Patent ID: 6473424
Filing Date: 2002-10-29
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of distributing traffic over a network port group, comprising:receiving a packet of data to be forwarded; determining a stream ID for said packet by hashing and masking; determining whether a bit for the stream ID is set in a current time mark register; where the bit is not set, setting the bit in the current time mark register, and determining whether a bit for the stream ID is set in an alternate time mark register; where neither the bit in the current nor the alternate time mark registers are set, allocating the packet to a least utilized queue, assigning the packet a queue mark bit, and storing an identifier for the queue in a stream state table location corresponding to the stream ID; where the bit for the stream ID is set in the current time mark register, consulting the stream state table for an identifier of a transmit queue to which the packet is assigned, and assigning the packet a queue mark bit; and forwarding the queued packet.