Buffer management scheme employing dynamic thresholds
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorsJames Aweya, Michel Ouellette, Delfin Y. Montuno
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Abstract
An improved buffer management process is disclosed wherein the buffer is shared among a plurality of packet queues. The improved buffer management process comprises computing a common queue threshold value based upon the aggregate size of the plurality of packet queues and a predetermined buffer threshold value. The common queue threshold value is then used to manage the size of each of the plurality of packet queues and thereby manage the buffer.
Claims28
An improved buffer management process, wherein the buffer is shared among a plurality of packet queues, the improvement comprising:
- computing a common queue threshold value based at least in part on the aggregate size of the plurality of packet queues and a predetermined buffer threshold value;
- and
- computing a packet drop probability for each of the plurality of packet queues based at least in part on the common queue threshold value;
- wherein the common queue threshold value and the respective packet drop probability are used to manage the size of each of the plurality of packet queues and thereby manage the buffer.
The improved buffer management process as defined in claim 7, wherein the size of each of the plurality of packet queues is managed based at least in part on determining whether to drop one or more packets based at least in part on a comparison of the respective drop probability to a reference value.
An improved buffer management apparatus, wherein the buffer is shared among a plurality of packet queues, the improvement comprising:
- at least one threshold computation processor for computing a common queue threshold value based at least in part on the aggregate size of the plurality of packet queues and a predetermined buffer threshold value;
- and
- at least one packet drop probability computation processor for computing a packet drop probability for each of the plurality of packet queues based at least in part on the common queue threshold value;
- wherein the common queue threshold value and the respective packet drop probability are used to manage the size of each of the plurality of packet queues and thereby manage the buffer.
An article of manufacture for improving a buffer management process, wherein the buffer is shared among a plurality of packet queues, the article of manufacture comprising:
- at least one processor readable carrier;
- and
- instructions carried on the at least one carrier;
- wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the at least one carrier by at least one processor and thereby cause the at least one processor to operate so as to:
- compute a common queue threshold value based at least in part on the aggregate size of the plurality of packet queues and a predetermined buffer threshold value;
- and
- compute a packet drop probability for each of the plurality of packet queues based at least in part on the common queue threshold value;
- wherein the common queue threshold value and the respective packet drop probability are used to manage the size of each of the plurality of packet queues and thereby manage the buffer.
An improved buffer management apparatus, wherein the buffer is shared among a plurality of packet queues, the improvement comprising:
- means for computing a common queue threshold value based at least in part on the aggregate size of the plurality of packet queues and a predetermined buffer threshold value;
- and
- means for computing a packet drop probability for each of the plurality of packet queues based at least in part on the common queue threshold value;
- wherein the common queue threshold value and the respective packet drop probability are used to manage the size of each of the plurality of packet queues and thereby manage the buffer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.