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US 8,045,456 B1Granted
Hierarchical port-based rate limiting
AssigneeMarvell International Ltd.
InventorRaghu Kondapalli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for regulating traffic in a computer network comprises a plurality of rate buckets associated with a network interface ingress port. The system includes at least two rate buckets, related hierarchically, assigned to a specific ingress port on a network equipment device. At least one traffic parameter is associated with each rate bucket. Each rate bucket monitors traffic based on individual user-defined traffic parameters. At least one packet threshold parameter is associated with each rate bucket. Packets exceeding a rate bucket's packet threshold parameter are sent to subsequent rate buckets within the hierarchy based on an aggregate information rate assigned to the port. Each hierarchical rate bucket assigned to a specific port evaluates each packet prior to discarding a packet.
Claims18
A computer-implemented method for regulating traffic in a computer network, the method comprising:
- assigning a plurality of rate buckets to a network interface port, wherein the network interface port is configured to receive network data traffic comprising packets, and wherein the plurality of rate buckets comprise at least a first rate bucket and a second rate bucket that are related hierarchically;
- accepting the network data traffic comprising the packets into the first rate bucket;
- performing a packet action based on counting tokens corresponding to the received packets and determining if an amount of the network data traffic exceeds a service provider user-defined rate bucket threshold for the first rate bucket;
- and
- passing the received packets of the network data traffic in the first rate bucket that exceed the service provider user-defined rate bucket threshold to the second rate bucket within the hierarchy based on a result of the packet action of the first rate bucket in the hierarchy;
- wherein the first rate bucket is programmed to accept a percentage of network data traffic, wherein the percentage is designated by the service provider user-defined rate bucket threshold;
- and
- configuring the first rate bucket to monitor traffic rate by:
- counting specific bytes or bits within a packet as tokens, wherein the specific bytes or bits include at least one of frame mode, count layer1 bits, count layer2 bits, and count layer3 bits.
6 more elements
A computer-implemented method for regulating traffic in a computer network, the method comprising:
- assigning a plurality of rate buckets to a network interface port, wherein the network interface port is configured to receive network data traffic comprising packets, and wherein the plurality of rate buckets comprise at least a first rate bucket and a second rate bucket that are related hierarchically;
- accepting the network data traffic comprising the packets into the first rate bucket;
- performing a packet action based on counting tokens corresponding to the received packets and determining if an amount of the network data traffic exceeds a service provider user-defined rate bucket threshold for the first rate bucket;
- and
- passing the received packets of the network data traffic in the first rate bucket that exceed the service provider user-defined rate bucket threshold to the second rate bucket within the hierarchy based on a result of the packet action of the first rate bucket in the hierarchy;
- monitoring at least one traffic parameter associated with each rate bucket;
- associating at least one packet threshold parameter with each rate bucket, wherein associating at least one packet threshold parameter with each rate bucket further comprises configuring the at least one packet threshold parameter of each rate bucket to be at least one of a committed burst size threshold or an excess burst size threshold;
- performing at least one packet action when a number of tokens corresponding to the received data traffic less than or equal to the committed burst size threshold;
- associating a first plurality of packet actions with received data traffic exceeding the committed burst size threshold but less than or equal to the excess burst size threshold;
- and
- associating a second plurality of packet actions with received data traffic exceeding the excess burst size threshold.
8 more elements
A computer-implemented method for regulating traffic in a computer network, the method comprising:
- assigning a plurality of rate buckets to a network interface port, wherein the network interface port is configured to receive data traffic comprising packets, and wherein at least two rate buckets are related hierarchically;
- performing a packet action based on counting tokens corresponding to the received packets that exceed a service provider user-defined rate bucket threshold;
- passing the received packets that exceed the service provider user-defined rate bucket threshold to a subsequent rate bucket within the hierarchy based on a resulting packet action of a previous rate bucket in the hierarchy;
- monitoring at least one traffic parameter associated with each rate bucket, wherein monitoring at least one traffic parameter associated with a rate bucket further comprises configuring a rate bucket to monitor traffic rate, and wherein configuring the rate bucket to monitor traffic rate comprises counting specific bytes or bits within a packet as tokens, wherein the specific bytes or bits include at least one of frame mode, count layer1 bits, count layer2 bits, and count layer3 bits;
- and
- associating at least one packet threshold parameter with each rate bucket.
3 more elements
A computer-implemented method for regulating traffic in a computer network, the method comprising:
- assigning a plurality of rate buckets to a network interface port, wherein the network interface port is configured to receive data traffic comprising packets, and wherein at least two rate buckets are related hierarchically;
- performing a packet action based on counting tokens corresponding to the received packets that exceed a service provider user-defined rate bucket threshold;
- passing the received packets that exceed the service provider user-defined rate bucket threshold to a subsequent rate bucket within the hierarchy based on a resulting packet action of a previous rate bucket in the hierarchy;
- and
- monitoring at least one traffic parameter associated with each rate bucket;
- associating at least one packet threshold parameter with each rate bucket, wherein associating at least one packet threshold parameter with each rate bucket further comprises, configuring the at least one packet threshold parameter of each rate bucket to be at least one of a committed burst size threshold or an excess burst size threshold;
- performing at least one packet action when a number of tokens corresponding to the received data traffic less than or equal to the committed burst size threshold;
- associating a first plurality of packet actions with received data traffic exceeding the committed burst size threshold but less than or equal to the excess burst size threshold;
- and
- associating a second plurality of packet actions with received data traffic exceeding the excess burst size threshold.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.