Patent ID: 6831891
Filing Date: 2004-12-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for managing data traffic at switching element nodes in a fabric network, each switching element node having a plurality of input and output ports, comprising the steps of:(a) establishing at each input port, a number of virtual output queues equal to the number of output ports, each virtual output queue at each individual input port dedicated to an individual output port, storing only packets destined for the associated output port, for managing incoming data traffic; and (b) accepting or discarding data at each virtual output queue directed to a queue according to a quantity of data in the queue relative to queue capacity by providing a queue manager for monitoring quantity of queued data in relation to a preset threshold, and discarding data from each virtual output queue at a predetermined rate, when the quantity of queued data reaches or exceeds the threshold; wherein in step (b), the queue manager increases the rate of discarding as quantity of queued data increases above the preset threshold, discarding all data traffic when the queue is full.