Dynamic service-aware flow control in packet networks

摘要

The present invention, including system methods and computer program product, provide the ability to control the flow of traffic into an aggregated trunk port in a network. This is performed by monitoring the trunk port of an aggregation packet switch for congestion and limiting the traffic flowing into the aggregation packet switch through virtual connections with one or more user network interfaces. An access control system executing an access control algorithm monitors the trunk port and controls the user network interfaces to limit the traffic the passes through the trunk port in the event of traffic congestion. Traffic may be limited on the basis of the class of service, the virtual connection, or other parameters.

主权项

1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of user-to-network interfaces located at an edge of a network, each user-to-network interface configured to receive data traffic and transmit at least a subset of the data traffic through one of a plurality of communication paths, each communication path connecting one of the plurality of user-to-network interfaces through the network to an aggregation packet switch, the data traffic being of a plurality of classes of service; the aggregation packet switch that includes a trunk port and a plurality of network ports, each network port connected to one of the plurality of communication paths and configured to receive the data traffic transmitted through that connected communication path, said aggregation packet switch being configured to aggregate data traffic received by each network port from the plurality of communication paths onto the trunk port; and an access control system configured to monitor the trunk port for data traffic congestion, and when a certain data traffic threshold value is reached:
select one of the plurality of communication paths transmitting data traffic having a particular class of service of the plurality of classes of service; andsend a message to a respective user-to-network interface associated with the selected communication path that instructs that respective user-to-network interface to limit transmissions of data traffic of the particular class of service on the selected communication path to a lower amount of data traffic.