Scalable traffic management using one or more processor cores for multiple levels of quality of service

Abstract

Packets are differentiated based on their traffic class. A traffic class is allocated bandwidth for transmission. One or more core or thread can be allocated to process packets of a traffic class for transmission based on allocated bandwidth for that traffic class. If multiple traffic classes are allocated bandwidth, and a traffic class underutilizes allocated bandwidth or a traffic class is allocated insufficient bandwidth, then allocated bandwidth can be adjusted for a future transmission time slot. For example, a higher priority traffic class with excess bandwidth can share the excess bandwidth with a next highest priority traffic class for use to allocate packets for transmission for the same time slot. In the same or another example, bandwidth allocated to a traffic class depends on an extent of insufficient allocation or underutilization of allocated bandwidth such that a traffic class with insufficient allocated bandwidth in one or more prior time slot can be provided more bandwidth in a current time slot and a traffic class with underutilization of allocated bandwidth can be provided with less allocated bandwidth for a current time slot.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.