Flow control arrangement in a network switch based on priority traffic
First Claim
1. A method in a network switch having a plurality of network switch ports, the method comprising:
- first determining a priority for each data frame received on a corresponding network switch port, each network switch port including a port filter configured for determining the corresponding priority for the corresponding received data frame, the first determining including determining, by the corresponding port filter of the corresponding network switch port having received the data frame, the corresponding priority for the corresponding data frame;
second determining a depletion of network switch resources; and
selectively outputting a flow control frame on the network switch port based on the determined depletion of network switch resources relative to the determined priority.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network switch includes network switch ports, each including a port filter configured for detecting user-selected attributes from a received layer 2 frame. Each port filter, upon detecting a user-selected attribute in a received layer 2 frame, sends a signal to a switching module indicating the determined presence of the user-selected attribute, for example whether the data packet has a prescribed priority value. The network switch includes a flow control module that determines which of the network switch ports should output a flow control frame based on the determined depletion of network switch resources and based on the corresponding priority value of the network traffic on each network switch port. Hence, any network switch port that receives high priority traffic does not output a flow control frame to the corresponding network station, enabling that network station to continue transmission of the high priority traffic. In most cases, the congestion and depletion of network switch resources can be alleviated by sending flow control frames on only those network switch ports that receive lower priority traffic, enabling the network switch to reduce congestion without interfering with high priority traffic.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method in a network switch having a plurality of network switch ports, the method comprising:
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first determining a priority for each data frame received on a corresponding network switch port, each network switch port including a port filter configured for determining the corresponding priority for the corresponding received data frame, the first determining including determining, by the corresponding port filter of the corresponding network switch port having received the data frame, the corresponding priority for the corresponding data frame; second determining a depletion of network switch resources; and selectively outputting a flow control frame on the network switch port based on the determined depletion of network switch resources relative to the determined priority. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An integrated network switch comprising:
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a plurality of network switch ports, each configured for receiving a data packet and selectively outputting a flow control frame in response to a flow control output signal, each network switch port including a port filter configured for determining a corresponding determined priority value for the corresponding received data packet; and a flow control module configured for determining a depletion of network switch resources, the flow control module configured for storing, for each of the network switch ports, the corresponding determined priority value based on the corresponding received data packet, the flow control module selectively outputting the flow control output signal to selected ones of the network switch ports based on the determined depletion of network switch resources relative to the respective determined priority values. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification