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US 7,002,911 B1Granted
Flow control mechanism
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJohn Walter Linville, Brad Alan Makrucki, Edward Stanley Suffern, Jeffrey Robert Warren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Data bandwidth on a congested link of a Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) network, is controlled by a Pause MAC Frame which carries information identifying devices causing the problem on the link. The Recipient of the Pause MAC Frame can use the information to deactivate selected devices on the congested link. As a consequence, the data bandwidth is reduced without shutting down the link.
Claims5
A method comprising:
- receiving in a network device a flow control frame having (a) an address field carrying an address of at least one network device, (b) a parameter field carrying a time period and (c) a type field carrying a frame type;
- examining the flow control frame;
- and
- if the address matches the address of the one network device and the frame type is a pause frame then adjusting a rate of data transmission from the one network device for the time period set forth in said frame while the rates at which other network devices transfer data are maintained.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- monitoring buffer pools within a network device;
- detecting congestion at said buffer pools;
- in response to detection of congestion at said buffer pools, generating a flow control message including (a) a message type, (b) at least one address for a network device likely to cause the congestion, and (c) a specified time period during which the network device lowers its transmission rate of data but continues sending data;
- and
- forwarding the flow control message.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.