METHOD FOR ALLOCATING A RESOURCE AMONG CONSUMERS IN PROPORTION TO CONFIGURABLE WEIGHTS

• US 20110188507A1
• Filed: 01/31/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: WATTS, Jonathan M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,305,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/56 Packet switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/39 Credit based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/527 Quantum based scheduling, e.g. credit or deficit based scheduling or token bank

Abstract

A method for allocating a resource among a plurality of consumers of the resource is described herein. For each consumer of the plurality of consumers, a configurable weight associated with the consumer is determined. For each consumer of the plurality of consumers, credits assigned to the consumer at a first interval of a plurality of variable intervals are determined. The credits may be assigned in proportion to the configurable weight associated with the consumer. A consumer is selected for servicing based on the credits of the consumer. The selected consumer is serviced.

Claims

1. A method of allocating a resource among a plurality of consumers of the resource, the method comprising:

for each consumer of the plurality of consumers, determining a configurable weight associated with the consumer;

for each consumer of the plurality of consumers, determining credits assigned to the consumer at a first interval of a plurality of variable intervals, the credits assigned in proportion to the configurable weight associated with the consumer;

selecting a consumer of the plurality of consumers for servicing based on the credits of the consumer; and

servicing the selected consumer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each consumer of the plurality of consumers, tracking the assigned credits using a credit counter;

tracking consumption of the resource for one or more of the plurality of variable intervals using an interval counter; and

deducting a number of credits from the credit counter of the selected consumer and the interval counter.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting that the interval counter is below an update threshold; and

detecting a set of active consumers of the plurality of consumers.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

normalizing the configurable weight of each consumer in the set of active consumers;

normalizing a sum of the configurable weights of each consumer in the set of active consumers;

determining an updated count of the interval counter based on the normalized sum; and

for each consumer in the set of active consumers, determining an updated count of the credit counter of the consumer based on the normalized configurable weight of the consumer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the configurable weight of each consumer in the set of active consumers is normalized by bit-shifting a binary representation of the configurable weight of each consumer in the set of active consumers by a shift amount.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the sum is normalized by bit-shifting a binary representation of the sum by a shift amount.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the end of the first interval based on the interval counter;

detecting one or more active consumers of the plurality of consumers;

determining a sum of the configurable weights associated with each of the one or more active consumers;

allocating the sum to a count of the interval counter for a second interval;

for each of the one or more active consumers, allocating the configurable weight associated with the active consumer to a count of the credit counter of the consumer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allocating the resource of an inactive consumer to one or more active consumers of the plurality of consumers in proportion to the configurable weight associated with each of the one or more active consumers.

9. A network switch device for use in a network for controlling transmission of data packets through the network switch, the switch comprising:

a plurality of ports;

a switch controller coupled to the plurality of ports, wherein the switch controller is configured to;

designate a data packet to a buffer of a plurality of buffers associated with a port of the plurality of ports; and

wherein the port is configured to;

for each buffer, determine a configurable weight associated with the buffer;

for each buffer, determine credits assigned to the buffer at a first interval of a plurality of variable intervals, the credits assigned in proportion to the configurable weight associated with the buffer;

select a buffer of the plurality of buffers for servicing based on the credits of the buffer; and

transmit via the port a data packet from the selected buffer.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the port is further configured to:

track the assigned credits using a credit counter, for each buffer;

track consumption of bandwidth of the port for one or more of the plurality of variable intervals using an interval counter; and

deduct a number of credits from the credit counter of the selected buffer and the interval counter.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the port is further configured to:

detect that the interval counter is below an update threshold; and

detect a set of active buffers of the plurality of buffers.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the port is further configured to:

normalize the configurable weight of each buffer in the set of active buffers;

normalize a sum of the configurable weight of each buffer in the set of active buffers;

determine an updated count of the interval counter based on the normalized sum; and

for each buffer in the set of active buffers, determine an updated count of the credit counter of the buffer based on the normalized configurable weight of the buffer.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the configurable weight of each buffer in the set of active buffer is normalized by bit-shifting a binary representation of the configurable weight of each buffer in the set of active buffers by a shift amount.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the designation of the data packet to the buffer is based on at least one of a Quality-of-Service requirement and a Class-of-Service requirement.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the port is further configured to allocate bandwidth of an inactive buffer to one or more active consumers of the plurality of buffers in proportion to the configurable weight associated with each of the one or more active buffers.

16. A computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions for controlling a data processor for allocating a resource among a plurality of consumers of the resource, the plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions that cause the data processor to determine, for each consumer of the plurality of consumers, a configurable weight associated with the consumer;

instructions that cause the data processor to determine, for each consumer of the plurality of consumers, credits assigned to the consumer at a first interval of a plurality of variable intervals, the credits assigned in proportion to the configurable weight associated with the consumer;

instructions that cause the data processor to select a consumer of the plurality of consumers for servicing based on the credits of the consumer;

instructions that cause the data processor to service the selected consumer.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to track, for each consumer of the plurality of consumers, the assigned credits using a credit counter;

instructions that cause the data processor to track consumption of the resource for one or more of the plurality of variable intervals using an interval counter; and

instructions that cause the data processor to deduct a number of credits from the credit counter of the selected consumer and the interval counter.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to detect that the interval counter is below an update threshold; and

instructions that cause the data processor to detect a set of active consumers of the plurality of consumers.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to determine the end of the first interval based on the interval counter;

instructions that cause the data processor to detect one or more active consumers of the plurality of consumers;

instructions that cause the data processor to determine a sum of the configurable weights associated with each of the one or more active consumers;

instructions that cause the data processor to allocate the sum to a count of the interval counter for a second interval;

instructions that cause the data processor to allocate, for each of the one or more active consumers, the configurable weight associated with the active consumer to a count of the credit counter of the consumer.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16;

wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise;

instructions that cause the data processor to allocate the resource of an inactive consumer to one or more active consumers of the plurality of consumers in proportion to the configurable weight associated with each of the one or more active consumers.