Adaptive flow control method and apparatus

• US 7,450,509 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2004
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hao, Yi-Hsien
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao; Seema S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu; Jianye
• Application Number:
  US11/020,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20050105469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/235, 370/465, 370/468, 370470-473
• US Class Current: 370/234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/266 Stopping or restarting the source, e.g. X-on or X-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of controlling data flow within a network device. The method includes the steps of snooping a data packet before the data packet is stored in a memory buffer of the network device to determine a packet size, aggregating the packet size to generate a total number of data packets within a burst if the packet size exceeds a predetermined packet size. The method also includes the steps of lowering a threshold of the memory buffer to a reset threshold if the total number of data packets exceeds a predetermined number of consecutive data packets and activating a pause frame based upon the reset threshold to temporarily suspend transmission of incoming data packets to the network device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling data flow within a network device, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a data packet into a network device;

snooping the data packet before the data packet is stored in a memory buffer of the network device to determine a packet size based upon a number of bits within the data packet;

aggregating the data packet to a total number of data packets within a burst if the packet size exceeds a predetermined packet size; and

lowering a threshold of the memory buffer to a reset threshold if the total number of data packets exceeds a predetermined number of consecutive data packets.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a multiple-linked chip device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of snooping includes snooping the data packet received at an input port.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of snooping includes snooping the data packet received at an expansion port.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of snooping includes snooping the data packet received at an input port and an expansion port.

6. A device for controlling data flow within a network device, said device comprising:

a snooping module contained within a network device and configured to snoop a data packet before the data packet is stored in a memory buffer of the network device to determine a packet size based upon a number of bits within the data packet;

a counter connected to the snooping module, wherein the counter adds the data packet to a total number of data packets within a burst if the packet size exceeds a predetermined packet size; and

a threshold lowering module connected to receive instructions from the snooping module and configured to lower a threshold of the memory buffer to a reset threshold if the total number of data packets exceeds a predetermined number of consecutive data packets.

7. A device as recited in claim 6, wherein the network device comprises a multiple-linked chip device.

8. The device as recited in claim 6, wherein the snooping module is configured to snoop the data packet received at an input port.

9. The device as recited in claim 6, wherein the snooping module is configured to snoop the data packet received at an expansion port.

10. The device as recited in claim 6, wherein the snooping module is configured to snoop the data packet received at an input port and an expansion port.

11. A device for controlling data flow within a network device, said device comprising:

receiving means for receiving a data packet into a network device;

snooping means contained within the network device for snooping a data packet before the data packet is stored in a memory buffer of the network device to determine a packet size based upon a number of bits within the data packet;

aggregating means included within the snooping means for aggregating the data packet to a total number of data packets within a burst if the packet size exceeds a predetermined packet size; and

threshold reset means connected to receive instructions from the snooping means for lowering a threshold of the memory buffer to a reset threshold if the total number of data packets exceeds a predetermined number of consecutive data packets.

12. The device as recited in claim 11, wherein the network device comprises a multiple-linked chip device.

13. The device as recited in claim 11, wherein the snooping means snoops the data packet received at an input port.

14. The device as recited in claim 11, wherein the snooping means snoops the data packet received at an expansion port.

15. The device as recited in claim 11, wherein the snooping means snoops the data packet received at an input port and an expansion port.

16. A method of controlling data flow within a multiple-linked chip device, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a data packet into a multiple-linked chip device;

snooping data packets before the data packets are stored in a memory buffer of the multiple-linked chip device to determine a packet size based upon a number of bits within the data packets;

aggregating the data packets to a total number of data packets within a burst if the data packet size exceed a predetermined packet size; and

lowering a threshold of the memory buffer to a reset threshold if the total number of data packets exceeds a predetermined number of consecutive data packets.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the reset threshold is preprogrammed.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the reset threshold is automatically determined based upon a capacity of data packets currently stored in the memory buffer.

19. A device for controlling data flow within a multiple-linked chip device, said device comprising:

a receiving module for receiving a data flow within a multiple linked chip device;

a snooping module contained within the multiple-linked chip device and configured to snoop data packets before the data packets are stored in a memory buffer of the network device to determine a packet size based upon a number of bits within the data packets;

a counter included within the snooping module, wherein the counter adds the data packets to a total number of data packets within a burst if the packet size exceeds a predetermined packet size; and

a threshold lowering module connected to receive instructions from the snooping module and configured to lower a threshold of the memory buffer to a reset threshold if the total number of data packets exceeds a predetermined number of consecutive data packets.

20. The device as recited in claim 19, wherein the reset threshold is preprogrammed.

21. The device as recited in claim 19, wherein the reset threshold is automatically determined based upon a capacity of data packets currently stored in the memory buffer.

22. A device for controlling data flow within a multiple-linked chip device, said device comprising:

snooping means contained within the multiple-linked chip device for snooping data packets before the data packets are stored in a memory buffer of the multiple-linked chip device to determine a packet size;

aggregating means included within the snooping module for aggregating the data packets to a total number of data packets within a burst if the data packet size exceed a predetermined packet size; and

threshold reset means connected to receive instructions from the snooping module for lowering a threshold of the memory buffer to a reset threshold if the total number of data packets exceeds a predetermined number of consecutive data packets.

23. The device as recited in claim 22, wherein the reset threshold is preprogrammed.

24. The device as recited in claim 22, wherein the reset threshold is automatically determined based upon a capacity of data packets currently stored in the memory buffer.