Packet queueing within ring networks

A network device of a plurality of network devices that form a ring network, the network device comprising:

• a memory having a different queue for one or more order-dependent pairs of the network devices determined as a function of the plurality of network device that form the ring network, wherein each of the one or more order-dependent pairs represents a different order-dependent combination of the network devices that includes one of the network devices that provides an ingress for packets to the ring network and one of the network devices that provides an egress from the ring network for the packets;
• an interface for receiving a packet from a neighboring one of the plurality of network devices;
• and
• a control unit that, in response to receiving the packet, stores the packet to one of the queues based on the one of the network devices that provided the ingress for the packet to the ring network and the one of the network devices that will provide the egress for the packet from the ring network, and forwards the stored packet via the ring network according to a scheduling algorithm,
• wherein the control unit includes a queue provisioning module that determines one or more quality of service (QoS) classes that each indicates a forwarding priority and allocates the queues for the different one or more order-dependent pairs of the network devices in combination with each different one of the QoS classes.

A system that forms a ring network, the system comprising:

• a plurality of network devices, wherein each of the plurality of network devices comprises:
• a memory having a different queue for one or more order-dependent pairs of the network devices determined as a function of the plurality of network devices, wherein each of the one or more order-dependent pairs represents a different order-dependent combination of the network devices that includes one of the network devices that provides an ingress for packets to the ring network and one of the network devices that provides an egress from the ring network for the packets;
• an interface for receiving a packet from a neighboring one of the plurality of network devices;
• and
• a control unit that, in response to receiving the packet, stores the packet to one of the queues based on the one of the network devices that provided the ingress for the packet to the ring network and the one of the network devices that will provide the egress for the packet from the ring network, and forwards the stored packet via the ring network according to a scheduling algorithm,
• wherein the control unit includes a queue provisioning module that determines one or more quality of service (QoS) classes that each indicates a forwarding priority and allocates the queues for the one or more different one or more order-dependent pairs of the network devices in combination with each different one of the QoS classes.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

• determine which of packet forwarding network devices provide ingress to or egress from to a packet-based, ring network;
• determine one or more order-dependent pairs as a function of the determined packet forwarding network devices;
• determine one or more quality of service (QoS) classes that each indicates a forwarding priority;
• allocate a queue for the determined order-dependent pairs of the packet forwarding network devices in combination with each different one of the QoS classes, wherein the one or more pairs of order-dependent combinations of the network devices represents a different order-dependent combination of the determined packet-forwarding network devices that includes one of the network devices that provides an ingress for packets to the ring network and one of the network devices that provides an egress from the ring network for the packets;
• receive a packet forwarded by a neighboring one of the other plurality of network devices along the ring network;
• select one of the one or more order-dependent pairs of the network devices based on the one of the network devices that provided the ingress for the packet to the ring network and the one of the network devices that will provide the egress for the packet from the ring network;
• select one of the plurality of queues based on the selected one of the one or more order-dependent pairs of network devices;
• storing the packet to the selected queue;
• and
• forwarding the packet via the ring network.