Dynamic assignment of traffic classes to a priority queue in a packet forwarding device
First Claim
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1. In a packet forwarding device, a method comprising:
- monitoring bandwidth consumption by one or more types of packet traffic received in the packet forwarding device comprising determining a measure of bandwidth consumption in the packet forwarding device due to traffic associated with a physical port on the forwarding device;
determining whether the bandwidth consumption by the one or more types of packet traffic exceeds a threshold; and
automatically changing assignment of at least one type of packet traffic of the one or more types of packet traffic from a queue having a first priority to a queue having a second priority if the bandwidth consumption computed based on an evaluation of traffic statistics substantially in real-time exceeds the threshold, the traffic statistics include at least one of (i) a number of packets destined for particular egress ports, (ii) a number of packets destined for particular MAC addresses, (iii) a number of packets destined for a particular virtual local area network, (iv) a number of packets having a particular IP protocol, (v) a number of errors associated with different classes of traffic, and (vi) a number of packets from each class of traffic that are dropped.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for dynamic assignment of classes of traffic to a priority queue. Bandwidth consumption by one or more types of packet traffic received in the packet forwarding device is monitored to determine whether the bandwidth consumption exceeds a threshold. If the bandwidth consumption exceeds the threshold, assignment of at least one type of packet traffic of the one or more types of packet traffic is changed from a queue having a first priority to a queue having a second priority.
45 Citations
23 Claims
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1. In a packet forwarding device, a method comprising:
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monitoring bandwidth consumption by one or more types of packet traffic received in the packet forwarding device comprising determining a measure of bandwidth consumption in the packet forwarding device due to traffic associated with a physical port on the forwarding device; determining whether the bandwidth consumption by the one or more types of packet traffic exceeds a threshold; and automatically changing assignment of at least one type of packet traffic of the one or more types of packet traffic from a queue having a first priority to a queue having a second priority if the bandwidth consumption computed based on an evaluation of traffic statistics substantially in real-time exceeds the threshold, the traffic statistics include at least one of (i) a number of packets destined for particular egress ports, (ii) a number of packets destined for particular MAC addresses, (iii) a number of packets destined for a particular virtual local area network, (iv) a number of packets having a particular IP protocol, (v) a number of errors associated with different classes of traffic, and (vi) a number of packets from each class of traffic that are dropped. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In a packet forwarding device, a method comprising:
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monitoring bandwidth consumption by one or more types of packet traffic received in the packet forwarding device comprising determining a measure of bandwidth consumption in the packet forwarding device due to traffic associated with a particular network address; determining whether the bandwidth consumption by the one or more types of packet traffic exceeds a threshold; and automatically changing assignment of at least one type of packet traffic of the one or more types of packet traffic from a queue having a first priority to a queue having a second priority if the bandwidth consumption computed based on an evaluation of traffic statistics substantially in real-time exceeds the threshold, the traffic statistics include at least one of (i) a number of packets destined for particular egress ports, (ii) a number of packets destined for particular MAC addresses, (iii) a number of packets destined for a particular virtual local area network, (iv) a number of packets having a particular IP protocol, (v) a number of errors associated with different classes of traffic, and (vi) a number of packets from each class of traffic that are dropped. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. In packet forwarding device, a method comprising:
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monitoring bandwidth consumption by one or more types of packet traffic received in the packet forwarding device comprising determining a measure of bandwidth consumption in the packet forwarding device due to traffic associated with a particular communications protocol; determining whether the bandwidth consumption by the one or more types of packet traffic exceeds a threshold; and automatically changing assignment of at least one type of packet traffic of the one or more types of packet traffic from a queue having a first priority to a queue having a second priority if the bandwidth consumption computed based on an evaluation of traffic statistics substantially in real-time exceeds a threshold, the traffic statistics include at least one of (i) a number of packets destined for particular egress ports, (ii) a number of packets destined for particular MAC addresses, (iii) a number of packets destined for a particular virtual local area network, (iv) a number of packets having a particular IP protocol, (v) a number of errors associated with different classes of traffic, and (vi) a number of packets from each class of traffic that are dropped. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A packet forwarding apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of input/output (I/O) ports to transmit and receive packets of information; first and second queues to buffer the packets prior to transmission via one or more of the I/O ports, packets buffered in the first queue having higher transmission priority than packets buffered in the second queue; queue assignment logic to assign the packets to be buffered in either the first queue or the second queue according to a packet type associated with each packet, each of the packets being associated with at least one of a plurality of packet types; and one or more agents to monitor bandwidth consumption by packets associated with a first packet type of the plurality of packet types and to automatically change assignment of packets associated with the first packet type from the first queue to the second queue if bandwidth consumption of packets associated with the first packet type and computed based on an evaluation of traffic statistics substantially in real-time exceeds the threshold, the traffic statistics include at least one of (i) a number of packets destined for particular egress ports, (ii) a number of packets destined for particular MAC addresses, (iii) a number of packets destined for a particular virtual local area network, (iv) a number of packets having a particular IP protocol, (v) a number of errors associated with different classes of traffic, and (vi) a number of packets from each class of traffic that are dropped. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A communications network comprising a packet forwarding device, the packet forwarding device including:
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a plurality of input/output (I/O) ports to transmit and receive packets of information from one or more other devices in the communications network; a processing unit coupled to the plurality of I/O ports, the processing unit including a memory and a processor; first and second queues to buffer the packets prior to transmission via one or more of the I/O ports, packets buffered in the first queue having higher transmission priority than packets buffered in the second queue; queue assignment logic implemented within the memory and executed by the processor to assign the packets to be buffered in either the first queue or the second queue according to a packet type associated with each packet, each of the packets being associated with at least one of a plurality of packet types; and one or more applets implemented within the memory for execution in order to monitor bandwidth consumption by packets associated with a first packet type of the plurality of packet types and to automatically change assignment of packets associated with the first packet type from the first queue to the second queue if bandwidth consumption of packets associated with the first packet type and computed based on an evaluation of traffic statistics substantially in real-time exceeds a threshold, the traffic statistics include at least one of (i) a number of packets destined for particular egress ports, (ii) a number of packets destined for particular MAC addresses, (iii) a number of packets destined for a particular virtual local area network, (iv) a number of packets having a particular IP protocol, (v) a number of errors associated with different classes of traffic, and (vi) a number of packets from each class of traffic that are dropped. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. In a packet forwarding device, a method comprising:
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monitoring an error rate associated with one or more types of packet traffic received in the packet forwarding device; determining whether the error rate associated with the one or more types of packet traffic exceeds a threshold; and automatically changing assignment of at least one type of packet traffic of the one or more types of packet traffic from a queue having a first priority to a queue having a second priority if the error rate computed based on an evaluation of error information substantially in real-time exceeds the threshold, the error information includes at least one of (i) a number of errors associated with the one of more types of traffic, and (ii) a number of packets from each types of traffic that are dropped.
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Specification