Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for implementing a quality of service policy in a data communications network

US6870812B1 · kind B1 · utility

53Cited by
52References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 18, 2003
Grant dateMar 22, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 18, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02D30/50
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for implementing Quality of Service (QoS) policy in a data communications network. A content addressable memory (CAM) contains flow information for each active flow of packets passing through a given node of a data communications network. The CAM has associated with each entry a packet counter, a byte counter, a token bucket, and a contract value. Each flow is assigned one of a plurality of output queues and optionally at least one output threshold value. An access control list CAM (ACLCAM) contains masked flow information. The ACLCAM provides an index to internal token bucket counters and preconfigured contract values of an aggregate flow table which becomes affected by the packet statistics. In this way, flows are aggregated for assignment of output queues and thresholds, possible dropping, and possible modification of packets.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.