

• wherein the packet-based flush command is arranged to identify a flush type and the flush type is used to distinguish between
• an address-based flush type where the one or more data items to be flushed are identified by an address range determined by the completer device from address information provided with the packet-based flush command, and
• a flow identifier flush type where a flow identifier is provided within the packet-based flush command, and the one or more data items to be flushed are those data items within the persistence domain that have not yet reached the point of persistence and which have the flow identifier associated therewith.