Load balancing among network links using an efficient forwarding scheme
First Claim
1. A network element, comprising:
- multiple output ports, configured to transmit packets over multiple respective network links of a communication network; and
circuitry, configured to;
receive from the communication network, via one or more input ports of the network element, packets that are destined for transmission via the multiple output ports, and forward the received packets for transmission to the communication network via the output ports;
store forwarded packets that are awaiting transmission in multiple queues corresponding to the multiple output ports;
monitor multiple data-counts, each data-count corresponding to a respective output port, and is indicative of a respective data volume of the packets that were forwarded to a respective queue for transmission via the respective output port; and
based on the data-counts, select for a given packet an output port among the multiple output ports, and forward the given packet for transmission via the selected output port.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network element includes multiple output ports and circuitry. The multiple output ports are configured to transmit packets over multiple respective network links of a communication network. The circuitry is configured to receive from the communication network, via one or more input ports of the network element, packets that are destined for transmission via the multiple output ports, to monitor multiple data-counts, each data-count corresponding to a respective output port, and is indicative of a respective data volume of the packets forwarded for transmission via the respective output port, to select for a given packet, based on the data-counts, an output port among the multiple output ports, and to forward the given packet for transmission via the selected output port.
4 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A network element, comprising:
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multiple output ports, configured to transmit packets over multiple respective network links of a communication network; and circuitry, configured to; receive from the communication network, via one or more input ports of the network element, packets that are destined for transmission via the multiple output ports, and forward the received packets for transmission to the communication network via the output ports; store forwarded packets that are awaiting transmission in multiple queues corresponding to the multiple output ports; monitor multiple data-counts, each data-count corresponding to a respective output port, and is indicative of a respective data volume of the packets that were forwarded to a respective queue for transmission via the respective output port; and based on the data-counts, select for a given packet an output port among the multiple output ports, and forward the given packet for transmission via the selected output port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method, comprising:
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in a network element, transmitting packets via multiple output ports of the network element over multiple respective links of a communication network; receiving from the communication network, via one or more input ports of the network element, packets that are destined for transmission via the multiple output ports, and forwarding the received packets for transmission to the communication network via the output ports; storing forwarded packets that are awaiting transmission in multiple queues corresponding to the multiple output ports; monitoring multiple data-counts, each data-count corresponding to a respective output port, and is indicative of a respective data volume of the packets that were forwarded to a respective queue for transmission via the respective output port; and based on the data-counts, selecting for a given packet an output port among the multiple output ports, and forwarding the given packet for transmission via the selected output port. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification