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US 10,476,803 B2Granted
Elephant flow detection in network access
AssigneeMellanox Technologies, Ltd.
InventorsAlex Shpiner, Liran Liss, Matty Kadosh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A network element connected to a data network holds a flow of data packets in a queue and periodically determines a metric of the queue. Responsively to a predetermined value of the metric the queue is associated with an elephant flow or a mouse flow. The packets are marked according to the associated flow, and the network element sends the marked packets into the data network. Other network elements process the packets according to the associated flow marked therein.
Claims17
A method, comprising steps of:
- holding a flow of packets in a queue in a network element, the network element being connected to a data network;
- in the network element periodically determining a metric of the queue;
- making an assignment of the flow to a flow category responsively to the metric by steps of:
- (a) when the metric of the queue exceeds a first predetermined value assigning the flow as an elephant flow;
- and
- (b) when the metric of the queue fails to exceed the first predetermined value, performing steps of:
- (1) when the flow is not currently assigned to the elephant flow assigning the flow as a mouse flow;
- and
- (2) when the flow held therein is currently assigned as the elephant flow assigning the flow the mouse flow only when the metric of the queue fails to exceed a second predetermined value, the second predetermined value being less the first predetermined value;
- marking the packets in the queue according to the assignment of the flow;
- and
- sending the marked packets from the network element into the data network.
9 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a network interface controller connected to a data network and to a computing device;
- a processor in the network interface controller and
- a memory in the network interface controller holding a flow of packets in a queue, the network interface controller operative for:
- with the processor in the network interface controller periodically determining a metric of the queue;
- making an assignment of the flow to a flow category responsively to the metric by steps of:
- (a) when the metric of the queue exceeds a first predetermined value assigning the flow as an elephant flow;
- and
- (b) when the metric of the queue fails to exceed the first predetermined value, performing steps of:
- (1) when the flow is not currently assigned as the elephant flow assigning the flow as a mouse flow;
- and
- (2) when the flow held therein is currently assigned as the elephant flow assigning the flow to the mouse flow only when the metric of the queue fails to exceed a second predetermined value, the second predetermined value being less the first predetermined value;
- marking the packets in the queue according to the assignment of the flow;
- and
- sending the marked packets from the network interface controller into the data network.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.