System, device, and method for allocating excess bandwidth in a differentiated services communication network

A device comprising a target aware traffic conditioner for assigning a drop precedence value to a packet that is associated with a traffic stream having a target rate and a measured rate, wherein the target aware traffic conditioner comprises a packet marker operably coupled to assign a first drop precedence value to the packet with a probability (1−p), if the measured rate is greater than the target rate;

• assign a second drop precedence value higher than the first drop precedence value to the packet with probability a (1−q), if the measured rate is greater than the target rate and the packet is not assigned the first drop precedence value with the probability (1−p);
• and assign a third drop precedence value higher than the second drop precedence value to the packet, if the measured rate is greater than the target rate and the packet is assigned neither the first drop precedence value with probability the (1−p) nor the second drop precedence value with the probability (1−q), wherein p is equal to the ratio of the measured rate minus the target rate to the measured rate, and wherein q is equal to the ratio of a minimum target rate from among a plurality of traffic streams to the target rate of the traffic stream.

A program product comprising a target aware traffic conditioner for assigning a drop precedence value to a packet that is associated with a traffic stream having a target rate and a measured rate, wherein the target aware traffic conditioner comprises a packet marker programmed to assign a first drop precedence value to the packet with a probability (1−p), if the measured rate is greater than the target rate;

• assign a second drop precedence value higher than the first drop precedence value to the packet with probability a (1−q), if the measured rate is greater than the target rate and the packet is not assigned the first drop precedence value with the probability (1−p);
• and assign a third drop precedence value higher than the second drop precedence value to the packet, if the measured rate is greater than the target rate and the packet is assigned neither the first drop precedence value with probability the (1−p) nor the second drop precedence value with the probability (1−q), wherein p is equal to the ratio of the measured rate minus the target rate to the measured rate, and wherein q is equal to the ratio of a minimum target rate from among a plurality of traffic streams to the target rate of the traffic stream.

A communication system comprising a plurality of traffic streams supported by at least one edge node and a core node, wherein:

• a traffic conditioning edge node supporting a traffic stream having a target rate and a measured rate greater than the target rate assigns a drop precedence value to each of a plurality of packets associated with the traffic stream such that, of all packets assigned either the first drop precedence value or the second drop precedence value, substantially (1−q) of the packets are assigned the first drop precedence value and substantially (q) of the packets are assigned the second drop precedence value, wherein q is equal to the ratio of a minimum target rate from among a plurality of traffic streams to the target rate of the traffic stream;
• and
• the core node selectively drops packets based upon at least the drop precedence value assigned to each of the plurality of packets.