Managing virtual output queues

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable storage device having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to manage virtual output queues (VOQs), the computer-executable program instructions comprising computer-executable instructions to:
• in a first node of a packet switched network, the first node transmitting at least one flow of protocol data units of the network to at least one output context of one of a plurality of second nodes of the network, the first node comprising a defined quantity (X) of virtual output queues (VOQs):
• receive, from at least one of the second nodes, at least one fair rate record, each fair rate record corresponding to a particular second node output context and describing a recommended rate of flow to the particular output context;
• allocate up to X of the VOQs among flows corresponding to currently allocated VOQs and flows corresponding to the received fair records;
• and
• operate each allocated VOQ according to the corresponding recommended rate of flow until a deallocation condition obtains for the each allocated VOQ, wherein operating each allocated VOQ further comprises modifying a transmission rate of a particular allocated VOQ until a deallocation condition obtains for each allocated VOQ.

A modular data communication equipment (DCE) assembly, comprising:

• at least one fabric module;
• and
• at least one first line card and at least one second line card, each line card in communication with each fabric module and in communication with each other line card via the at least one fabric module;
• each first line card characterized by a plurality of output contexts and operative to:
• send flows of protocol data units from the switching assembly and into a packet switched network via a particular one of the output contexts;
• and
• periodically determine a fair rate to be applied to each flow entering the assembly via one or more of the second line cards and destined for each output context, and
• communicate the determined fair rates to the at least one second line cards;
• and
• each second line card comprising a number X of virtual output queues (VOQs), wherein X is a defined quantity of VOQs and X is less than the plurality of output contexts, and each second line card operative to:
• transmit at least one flow to at least one of the output contexts;
• receive, from at least one of the first nodes, a fair rate record corresponding to a particular first node output context, each fair rate record describing a recommended a fair rate of flow to the corresponding output context;
• allocate up to X of the VOQs among flows corresponding to currently allocated VOQs and flows corresponding to the received fair records;
• and
• operate each allocated VOQ until a deallocation condition obtains for the each allocated VOQ, wherein operating each allocated VOQ further comprises modifying a transmission rate of a particular allocated VOQ until a deallocation condition obtains for each allocated VOQ.