System and method for controlling communication flow rates

• US 7,821,929 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Bencheck, Michael U., DelRegno, Nick, McDysan, David E., Kotrla, Scott R., Turlington, Matthew W., Drake, William, Hardin, Ross S., Bengston, Lee D., Schell, Richard C., Chiu, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore; Ian N
• Application Number:
  US10/858,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20050220014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,338 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/236, 370/471, 370/229, 370/230, 370/230.1, 370/231, 370/235, 370/235.1, 370/236.1, 370/236.2, 370/241.1, 370/248, 370/252, 370/392, 370/395.21, 370/395.5, 37039551-39553, 370/395.6, 370/400, 370/401, 370/412, 370/466, 370/474, 709227-228, 709232-236, 709239-242, 709/245, 709/246
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5665 Interaction of ATM with other protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/31 by tagging of packets, e.g. using discard eligibility [DE] bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A system and method are provided for providing access communications between customer locations and a core network service edge. Access flows are handled as carrier-tagged flows through a packet switched network comprising network elements that interpret and manipulate carrier tag values associated with traffic-bearing data frames. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, a discard eligibility indication may be provided with the data frames.

Claims

1. A method for providing access communications between a customer premise and a service edge, the method comprising:

receiving, at a processor, a first communication from a customer premise equipment;

encapsulating the first communication by applying an encapsulation structure to a frame of the first communication to yield an encapsulated communication, the encapsulation structure comprising a discard eligibility indicator and a carrier tag value, where the carrier tag value determines how the frame of the first communication is sent to the service edge;

determining whether the first communication exceeds a data rate threshold, the determining step including,

measuring a data rate of a second communication, and

determining whether combined data rates of the first communication and the second communication exceed a combined data rate threshold;

responsive to the determining whether the first communication exceeds a data rate threshold, setting a value of the discard eligibility indicator; and

sending the encapsulated communication to the service edge based on the carrier tag value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first communication conforms to a protocol that does not provide for a discard eligibility indicator.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first communication from the customer premise equipment comprises ethernet communications.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating the discard eligibility indicator to a core network coupled via the service edge.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the data rate threshold pertains to at least one of a physical port, a logical port, a customer, a flow and a set of communications conforming to a given protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the carrier tag value comprises the discard eligibility indicator.

7. A method performed by a network device, comprising:

receiving, at a processor, an encapsulated communication having a first encapsulation structure comprising a first discard eligibility indicator that indicates whether the encapsulated communication is eligible to be discarded, the encapsulated communication further comprising an encapsulated payload which is formatted in accordance with a communications protocol that does not provide for a discard eligibility indicator;

determining that the network device is busy;

determining, in response to determining that the network device is busy, whether the first discard eligibility indicator indicates that the encapsulated communication is eligible to be discarded;

discarding the encapsulated communication in response to determining that the first discard eligibility indicator indicates that the encapsulated communication is eligible to be discarded; and

further encapsulating the encapsulated communication by applying a second encapsulation structure comprising a second discard eligibility indicator to the encapsulated communication; and

causing the second discard eligibility indicator to indicate a discard eligibility state consistent with the first discard eligibility indicator.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the encapsulated payload comprises ethernet communications.