Cut-through network switches: architecture, design and implementation

Cut-through switches are increasingly used within data-centres and high-performance networked systems. Despite their popularity, little is known of the architecture of cutthrough switches used in today’s networks. In this paper we introduce three different cutthrough switch architectures, designed over the NetFPGA platform. Beyond exploring architectural and design considerations, we compare and contrast the different architectures, providing insights into real-world switch design. Last, we provide an evaluation of one successfully implemented cut-through switch design, providing constant switching latency regardless of packet size and cross-traffic, without compromising throughput.