Patent ID: 8593965
Filing Date: 2013-11-26
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: an ISL port having an assigned ISL frame timeout value; two or more edge ports configured to link with edge devices and configured to receive indications of availability or unavailability to receive frames from the edge devices and send frames to the edge devices based at least in part on said indications, wherein the indication provides availability of the edge device at a slower rate or not at all, at least one of the edge ports has an assigned edge frame timeout value, wherein the ISL and edge frame timeout values determine an amount of time that frames can remain in the apparatus before being dropped, wherein one of the edge device is determined as slow or no drain device if its unavailability duration exceeds the assigned edge frame timeout value, the frames are dropped when they are slow or no drain device frames; and and wherein the ISL frame timeout value is shorter than the edge frame timeout value.