| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090193105 | Local placement of large flows to assist load-balancing - In one embodiment, an apparatus generally comprises one or more input interfaces for receiving a plurality of flows, a plurality of output interfaces, and a processor operable to identify large flows and select one of the output interfaces for each of the large flows to load-balance the large flows over the output interfaces. The apparatus further includes memory for storing a list of the large flows, a pinning mechanism for pinning the large flows to the selected interfaces, and a load-balance mechanism for selecting one of the output interfaces for each of the remaining flows. A method for local placement of large flows to assist in load-balancing is also disclosed. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090207846 | PROPAGATION OF MINIMUM GUARANTEED SCHEDULING RATES AMONG SCHEDULING LAYERS IN A HIERARCHICAL SCHEDULE - A hierarchy of schedules propagate minimum guaranteed scheduling rates among scheduling layers in a hierarchical schedule. The minimum guaranteed scheduling rate for a parent schedule entry is typically based on the summation of the minimum guaranteed scheduling rates of its immediate child schedule entries. This propagation of minimum rate scheduling guarantees for a class of traffic can be dynamic (e.g., based on the active traffic for this class of traffic, active services for this class of traffic), or statically configured. One embodiment also includes multiple scheduling lanes for scheduling items, such as, but not limited to packets or indications thereof, such that different categories of traffic (e.g., propagated minimum guaranteed scheduling rate, non-propagated minimum guaranteed scheduling rate, high priority, excess rate, etc.) of scheduled items can be propagated through the hierarchy of schedules accordingly without being blocked behind a lower priority or different type of traffic. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20100061234 | QOS on Bonded Channels of a Shared Access Cable Network - Various techniques are disclosed for managing traffic flow for transport over a plurality of communication channels of a shared access cable network. According to various embodiments, one or more devices of the cable network (such as, for example, a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS)), may be operable to implement at least a portion of the traffic flow management techniques. In at least one embodiment, one or more aspects of the traffic flow management techniques disclosed herein may be used for performing real-time shaping of traffic flows across multiple different channels of a DOCSIS channel bonding group. In some embodiments, various different traffic shaping and/or traffic scheduling techniques may be employed (e.g., in DOCSIS 3.0 compatible cable networks) to reduce and/or mitigate issues which, for example, may arise as a result of an inability to represent traffic schedulers as tree-based hierarchies. Other aspects are disclosed for implementing quality of service (QoS) procedures on shared access network(s), such as for example hybrid fiber/coaxial (HFC) cable networks. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100061235 | Traffic Flow Scheduling Techniques Implemented on Bonded Channels of a Shared Access Cable Network - Various techniques are disclosed for managing traffic flow for transport over a plurality of communication channels of a shared access cable network. According to various embodiments, one or more devices of the cable network (such as, for example, a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS)), may be operable to implement at least a portion of the traffic flow management techniques. In at least one embodiment, one or more aspects of the traffic flow management techniques disclosed herein may be used for performing real-time shaping of traffic flows across multiple different channels of a DOCSIS channel bonding group. In some embodiments, various different traffic shaping and/or traffic scheduling techniques may be employed (e.g., in DOCSIS 3.0 compatible cable networks) to reduce and/or mitigate issues which, for example, may arise as a result of an inability to represent traffic schedulers as tree-based hierarchies. Other aspects are disclosed for implementing quality of service (QoS) procedures on shared access network(s), such as for example hybrid fiber/coaxial (HFC) cable networks. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100235538 | CONTROL OF PREEMPTION-BASED BEAT-DOWN EFFECT - In one embodiment, a node determines an overload ratio for an output as a ratio of a total rate of received traffic at the output to a preemption threshold of the output. The node also determines a ratio of traffic that is to be marked at the output based on the overload ratio and a ratio of previously marked traffic destined for the output from each input to the total traffic from each input to the output, and whether, for a particular input, the ratio of previously marked traffic is less than the ratio of traffic that is to be marked at the output. If so, the node marks unmarked traffic of the particular input corresponding to a difference between the ratio of traffic that is to be marked at the output and the ratio of previously marked traffic destined for the output from the particular input. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20110119397 | Protection of network flows during congestion in a communications network - In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor for mapping packets associated with network flows to policy profiles independent of congestion level at the apparatus, and enforcing the policy profiles for the packets based on a congestion state. Packets associated with the same network flow are mapped to the same policy profile and at least some of the network flows are protected during network congestion. The apparatus further includes memory for storing the policy profiles. A method for protecting network flows during network congestion is also disclosed. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20120044801 | TECHNIQUE FOR DETERMINING WHETHER TO REESTABLISH FAST REROUTED PRIMARY TUNNELS BASED ON BACKUP TUNNEL PATH QUALITY FEEDBACK - In one embodiment, a primary tunnel is established from a head-end node to a destination along a path including one or more protected network elements for which a fast reroute path is available to pass traffic around the one or more network elements in the event of their failure. A first path quality measures path quality prior to failure of the one or more protected network elements. A second path quality measures path quality subsequent to failure of the one or more protected network elements, while the fast reroute path is being used to pass traffic of the primary tunnel. A determination is made whether to reestablish the primary tunnel over a new path that does not include the one or more failed protected network elements, or to continue to utilize the path with the fast reroute path, in response to a difference between the first path quality and the second path quality. | 02-23-2012 |