PACKET SCHEDULING USING HIERARCHICAL SCHEDULING PROCESS

摘要

System and method of data routing according to a hierarchical scheduling process. Incoming data traffic is allocated to various queues of a buffer. A scheduling tree has a top level for queues, a bottom level for egress ports, and a plurality of intermediate levels corresponding to different granularities with respect to service categories. Each queue is assigned to a particular node in each intermediate level of the scheduling tree. The scheduling tree traverses through multiple scheduling stages from the bottom to the top level to select a winner node in each level based on a variety of fairness and differentiating variables. As a result, a queue associated with the winner nodes in various levels is selected and data from the queue is read out and sent to the selected egress port for transmission.

主权项

1. A method of routing data traffic over a communication network, said method comprising:
mapping incoming data traffic into data groups, wherein a respective data group is assigned to nodes of different levels in a scheduling tree; selecting an egress port of a data routing device; based on said egress port, selecting an upper node according to a scheduling process based on values of a set of attributes associated with said upper node, wherein said upper node is associated with a lower node that has been selected according to a prior scheduling process; selecting a data group associated with selected nodes of said scheduling tree; and sending data in a selected data group to said egress port for transmission.