End-to-end broadcast based flow control in a switch fabric

Described is an end-to-end broadcast-based messaging technique used in controlling message flow in a data storage system. Each node stores flow control state information about all the nodes which is used in determining whether to send a data transmission to a receiving node. The flow control state information includes an indicator as to whether each node is receiving incoming data transmissions. If a node is not receiving incoming data transmissions, the flow control state information also includes an associated expiration time. Data transmissions are resumed to a receiving node based on the earlier of a sending node determining that the expiration time has lapsed, or receiving a control message from the receiving node explicitly turning on data transmissions. Each node maintains and updates its local copy of the flow control state information in accordance with control messages sent by each node to turn on and off data transmissions. Each node sends out control messages in accordance with predetermined threshold levels taking into account hardware and/or software resources for message buffering.