Packet processing indication

A network device, comprising:

• a network chip including logic, embedded in an application specific integrated circuit, and a number of network ports for the device to receive and transmit packets therefrom, wherein the network chip is to:
• determine whether a link from the network device to a checking functionality is oversubscribed;
• determine a resource status of the checking functionality;
• receive a packet tunneled from a different network device;
• and
• return-tunnel the packet to the different network device with an indication that the checking functionality did not process the packet in response to one or more of the link being oversubscribed and the resource status indicating that the checking functionality has insufficient resources to process the packet.

A network, comprising:

• a first network device, a second network device, and a third network device, each having a network chip including logic and a number of network ports for the device for receiving and transmitting packets therefrom;
• a first checking functionality associated with the second network device;
• and
• a second checking functionality associated with the third network device;
• wherein the first network device is to tunnel a packet to the second network device;
• wherein the second network device is to:
• determine whether a link between the second network device and the first checking functionality is oversubscribed;
• determine whether the first checking functionality has sufficient resources to process the packet;
• and
• return-tunnel the packet to the first network device with an indication that the first checking functionality did not process the packet in response to one or more of the link being oversubscribed and the first checking functionality having insufficient resources to process the packet.