High-performance adaptive routing

A communication apparatus, comprising:

• multiple ports for exchanging packets with a communication network;
• a switch fabric, which is configured to forward the data packets between the ports so as to cause the packets to traverse routing paths through the communication network;
• and
• a control unit, which is configured to cause the switch fabric to route a first packet belonging to a given packet flow over a first routing path to a destination, and to route a second packet that follows the first packet in the given packet flow, while reducing a likelihood that the second packet will reach the destination before the first packet, using a time-bounded Adaptive Routing (AR) mode, by evaluating a time gap between the first and second packets, routing the second packet over the first routing path when the time gap does not exceed a predefined threshold, which is set to a value that is based on an expected propagation delay of the first packet, and, when the time gap exceeds the predefined threshold, permitting selection of a second routing path that is different from the first routing path, and routing of the second packet over the second routing path.