Patent ID: 8514712
Filing Date: 2013-08-20
Classification: H04L,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a packet switch, the method comprising: periodically collecting information on peer capabilities for a plurality of peer devices each connected respectively to at least one of a plurality of external ports of the packet switch, the collected information received via Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) packets and including information indicating a packet-based telephone capability for the peer devices; determining, for peer devices associated with information indicating the packet-based telephone capability, whether a bridge is being provided for a downstream device; configuring at least one packet processing device on the packet switch to limit broadcast packet traffic on at least one external port of the packet switch, the broadcast packet traffic limit including a first broadcast packet traffic limit in response to the collected information indicating that the peer device connected to the at least one external port contains a packet-based telephone capability, and the broadcast packet traffic limit including a second broadcast packet traffic limit in response to determining the peer device contains a packet-based telephone capability and is providing a bridge for a downstream device; and snooping packets and detecting the recent presence of voice data packets resulting from a first peer device being associated with an active call and, in response, dynamically changing the broadcast packet traffic limit of the first peer device to the first broadcast packet traffic limit when the first peer device contains a packet-based telephone capability and is engaged in the active call, and dynamically changing the broadcast packet traffic limit to the second broadcast packet traffic limit when the first peer device contains a packet-based telephone capability and is providing a bridge for a downstream device that is engaged in the active call.