Patent ID: 7733770
Filing Date: 2010-06-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, at a system comprising a network interface controller (NIC), comprising: receiving frames including congestion notifications for Ethernet paths, identification of the Ethernet paths comprising respective Ethernet media access control (MAC) destination addresses; updating a control table that associates the Ethernet paths with respective Ethernet path data based on the congestion notifications received by the NIC for the Ethernet paths; accessing a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) flow to Ethernet path association table to determine an Ethernet path for a TCP flow having a TCP segment to transmit; based on the determined Ethernet path for the TCP flow, accessing the control table that associates Ethernet paths with respective Ethernet path data; based on the accessing of the control table, determining a next eligible time to transmit the TCP segment in the TCP flow, wherein the next eligible time is based, at least in part, on a current rate factor for the path and a number of bit times that will be consumed by a frame currently being sent; retaining the TCP segment in a one of multiple queues based on the determined next eligible time; and based on the determined next eligible time, dequeuing and transmitting the TCP segment in the one of the multiple queues.