Minimizing on-die memory in pull mode switches

A disaggregated switch apparatus, comprising:

• a memory;
• a remote communication interface operatively coupled to the memory and including at least one inner port;
• a local communication interface operatively coupled to the memory and including a plurality of outer ports, each outer port configured to be communicatively coupled with a respective host via a local communication link;
• and
• circuitry and logic to,
• allocate a plurality of buffers in the memory, the buffers including a transmit buffer and receive buffer for each inner port and for each outer port;
• implement a pull-mode transfer of data from a buffer in the host to an outer port receive buffer allocated for the outer port to which the data is transferred from the host;
• and
• schedule transmission of data buffered in the outer transmit buffers to be transferred outbound from the outer ports.

An apparatus comprising:

• a server chassis;
• a plurality of servers, contained within the server chassis, each server including a communication interface including a local communication port comprising a local endpoint;
• and
• a disaggregated edge switch, including a plurality of outer ports and at least one inner port, each outer port communicatively coupled to a local communication port of respective server via a respective local communication link and comprising a local endpoint, each of the outer ports and the at least one inner port operatively coupled to memory on the disaggregated edge switch, the disaggregated edge switch further comprising circuitry and logic to transfer data between the disaggregated edge switch and the plurality of servers using pull-mode data transfers under which data is pulled from a source local endpoint by a local destination endpoint and transferred over the local communication link between the source local endpoint and the destination local endpoint.