Method and system for egress policy indications

1. A method comprising:

assigning one egress profile identifier out of a plurality of egress profile identifiers to an Ethernet frame based at least on an egress connection identifier (eXid) tag of the Ethernet frame at a traffic manager;

receiving the Ethernet frame at a switching element from the traffic manager;

receiving metadata at the switching element from the traffic manager, the metadata comprising:

the assigned egress profile identifier;

an internal class of service marker; and

an internal congestion marker, wherein at least a portion of the egress profile identifier, the internal class of service marker, and the internal congestion marker is written over ingress metadata at the traffic manager, the ingress metadata having a use on ingress at ingress ports but not having a use on egress at egress ports; and

mapping the internal class of service marker and the internal congestion marker to a priority marker and an external congestion marker in the Ethernet frame based on the egress profile identifier.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising placing the Ethernet frame in an egress buffer queue based at least on the internal class of service marker.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the metadata further comprises a class of service upgrade marker.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein placing the Ethernet frame in the egress buffer queue is further based on the class of service upgrade marker.

5. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

at the switching element, stacking the Ethernet frame with an internal connection identifier (iXid) tag upon ingress to the switching element; and

at the traffic manager:

policing the Ethernet frame based on the iXid tag;

mapping the iXid tag to the eXid tag; and

shaping the Ethernet frame based on the eXid tag.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the ingress metadata includes a source(mod) marker and a source(port) marker.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein mapping rules for each of the plurality of egress profiles are stored in a memory of the switching element.

8. A network element comprising:

a traffic manager configured to:

assign one egress profile identifier out of a plurality of egress profile identifiers to an Ethernet frame based at least on an egress connection identifier (eXid) tag of the Ethernet frame;

write the assigned egress profile identifier, an internal class of service marker, and

an internal congestion marker to a metatag, wherein at least a portion of the egress profile identifier, the internal class of service marker, and the internal congestion marker is written over ingress metadata at the traffic manager, the ingress metadata having a use on ingress at ingress ports but not having a use on egress at egress ports; and

a switching element configured to:

receive the Ethernet frame from the traffic manager;

receive the metatag from the traffic manager; and

map the internal class of service maker and the internal congestion marker to a priority marker and an external congestion marker in the Ethernet frame based on the egress profile.

9. A network element according to claim 8 , the switching element further configured to place the Ethernet frame in an egress buffer queue based at least on the internal class of service marker.

10. A network element according to claim 9 , the traffic manager further configured to write a class of service upgrade marker to the metatag.

11. A network element according to claim 10 , the switching element further configured to place the Ethernet frame in the egress buffer queue based further on the class of service upgrade marker.

12. A network element according to claim 8 , wherein:

the switching element is further configured to stack the Ethernet frame with an internal connection identifier (iXid) tag upon ingress to the switching element; and

the traffic manager is further configured to:

police the Ethernet frame based on the iXid tag;

map the iXid tag to the eXid tag; and

shape the Ethernet frame based on the eXid tag.

13. A network element according to claim 8 , wherein the ingress metadata includes a source(mod) marker and a source(port) marker.

14. A network element according to claim 8 , the switching element further configured to store mapping rules for each of the plurality of egress profiles.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising logic that is operable, when executed, to:

assign one egress profile identifier out of a plurality of egress profile identifiers to an Ethernet frame based at least on an egress connection identifier (eXid) tag of the Ethernet frame at a traffic manager;

receive the Ethernet frame at a switching element from the traffic manager;

receive metadata at the switching element from the traffic manager, the metadata comprising:

the assigned egress profile identifier;

an internal class of service marker; and

an internal congestion marker, wherein at least a portion of the egress profile identifier, the internal class of service marker, and the internal congestion marker is written over ingress metadata at the traffic manager, the ingress metadata having a use on ingress at ingress ports but not having a use on egress at egress ports; and

map the internal class of service marker and the internal congestion marker to a priority marker and an external congestion marker in the Ethernet frame based on the egress profile identifier.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15 , the logic further operable, when executed, to place the Ethernet frame in an egress buffer queue based at least on the internal class of service marker.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16 , wherein the metadata further comprises a class of service upgrade marker.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17 , wherein placing the Ethernet frame in the egress buffer queue is further based on the class of service upgrade marker.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15 , the logic further operable, when executed, to:

stack the Ethernet frame with an internal connection identifier (iXid) tag at the switching element upon ingress of the Ethernet frame to the switching element;

police the Ethernet frame at the traffic manager based on the iXid tag;

map the iXid tag to the eXid tag at the traffic manager; and

shape the Ethernet frame based on the eXid tag at the traffic manager.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the ingress metadata includes a source(mod) marker and a source(port) marker.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein mapping rules for each of the plurality of egress profiles are stored in a memory of the switching element.