Patent ID: 9106546
Filing Date: 2015-08-11
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for receiving and transmitting data over a communications network, the apparatus comprising: a transmitter; a receiver configured to receive a first protocol data unit (PDU), over the communications network, the first PDU having been transmitted by a source node to a destination node; a memory including: a processor coupled to the memory, the transmitter, and the receiver, the processor being configured to: identify a communications network node located on a path from the source node to the destination node; encapsulate the first PDU in a first Ethernet frame, the first Ethernet frame having a first header portion; detect that an amount of data stored in the buffer exceeds a threshold; in response to detecting the amount of data exceeds a threshold, insert an indication of congestion in the first predetermined header field of the first Ethernet frame, the indication of congestion being inserted by executing the one or more processor-executable instructions; provide to the transmitter the first Ethernet frame for transmission to the identified communications network node; receive a second PDU; transfer the indication of network congestion from the first field of the first Ethernet frame to a second header field of the second PDU; encapsulate the second PDU in a second Ethernet frame; and provide to the transmitter the second Ethernet frame for transmission to a next communications network node on a transmission path leading to the sending device.