Method and apparatus for priority flow and congestion control in ethernet network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016173383-A1
Application number	US-201514965576-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 11, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus is configured to perform a method for congestion control in an Ethernet network. The method includes determining an egress queue congestion state for each of a plurality of egress queues. The method also includes determining an ingress queue congestion state for each of a plurality of ingress queues. The method further includes determining a flow control state for at least one of the ingress queues based on the determined egress queue congestion states and ingress queue congestion states. In addition, the method includes transmitting a flow control message to the at least one ingress queue based on the determined flow control state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for congestion control in an Ethernet network, the method comprising:
determining an egress queue congestion state for each of a plurality of egress queues; determining an ingress queue congestion state for each of a plurality of ingress queues; determining a flow control state for at least one of the ingress queues based on the determined egress queue congestion states and ingress queue congestion states; and transmitting a flow control message to the at least one ingress queue based on the determined flow control state.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow control state is determined according to the equation:

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where D p i the flow control state, I p i is the ingress queue congestion state, and E p i,o is the egress queue congestion state, i represents an ingress queue, o represents an egress queue, and p represents a class of service (CoS).

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the egress queue congestion state comprises:
when an egress queue buffer usage reaches a first threshold, counting packets transmitted by each ingress queue to the egress queue; and when the egress queue buffer usage reaches a second threshold, setting the egress queue congestion state to a congestion value for one or more top congestion contributors among the ingress queues based on the counted packets.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the egress queue congestion state further comprises:
when the egress queue buffer usage drops below a third threshold, setting the egress queue congestion state to a congestion clear value

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the egress queue congestion state is determined using a Stop-Max algorithm or a Stop-Partial algorithm.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the ingress queue congestion state comprises:
when an ingress queue buffer usage reaches a first threshold, setting the ingress queue congestion state to a congestion value; and when the ingress queue buffer usage drops below a second threshold, setting the ingress queue congestion state to a congestion clear value.

7 . An apparatus for congestion control in an Ethernet network, the apparatus comprising:
at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, the at least one processor configured to:
determine an egress queue congestion state for each of a plurality of egress queues;
determine an ingress queue congestion state for each of a plurality of ingress queues;
determine a flow control state for at least one of the ingress queues based on the determined egress queue congestion states and ingress queue congestion states; and
transmit a flow control message to the at least one ingress queue based on the determined flow control state.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the flow control state is determined according to the equation:

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p
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p
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where D p i is the flow control state, I p i is the ingress queue congestion state, and E p i,o is the egress queue congestion state, i represents an ingress queue, o represents an egress queue, and p represents a class of service (CoS).

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein to determine the egress queue congestion state, the at least one processor is configured to:
when an egress queue buffer usage reaches a first threshold, count packets transmitted by each ingress queue to the egress queue; and when the egress queue buffer usage reaches a second threshold, set the egress queue congestion state to a congestion value for one or more top congestion contributors among the ingress queues based on the counted packets.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein to determine the egress queue congestion state, the at least one processor is further configured to:
when the egress queue buffer usage drops below a third threshold, set the egress qu

Assignees

• Futurewei Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Liu Fangping
• Li Zhenjiang
• Avci Serhat

Classifications

• H04L47/26

  using explicit feedback to the source, e.g. choke packets · CPC title

• H04L47/125 Primary

  by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering · CPC title

• H04L49/90

  Buffering arrangements · CPC title

• H04L45/66

  Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's · CPC title

• H04L47/30 Primary

  in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes · CPC title