Patent ID: 7039013
Filing Date: 2006-05-02
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of controlling a data packet flow in a buffer means of a network node of a data network, said method comprising the steps of: (a) assigning a nominal capacity to each data flow; and (b) shifting free capacity from a first flow portion to a second flow portion, when a new data packet of said second flow portion has been received at said buffer means and said nominal capacity has been exceeded; wherein said nominal capacity is an upper buffer memory limit of a buffer memory of said buffer means shared between a plurality of channels allocated to respective packet data connections and determined in dependence on the number of allocated channels, and wherein memory space is shifted from said first channel to a second channel, when a new data packet of said second channel has been received and not enough memory space is available for said second channel, wherein a channel with the longest packet queue is selected as said first channel, and a predetermined data packet is dropped from the queue of said first channel, when no free memory is available in said buffer memory, wherein said dropping of said predetermined data packet is inhibited and said new data packet is dropped, if the queue of said second channel has reached said upper buffer memory limit, wherein said channel with the longest packet queue is determined by an estimation, and wherein said estimation is performed by storing the length and identity of the last determined longest queue, comparing the length of a current queue with said stored longest queue on a queuing event, and updating the length and identity of said stored longest queue according to the result of comparison.