System, method and apparatus for multi-lane auto-negotiation over reduced lane media

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a physical layer device as part of a first auto-negotiation process, first auto-negotiation capability information from an M-lane communication device over an M-lane communication interface;

transmitting, by the physical layer device as part of a second auto-negotiation process, second auto-negotiation capability information over an N-lane communication interface to an N-lane communication device, the second auto-negotiation capability information transmitted over the N-lane communication interface being based on the first auto-negotiation capability information received over the M-lane communication interface, wherein M>N;

completing, by the physical layer device, the second auto-negotiation process with the N-lane communication device; and

after the completion of the second auto-negotiation process between the physical layer device and the N-lane communication device over the N-lane communication interface, transmitting, by the physical layer device, third auto-negotiation capability information to the M-lane communication device over the M-lane communication interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein N is equal to one.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein N is not equal to one.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising squelching transmission by the physical layer device to the M-lane communication device until the completion of the second auto-negotiation process.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising restarting the first auto-negotiation process responsive to the second auto-negotiation process being incomplete.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a null page or advertising zero capabilities to the M-lane communication device, responsive to the second auto-negotiation process with the N-lane communication device being incomplete.

7. A device, comprising:

an M-lane communication interface that is configured for communication with an M-lane communication device;

an N-lane communication interface that is configured for communication with an N-lane communication device, wherein M>N; and

a controller that is configured to control a first auto-negotiation process with the M-lane communication device over the M-lane communication interface and a second auto-negotiation process with the N-lane communication device over the N-lane communication interface, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit auto-negotiation information to the M-lane communication device over the M-lane communication interface, the transmitted auto-negotiation information over the M-lane communication interface including information based on a completion of the second auto-negotiation process with the N-lane communication device over the N-lane communication interface.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to prevent a completion of the first auto-negotiation process until after the second auto-negotiation process completes.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to restart the first auto-negotiation process responsive to the second auto-negotiation process being incomplete.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit a null page or advertising zero capabilities to the M-lane communication device, responsive to the second auto-negotiation process with the N-lane communication device being incomplete.

11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the N-lane interface is a 40G interface.

12. The device of claim 7 , wherein the N-lane interface is a 100G interface.

13. The device of claim 7 , wherein the N-lane interface is a 400G interface.

14. A network device, comprising:

a first communication device that is configured for communication with an M-lane communication interface;

a second communication device that is configured for communication with the first communication device over the M-lane communication interface, and for communication with a third communication device over an N-lane communication interface, wherein M>N; and

a controller that is configured to control a first auto-negotiation process between the first communication device and the second communication device over the M-lane interface and a second auto-negotiation process between the second communication device and the third communication device over the N-lane communication interface, wherein the controller is further configured to control the transmission of auto-negotiation information from the second communication device to the first communication device over the M-lane communication interface, the transmitted auto-negotiation information over the M-lane communication interface including information based on a completion of the second auto-negotiation process between the second communication device and the third communication device over the N-lane communication interface.

15. The network device of claim 14 , wherein N is equal to one.

16. The network device of claim 14 , wherein N is not equal to one.

17. The network device of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to prevent a completion of the first auto-negotiation process until after the second auto-negotiation process completes.

18. The network device of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to restart the first auto-negotiation process responsive to the second auto-negotiation process being incomplete.

19. The network device of claim 14 , wherein the third communication device is in the network device.

20. The network device of claim 19 , wherein the third communication device has a P-lane communication interface for communication with a fourth communication device, wherein N>P.