Switch device for facilitating switching in data-driven intelligent network

A method, comprising:

• monitoring flow-specific input queues associated with an ingress edge switch coupled to a host computer;
• determining whether a credit-based flow control mechanism is activated, the credit-based flow control mechanism to perform flow-specific credit-based flow control over packets injected by the host computer to the ingress edge switch;
• and
• responsive to determining that the credit-based flow control mechanism is not activated and responsive to the depth of a respective input queue being greater than a target watermark:
• transmitting, by the ingress edge switch, a control packet to a network interface controller (NIC) of the host computer coupled to the ingress edge switch, the control packet indicating credits comprising a timer value which indicates a time period for receiving from the NIC throttled transmission of data corresponding to the flow;
• activating the credit-based flow control mechanism;
• and
• receiving, subsequent to the control packet being received by the NIC, throttled transmission of data from the NIC until an expiration of the timer value
• wherein normal transmission from the NIC is to resume in response to the expiration of the timer value.

A network device, comprising:

• an output buffer coupled to an egress edge link of the network device, the egress edge link coupling the network device and a host computer;
• an output buffer monitor to monitor the output buffer;
• a congestion parameter computation logic block to calculate at least one parameter related to congestion based on data stored in the output buffer in response to the output buffer receiving a first packet;
• an endpoint-congestion notification generation logic block to, responsive to determining that the parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold:
• generate a first endpoint-congestion notification packet corresponding to a flow to which the packet belongs and indicating congestion at the egress edge link;
• and
• transmit the first endpoint-congestion notification packet to an upstream network device along a data path used by the flow;
• and
• a fine grain flow control logic block to:
• determine whether a credit-based flow control mechanism is activated, the credit-based flow control mechanism to perform flow-specific credit-based flow control over packets injected by the host computer via an ingress edge link;
• and
• responsive to determining that the credit-based flow control mechanism is not activated and responsive to the depth of a respective input queue being greater than a target watermark:
• transmit a control packet to a network interface controller (NIC) of the host computer coupled to an ingress edge switch, the control packet indicating credit comprising a timer value which indicates a time period for receiving from the NIC throttled transmission of data corresponding to the flow;
• activate the credit-based flow control mechanism;
• and
• receive, subsequent to the control packet being received by the NIC, throttled transmission of data from the NIC until an expiration of the timer value,
• wherein normal transmission from the NIC is to resume in response to the expiration of the timer value.