Patent ID: 7433366
Filing Date: 2008-10-07
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: passing a token among a plurality of stack members in a stack, with each stack member having one or more ports, with the stack members coupled by a stacking bus, and with each stack member granted a bus access opportunity when in possession of the token; setting an offered load value at each stack member equal to a sum of the port speeds of each port on the stack member; exchanging offered load values among stack members in the stack to determine a maximum offered load value of the offered loads of the stack members in the stack; loading a threshold value into a skip counter included in a first stack member to indicate the ratio of the offered load of the first stack member to the maximum offered load value; and skipping access opportunities to the stacking bus at the first stack member when the first stack member is in possession of the token at a frequency that is inversely proportional to the threshold value loaded into the skip counter.