Cost calculation in load balancing switch protocols
US6577600B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 11, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jun 10, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 11, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M2215/7414
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for computing cost information associated with a port of a switch in a network of switches. Cost information is computed as a port load factor: a ratio of port latency over available throughput. Port latency is determined as the depth of a queue associated with the port divided by the speed of the port. Available throughput is determined as the speed of the slowest port on a given path associated with the port in question. Preferably, the queue depth is measured in bits and the port speed and available throughput are measured in bits per second. Further, in the preferred embodiment, port latency is computed as a weighted average as ((15×previous latency)+current latency)/16. A higher value for the port load factor indicates a port which is more heavily loaded. The load factor is therefore useful in load balancing among the ports of switches and paths associated therewith.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.