Flow control for multi-hop networks
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method comprising:
- at a network device, monitoring traffic into a first port of the network device based on a virtual local area network (VLAN) identification field in packets of the traffic; and
if the monitoring indicates the network device cannot handle traffic flow from a first VLAN,creating a frame indicating that traffic flow from the first VLAN should be paused; and
appending a first field to the frame, the first field;
having a value indicating a tagged frame; and
having a value indicating the first VLAN.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Solutions are provided that allow a network device to apply flow control on the MAC layer while taking into account the priority of the frame of traffic. This may be accomplished by generating a frame indicating that traffic flow should be paused, while utilizing a new opcode value, or alternatively by utilizing a new type/length value (possibly combined with a new opcode value). A receiving device may then examine the fields of the frame to determine whether it should it should use priority-based pausing, and then examine other fields to determine which priority-levels to pause and for how long. This allows for improved efficiency in flow control at the MAC layer. Additionally, the tagged pause frames can be forwarded over multiple hops on Local Area Networks across a Metropolitan Area Network or Wide Area Network.
63 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method comprising:
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at a network device, monitoring traffic into a first port of the network device based on a virtual local area network (VLAN) identification field in packets of the traffic; and if the monitoring indicates the network device cannot handle traffic flow from a first VLAN, creating a frame indicating that traffic flow from the first VLAN should be paused; and appending a first field to the frame, the first field; having a value indicating a tagged frame; and having a value indicating the first VLAN. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 24)
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9. An apparatus comprising:
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a memory; logic to monitor traffic into a first port of the apparatus based on a virtual local area network (VLAN) identification field in packets of the traffic; a pause traffic frame creator configured to, if the monitoring indicates the apparatus cannot handle traffic flow from a first VLAN, create a frame indicating that traffic flow from the first VLAN should be paused; and a field appender coupled to the pause traffic frame creator and configured to append a first field to the frame, the first field; having a value indicating a tagged frame; and having a value indicating the first VLAN. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus comprising:
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a memory; means for, at a network device, monitoring traffic into a first port of the network device based on a virtual local area network (VLAN) identification field in packets of the traffic; and means for, if the monitoring indicates the network device cannot handle traffic flow from a first VLAN, creating a frame indicating that traffic flow from the first VLAN should be paused; and appending a first field to the frame, the first field; having a value indicating a tagged frame; and having a value indicating the first VLAN. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A program storage device readable by a computer, embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
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at a network device, monitoring traffic into a first port of the network device based on a virtual local area network (VLAN) identification field in packets of the traffic; and if the monitoring indicates the network device cannot handle traffic flow from a first VLAN, creating a frame indicating that traffic flow from the first VLAN should be paused; and appending a first field to the frame, the first field; having a value indicating a tagged frame; and having a value indicating the first VLAN. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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25. A computer implemented method comprising:
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at a network device, monitoring traffic into a first port of the network device based on a virtual local area network (VLAN) identification field in packets of the traffic; in response to the monitoring, creating a frame indicating that traffic flow from a first VLAN should be paused; and appending a first field to the frame, the first field comprising; a first sub-field comprising a value indicating a tagged frame; and a second sub-field comprising a value indicating the first VLAN.
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26. An apparatus comprising:
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a memory; logic to monitor traffic into a first port based on a virtual local area network (VLAN) identification field in packets of the traffic; a pause traffic frame creator configured to, in response to the monitoring, create a frame indicating that traffic flow from a first VLAN should be paused; and a field appender coupled to the pause traffic frame creator and configured to append a first field to the frame, the first field comprising; a first sub-field comprising a value indicating a tagged frame; and a second sub-field comprising a value indicating the first VLAN.
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27. An apparatus comprising:
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a memory; means for monitoring traffic into a first port based on a virtual local area network (VLAN) identification field in packets of the traffic; means for, in response to the monitoring, creating a frame indicating that traffic flow from a first VLAN should be paused; and means for appending a first field to the frame, the first field comprising; a first sub-field comprising a value indicating a tagged frame; and a second sub-field comprising a value indicating the first VLAN.
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28. A program storage device readable by a computer, embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
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monitoring traffic into a first port based on a virtual local area network (VLAN) identification field in packets of the traffic; in response to the monitoring, creating a frame indicating that traffic flow from a first VLAN should be paused; and appending a first field to the frame, the first field comprising; a first sub-field comprising a value indicating a tagged frame; and a second sub-field comprising a value indicating the first VLAN.
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Specification