Port aggregation load balancing
US6473424B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 2, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 29, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 2, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/9094
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Provided are methods, apparatuses and systems for balancing the load of data transmissions through a port aggregation. The methods and apparatuses of the present invention allocate port assignments based on load, that is, the amount of data being forwarded through each port in the group. The load balancing of the present invention is preferably dynamic, that is, packets from a given stream may be forwarded on different ports depending upon each port's current utilization. When a new port is selected to transmit a particular packet stream, it is done so that the packets cannot be forwarded out of order. This is preferably accomplished by ensuring passage of a period of time sufficient to allow all packets of a given stream to be forwarded by a port before a different port is allocated to transmit packets of the same stream. The invention may be used in a variety of different network environments and speeds, including 10Base-T, 100Base-T, and Gigabit Ethernet, and other network environments.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.