Patent · US Active

Methods and devices for backward congestion notification

US7961621B2 · kind B2 · utility

49Cited by
68References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 11, 2005
Grant dateJun 14, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 23, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L47/30
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides improved methods and devices for managing network congestion. Preferred implementations of the invention allow congestion to be pushed from congestion points in the core of a network to reaction points, which may be edge devices, host devices or components thereof. Preferably, rate limiters shape individual flows of the reaction points that are causing congestion. Parameters of these rate limiters are preferably tuned based on feedback from congestion points, e.g., in the form of backward congestion notification (“BCN”) messages. In some implementations, such BCN messages include congestion change information and at least one instantaneous measure of congestion. The instantaneous measure(s) of congestion may be relative to a threshold of a particular queue and/or relative to a threshold of a buffer that includes a plurality of queues.

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