Deploying shadow buffer in context of clock-synchronized edge-based network functions

Abstract

A regular buffer and a shadow buffer are maintained at a receiver host. Responsive to receiving a data flow from a sender host that is clock-synchronized with the receiver host using a common reference clock, a first indication of data of the data flow is stored to the regular buffer, the shadow buffer is transitioned from an idle state to an active state, and a counter of the shadow buffer is incremented that indicates a unit of data traffic received. A dynamic drain rate is determined based on a number of units of the data removed from the regular buffer per unit of time while the shadow buffer is in the active state, where the shadow buffer reverts to an idle state responsive to a break in the receiver host receiving the data flow. Dwell time is calculated as a function of the counter of the shadow buffer and the dynamic drain rate, and a congestion signal for the data flow is determined based on the dwell time.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.