Methods and systems for advertsing available credit at memory of network device ports based on temperature

1. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

comparing a temperature (T) of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) of a network device with a first threshold value, the network device having a port with a plurality of receive buffers for storing information received from other devices;

placing a receive buffer from among the plurality of receive buffers for the port of the network in an active state, when T is below the first threshold value, wherein, when the port with the receive buffer that is placed in the active state uses flow control, wherein said flow control increasing available credit advertised to the other devices, the other devices can send more information to the port; and wherein when the port with the receive buffer placed in the active state does not use said flow control, the port drops fewer packets in the active state;

comparing T with a second threshold value and when T has reached the second threshold value;

determining if one or more receive buffers are empty; and

placing one or more receive buffers in a reduced power state, when the one or more receive buffers are empty and are not in the process of storing any received information; wherein before placing the one or more receive buffers in the reduced power state, credit advertised to the other devices is decreased such that the other devices do not send information to the port while the one or more receive buffers are being placed in the reduced power state.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network device is a switch element having a plurality of ports for sending and receiving information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein one of the plurality of ports is configured to operate as a Fibre Channel port.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein one of the plurality of ports is configured to operate as an Ethernet or Fibre Channel over Ethernet port.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network device is an adapter having the port for sending and receiving information to and from another device.

6. A network device, comprising:

an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) having a port with a plurality of receive buffers for storing information received from other devices, where the ASIC temperature (T) is measured by a temperature sensor and then provided to a power controller that is configured to compare T with a first threshold value and when T is below the first threshold value, place a receive buffer for the port of the network in an active state and increase available credit advertised to the other devices such that the other devices can send more information to the port, when the port uses credit based flow control and the port drops fewer packets, when the port is not using credit based flow control; wherein said flow control increases available credit advertised to the other devices; and compare T with a second threshold value, and when T has reached the second threshold value, determine if one or more receive buffers are empty; place one or more receive buffers of the network device in a reduced non-active power state, when the one or more receive buffers are empty and are not in the process of storing any information; wherein before placing the one or more receive buffers in the reduced non-active power state, credit advertised to the other devices is decreased such that the other devices do not send information to the port while the one or more receive buffers are being placed in the reduced non-active power state.

7. The network device of claim 6 , wherein the network device is a switch element having a plurality of ports for sending and receiving information.

8. The network device of claim 7 , wherein one of the plurality of ports is configured to operate as a Fibre Channel port.

9. The network device of claim 7 , wherein one of the plurality of ports is configured to operate as an Ethernet or Fibre Channel over Ethernet port.

10. The network device of claim 6 , wherein the network device is an adapter having the port for sending and receiving information to and from another device.

11. The network device of claim 6 , wherein the first threshold and the second threshold values are stored at a memory device that is accessible to the power controller.

12. The network device of claim 6 , wherein T is a current operating temperature for the ASIC.

13. The network device of claim 6 , wherein T is an average temperature value of at least two temperature samples over a duration.

14. A non-transitory, machine readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for performing a method, comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:

compare a temperature (T) of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) of a network device with a first threshold value, the network device having a port with a plurality of receive buffers for storing information received from other devices;

place a receive buffer from among the plurality of receive buffers for the port of the network in an active state, when T is below the first threshold value, wherein, when the port with the receive buffer that is placed in the active state uses flow control, wherein said flow control increasing available credit advertised to the other devices, the other devices can send more information to the port; and wherein when the port with the received buffer placed in the active state does not use said flow control, the port drops fewer packets in the active state: and

compare T with a second threshold value and when T has reached the second threshold value, determine if one or more receive buffers are empty: place one or more receive buffers in a reduced power state, when the one or more receive buffers are empty and are not storing any received information; wherein before placing the one or more receive buffers in the reduced power state, credit advertised to the other devices is decreased such that the other devices do not send information to the port while the one or more receive buffers are being placed in the reduced power state.

15. The non-transitory, storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the network device is a switch element having a plurality of ports for sending and receiving information.

16. The non-transitory, storage medium of claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of ports is configured to operate as a Fibre Channel port.

17. The non-transitory, storage medium of claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of ports is configured to operate as an Ethernet or Fibre Channel over Ethernet port.

18. The non-transitory, storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the network device is an adapter having the port for sending and receiving information to and from another device.

19. The non-transitory, storage medium of claim 14 , wherein T is a current operating temperature for the ASIC.

20. The non-transitory, storage medium of claim 14 , wherein T is an average temperature value of at least two temperature samples over a duration.