Patent ID: 7873048
Filing Date: 2011-01-18
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A switching device, comprising: a parsing module configured to receive packets and separate layer four packets from said packets; a classification module configured to classify said layer four packets into control packets and data packets; a bandwidth tracking module in communication with said classification module, said bandwidth tracking module having a fullness level that indicates a fill level of a bucket; and a rate limitation module configured to selectively perform an action on at least one of said control packets and said data packets based on said classification of said layer four packets and said fullness level, wherein said action includes transmitting a pause signal to assert flow control, wherein said classification module is configured to identify transmission control protocol (TCP) control packets, TCP data packets, user datagram protocol (UDP) packets, non-TCP packets, and non-UDP packets, wherein when classifying said layer four packets, said classification module is configured to determine a packet type of said layer four packets to be one of TCP control, TCP data, UDP, non-TCP, and non-UDP, and wherein said rate limitation module is configured to selectively perform said action on said at least one of said control packets and said data packets based on said packet type.