Patent ID: 6680906
Filing Date: 2004-01-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of managing traffic directed from a first network element to a second network element in a packet-switched network, comprising the steps of:receiving, from the first network element, a plurality of packets each including a drop priority value in a drop priority field that indicates an order to drop the packet relative to other packets among the plurality of packets; storing the plurality of packets in a queue; detecting a drop condition, and in response thereto: from among packets in the queue, selecting one or more packets based on the drop priority value in the drop priority field of each of said packets in the queue, and dropping the selected packets from the queue while transmitting to the second network element other packets of said plurality of packets; wherein the step of receiving includes receiving a plurality of packets that includes a first subset of packets that each include a drop priority field set to a first drop priority value of a set of drop priority values and a second subset of packets that each include a drop priority field set to a second drop priority value of said set of drop priority values; and wherein the step of selecting includes selecting all packets from said first subset before selecting packets from said second subset.