User traffic accountability under congestion in flow-based multi-layer switches

A flow-based programmable switch including a data plane having input ports, output ports, and forwarding rules that map packets received on an input port to an output port based on a packet matching a rule in the forwarding rules, characterized in that the flow-based programmable switch further includes:

• a congestion detection module that receives statistics from the data plane, the congestion detection module configured to detect congestion at the flow-based programmable switch;
• a traffic/flow extractor module that receives statistics and/or packets from the data plane, the traffic/flow extractor module configured to identify a flow that is causing congestion at the flow-based programmable switch when congestion has been detected;
• and
• a policing module that receives information on the flow that is causing congestion from the traffic/flow extractor module, the policing module configured to penalize the flow that has been identified as causing congestion at the flow-based programmable switch.