Patent ID: 8077611
Filing Date: 2011-12-13
Classification: H04L,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A method for policing packets using a multilevel coupled policer scheme including a first-level plurality of class policers and a second-level aggregate policer, with each of said policers associated with a token bucket, the multilevel coupled policer scheme configured to share bandwidth of the aggregate policer among packet traffic corresponding to the class policers based on said packet traffic, the method comprising: selecting a particular class token bucket of said class token buckets based on a particular packet; updating the number of tokens in the particular class token bucket based on the elapsed time since its last update and a corresponding token fill rate; updating the number of tokens in an aggregate token bucket associated with the particular token bucket based on the elapsed time since its last update and a corresponding token fill rate; in response to determining that the length of the packet conforms with the number of tokens in the particular class token bucket or in the aggregate token bucket: updating both the particular class token bucket and the aggregate token bucket based on the length of the packet, and marking or applying conforming action to the particular packet; and in response to determining that the length of the packet does not conform with the number of tokens in the particular class token bucket: in response to determining that the length of the packet does not conform with the number of tokens in the aggregate token bucket, marking or applying an exceeding action to the particular packet; wherein said operation of the determination that the length of the packet conforms with the number of tokens in the particular class token bucket or in the aggregate token bucket includes: determining that the number of tokens in the particular class token bucket is not enough for the particular packet to conform, and determining that the number of tokens in the aggregate token bucket is enough for the particular packet to conform.