Method and apparatus for forwarding packets from a plurality of contending queues to an output
US6067301A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 29, 1998 |
| Grant date | May 23, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 29, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2012/5651
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for forwarding packets from contending queues of a multiport switch to an output of a finite bandwidth involve first prioritizing the contending queues into different priorities that relate to priorities of the packets that are being forwarded in the network. Bandwidth of the output is then allocated among the prioritized contending queues and the bandwidth of the output is consumed by the queued packets according to the allocated proportions. Any unconsumed bandwidth is distributed to the queues on a priority basis such that the highest priority queue is offered the unconsumed bandwidth first and lower priority queues are offered the remaining unconsumed bandwidth in priority order. An advantage of the invention is that queues are not starved of bandwidth by higher priority queues and unconsumed bandwidth is not wasted when there are not enough packets to consume an allocated portion of the output bandwidth. The method is adjustable during normal network operations through a programming interface to provide a specified quality of service.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.