Apparatus and method for generating a pause frame in a buffered distributor based on lengths of data packets distributed according to a round robin repeater arbitration
US6031821A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 19, 1997 |
| Grant date | Feb 29, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 19, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L47/10
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A buffered distributor (i.e., a full-duplex repeater) having receive buffers for respective network ports calculates pause frames based on the size of stored data packets that need to be output by the repeater core according to a round robin sequence before congestion in an identified receive buffer is eliminated. The distribution core within the buffered distributor includes a linked list register that stores the determined links of received data packets for each network port. Upon detecting a congestion condition in one of the receive buffers for a corresponding port, the buffered distributor determines the relative position of the congested port within the round robin sequence, and calculates the pause interval based on the length of the data packets that need to be output before congestion is eliminated. The sum of the data packet lengths are compared to an output data rate of the distribution core, as well as switching delays within the core. The calculated pause frames, in conjunction with the prescribed congestion threshold, ensures that buffer sizes can be efficiently designed at a low cost, without compromising cost or risk of lost data packets.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.