Patent ID: 6081505
Filing Date: 2000-06-27
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A method of managing cells at a node of a network received over a connection established between a network access node and the network node, comprising:determining an occupancy state of a memory provided at the network node, the memory arranged to store real-time cells and non-real-time cells;establishing an allowable priority level for the network node based on the occupancy state of the memory;detecting a priority level identifier of a cell received at the network node, the priority level identifier of the cell indicating a probability of cell acceptance at the network node; andtransferring the cell into the memory at the network node in response to the priority level identifier of the cell being equal to or less than the allowable priority level established for the network node;wherein:determining the occupancy state of the memory further comprises:determining a number of cells occupying a real-time portion of the memory and a number of cells occupying a non-real-time portion of the memory;determining a number of memory locations defining the real-time memory portion and a number of memory locations defining the non-real-time memory portion;computing an occupancy level of the real-time memory portion using the number of cells occupying the real-time memory portion and the number of memory locations defining the real-time memory portion; andcomputing an occupancy level of the non-real-time memory portion using the number of cells occupying the non-real-time memory portion and the number of memory locations defining the non-real-time memory portion; andestablishing the allowable priority level for the network node further comprises establishing the allowable priority level using the occupancy levels of the real-time and non-real-time memory portions.