Patent ID: 8059671
Filing Date: 2011-11-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A switching device comprising at least one ingress port and at least one egress port, the switching device being arranged to receive data packets through said at least one ingress port and to forward received data packets to respective ones of said at least one egress port, wherein the switching device further comprises: a primary buffer arranged to store data packets received via at least one of said at least one ingress ports; a secondary buffer associated with the primary buffer; and at least one congestion buffer associated with said primary buffer; wherein the switching device is adapted to: select a data packet from said primary buffer; and if but only if said secondary buffer satisfies at least one first predetermined criterion, transfer said selected data packet to said secondary buffer, and wherein the switching device is further adapted to: determine whether a second predetermined criterion is satisfied; and if said second predetermined criterion is satisfied, transfer a data packet from one of said primary or secondary buffers to one of said at least one congestion buffers, wherein the second predetermined condition is that said data packet has resided in one of said primary and secondary buffers for more than a predetermined minimum time.