Smart Ethernet edge networking system
First Claim
1. A method of controlling the flow of data-packet traffic through an Ethernet telecommunications network having a multiplicity of nodes interconnected by multiple network links, comprisingreceiving incoming Ethernet data-packet traffic from multiple customer connections at a first node of said multiplicity of nodes for entry into the network via said first node,obtaining Ethernet flow control messages each representing a state of said first node or one or more nodes of said multiplicity of nodes upstream from said first node, andusing the state represented in each of said Ethernet flow control messages as factors in controlling the rate at which Excess Information Rate (EIR) traffic of said incoming Ethernet data-packet traffic is admitted to the network at said first node, wherein said controlling is based on a technique used to generate the Ethernet flow control messages with a step up in the rate being linear and a step down in the rate being exponential, wherein the step up and the step down are proportional to prescribed Ethernet traffic descriptors,wherein said multiplicity of nodes in said network comprise queues for said Ethernet data-packet traffic being transmitted through respective nodes, and each of said multiplicity of nodes with queues generates said Ethernet flow control messages and transmits such messages to downstream nodes, wherein the Ethernet flow control messages comprise indications of which of a plurality thresholds are reached in said queues and the Ethernet flow control messages are used to shape the Ethernet data-packet traffic without stopping transmission of Ethernet data-packets, andwherein said Ethernet flow control messages are selectively transmitted from said multiplicity of nodes directly in a backward path via hairpin connections at said multiplicity of nodes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided for controlling the flow of data-packet traffic through an Ethernet telecommunications network having a multiplicity of nodes interconnected by multiple network links. Incoming data-packet traffic from multiple customer connections are received at a first node for entry into the network via the first node. Flow control messages are generated to represent the states of the first node and, optionally, one or more network nodes upstream from the first node, and these states are used as factors in controlling the rate at which the incoming packets are admitted to the network. Alternatively, the flow control messages may be used to control the rate at which packets generated by a client application are transmitted to the first node.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method of controlling the flow of data-packet traffic through an Ethernet telecommunications network having a multiplicity of nodes interconnected by multiple network links, comprising
receiving incoming Ethernet data-packet traffic from multiple customer connections at a first node of said multiplicity of nodes for entry into the network via said first node, obtaining Ethernet flow control messages each representing a state of said first node or one or more nodes of said multiplicity of nodes upstream from said first node, and using the state represented in each of said Ethernet flow control messages as factors in controlling the rate at which Excess Information Rate (EIR) traffic of said incoming Ethernet data-packet traffic is admitted to the network at said first node, wherein said controlling is based on a technique used to generate the Ethernet flow control messages with a step up in the rate being linear and a step down in the rate being exponential, wherein the step up and the step down are proportional to prescribed Ethernet traffic descriptors, wherein said multiplicity of nodes in said network comprise queues for said Ethernet data-packet traffic being transmitted through respective nodes, and each of said multiplicity of nodes with queues generates said Ethernet flow control messages and transmits such messages to downstream nodes, wherein the Ethernet flow control messages comprise indications of which of a plurality thresholds are reached in said queues and the Ethernet flow control messages are used to shape the Ethernet data-packet traffic without stopping transmission of Ethernet data-packets, and wherein said Ethernet flow control messages are selectively transmitted from said multiplicity of nodes directly in a backward path via hairpin connections at said multiplicity of nodes.
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24. A method, comprising
receiving incoming Ethernet traffic at a node in an Ethernet network, wherein the incoming traffic enters the Ethernet network at the node, generating Ethernet flow control messages at each of a plurality of nodes in the Ethernet network, wherein the Ethernet flow control messages comprise status of the nodes and queues disposed within the nodes and comprise indications of which of a plurality thresholds are reached in said queues and the Ethernet flow control messages are used to shape the Ethernet traffic without stopping transmission of Ethernet data-packets, exchanging the Ethernet flow control messages over the Ethernet network, wherein the Ethernet flow control messages are selectively sent directly in a backward path of the Ethernet network to downstream nodes via hairpin connections at each of the nodes and the Ethernet flow control messages are sent at a highest priority, and based on the Ethernet control messages, adjusting a rate at which a portion of the incoming traffic is admitted to the Ethernet network at the node, wherein the portion comprises Excess Information Rate (EIR) traffic, and wherein said adjusting is based on said Ethernet flow control messages with a step up in the rate being linear and a step down in the rate being exponential, wherein the step up and the step down are proportional to prescribed Ethernet traffic descriptors.
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25. An Ethernet network, comprising
a first switch, a second switch, an upstream path of Ethernet packets connecting the first switch to the second switch, a downstream path of Ethernet packets connecting the second switch to the first switch, a first hairpin connection at the first switch selectively coupling the downstream path to the upstream path, and a second hairpin connection at the second switch selectively coupling the upstream path to the downstream path, wherein each of the first switch and the second switch are configured to generate Ethernet flow control messages comprising node status and status of queues disposed therein and comprising indications of which of a plurality thresholds are reached in said queues and the Ethernet flow control messages are used to shape the Ethernet data-packet traffic without stopping transmission of Ethernet data-packets, selectively send the Ethernet flow control messages at a highest priority directly in a backward direction via either the first hairpin connection or the second hairpin connection, and based on the Ethernet flow control messages, adjust a rate in which a portion of the incoming traffic is admitted to the Ethernet network, wherein the portion comprises Excess Information Rate (EIR) traffic, and wherein said adjusting is based on said Ethernet flow control messages with a step up in the rate being linear and a step down in the rate being exponential, wherein the step up and the step down are proportional to prescribed Ethernet traffic descriptors.
Specification