Patent ID: 7672244
Filing Date: 2010-03-02
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus adapted to convert a network device from managing a data rate of an input stream of packets to managing a packet rate of the input stream, the apparatus comprising: an interface adapted to receive from the network device an actual length of each of the packets, and adapted to provide to the network device an effective length for the packet received; a control circuit configured to hold an indication of whether the network device is in a packet rate mode or in a data rate mode, wherein the data rate is determined without respect to a number of packets of data in the input stream, and wherein the packet rate is determined with respect to the number of packets of data in the input stream; a multiplexer configured to generate the effective length by selecting either the actual length or a virtual length, wherein the actual length is represented by a byte count, wherein the virtual length is predetermined and provided by the control circuit, wherein the multiplexer selects the actual length as the effective length when the data rate mode is indicated, wherein the multiplexer selects the virtual length as the effective length when the packet rate mode is indicated, and wherein, in the packet rate mode, the virtual length is used regardless of the actual length; and a traffic manager coupled to the multiplexer to use the effective length to limit a rate of processing the input stream within the apparatus, wherein the traffic manager is further configured to determine which packets are excess based on a comparison between a virtual time, a current time, and a burst time, wherein a given packet is excess if the virtual time is greater than the current time plus the burst time, wherein the current time is implemented as a free running counter, and wherein the virtual time is predefined and represents a value that the current time must reach before another packet that is not excess is received.