Patent ID: 9674102
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A method for processing packets in a network device, the method comprising: extracting at least first header information from a first packet received by a first data path portion of the network device, the first data path portion configured to buffer a data portion of received packets until the received packets are ready for transmission from the network device; determining, by the first data path portion, a first classification identifier for the first packet based on the first header information; determining, by the first data path portion, a congestion state of the first data path portion, the congestion state indicating a received packet rate of the first data path portion that exceeds a packet handling rate of a control path portion of the network device, the control path portion being configured to process at least header information for the received packets to determine respective ports of the network device from which the received packets should be transmitted; and discarding the first packet by the first data path portion, if the congestion state meets a discard threshold associated with the first classification identifier.