Method, Network Device, Computer Program and Computer Program Product for Communication Queue State

• US 20130003752A1
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Carlström, Jakob, Sukonik, Vitaly, Livne, Sarig, Dunaevsky, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,749,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6255 queue load conditions, e.g. longest queue first

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for communicating queue information. The method includes determining a queue state for each one of a plurality of queues at least partially based on respective queue length, selecting a queue with a greatest difference between the queue state of the queue and a last reported queue state of the queue, and reporting the queue state of the selected queue to at least one node.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a queue state for each one of a plurality of queues at least partially based on respective queue length;

selecting a queue with a greatest difference between the queue state of the queue and a last reported queue state of the queue; and

reporting the queue state of the selected queue to at least one node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the queue state for each one of the plurality of queues further comprises:

determining a drop probability respectively for the queues.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein determining the drop probability respectively for the queues further comprises:

using a variable taking up between 1 and 32 bits to represent the drop probability.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the queue state for each one of the plurality of queues further comprises:

determining a queue length respectively for the queues.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein reporting the queue state of the selected queue to at least one node further comprises at least one of

reporting to the node in a same device;

and

sending a message including the queue state to the node in another device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

waiting until a predetermined data volume has been processed to repeat the determining, selecting and reporting operations.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

waiting for a predetermined time to repeat the determining, selecting and reporting operations.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein selecting the queue with the greatest difference between the queue state of the queue and the last reported queue state of the queue further comprises:

selecting the queue with a greatest absolute difference between the queue state of the queue and the last reported queue state of the queue.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of queues is a plurality of egress queues, and the at least one node is an ingress node.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of queues respectively configured to queue packets for outputting; and

a controller configured to determine a queue state for each one of the plurality of queues at least partially based on respectively queue length, and select a queue with a greatest difference between the queue state of the queue and a last reported queue state of the queue for reporting the queue state of the selected queue to at least one node.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to determine a drop probability respectively for the queues.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to use a variable taking up between 1 and 32 bits to represent the drop probability.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to determine a queue length respectively for the queues.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to send a message that includes the queue state of the queue to the node in another apparatus.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a port corresponding to the node.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller further comprises:

a queue evaluator configured to determine the queue state for each one of the plurality of queues; and

a determiner configured to select the queue with the greatest difference between the queue state of the queue and the last reported queue state of the queue.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of queues is a plurality of egress queues, and the at least one node is an ingress node.

18. A system, comprising:

a plurality of interface units configured to have ingresses to receive packets coming into the system and egresses to transmit packets out of the system, wherein at least one interface unit includes;

a plurality of queues respectively configured to queue packets for outputting; and

a controller configured to determine a queue state for each one of the plurality of queues at least partially based on respectively queue length, and select a queue with a greatest difference between the queue state of the queue and a last reported queue state of the queue for reporting the queue state of the selected queue to at least one ingress.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller further comprises:

a queue evaluator configured to determine the queue state for each one of the plurality of queues; and

a determiner configured to select the queue with the greatest difference between the queue state of the queue and the last reported queue state of the queue.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to determine at least one of a drop probability and a queue length respectively for the queues.