Method of data delivery across a network

1. A method of managing congestion in a multi-path network having a plurality of network elements arranged in a plurality of switch stages and a plurality of network links interconnecting the network elements, the method comprising the steps of:

at a first network element of the network, detecting congestion on a network link interconnecting an output port of the network element concerned with a first input port of a second network element in a subsequent switch stage;

at the second network element, in response to said detection of congestion, identifying an uncongested network link connected to a second input port of said second network element;

at a third network element of the network and in response to the identifying of said uncongested network link, determining a route across said multipath network which includes said identified uncongested network link connected to said second input port of said second network element, and directing future data packets on the determined route across the multi-path network which includes the identified uncongested network link.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each network element has a plurality of input ports and each input port has associated therewith at least one data packet buffer, the step of detecting congestion including monitoring the content of the data packet buffers of the first network element whereby congestion is detected when the content of a data packet buffer exceeds a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the content of the data packet buffers is monitored by monitoring the depth of the buffers.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein, when the content of a data packet buffers exceeds the predetermined threshold, the congested network link is the network link on which the next data packet to be output from that data packet buffer is intended to be transmitted.

5. A multi-path network for use in a bridge, switch, router, or hub, the multi-path network comprising a plurality of network ports; a plurality of network elements arranged in a plurality of switch stages; and a plurality of network links interconnecting the network elements and the network ports for transporting data packets, each network element having:

at least one congestion detector for detecting congestion on a network link connected between an output port of a network element at a first stage and a first input port of a subsequent network element at a second stage; and

at least one link activity monitor for identifying an uncongested network link connected to an alternative input port of the subsequent network element at the second stage, and the network elements being adapted to communicate information concerning the uncongested network link as an alternative to a congested network link for use by the other network elements so that subsequent data packets are transported using the uncongested network link.

6. The multi-path network of claim 5 , wherein each network element has a plurality of input ports and each input port has associated therewith at least one data packet buffer, the congestion detector being adapted to monitoring the content of the data packet buffers whereby congestion is detected when the content of a data packet buffer exceeds a predetermined threshold.

7. The multi-path network of claim 6 , wherein the congestion detector is adapted to monitor the depth of the buffers.

8. An Ethernet bridge or router comprising the multi-path network as claimed in claim 5 .