Replay micro-architecture for ethernet

A first node for Ethernet based communication, the first node comprising:

• one or more processors configured to implement a transport layer hardware only Ethernet protocol,
• wherein the transport layer hardware only Ethernet protocol is lossy,
• wherein the one or more processors comprise a hardware replay architecture that comprises a plurality of pipelined stages, the hardware replay architecture configured to replay packets transmitted under the transport layer hardware only Ethernet protocol, and
• wherein to replay the packets comprises determining to process data associated with a first link rather than a second link between the first node and a second node at a pipelined stage of the plurality of pipelined stages.

A computer-implemented method implemented at a first node for replaying packets that are transmitted over a first link to a second node using an Ethernet protocol, wherein the first node comprises a hardware replay architecture comprising a plurality of pipelined stages, the computer-implemented method comprising:

• storing a linked-list comprising the packets, wherein the linked-list maintains an order of the packets for transmitting to the second node;
• determining to process data associated with the first link rather than a second link between the first node and the second node at a first pipelined stage of the plurality of pipelined stages;
• determining to replay a first packet of the packets in response to at least one of (a) a receipt of a non-acknowledgement of the first packet from the second node or (b) a timeout associated with the first packet;
• and
• retiring a second packet of the packets in response to a receipt of an acknowledgement of the second packet from the second node,
• wherein the Ethernet protocol is lossy.