Patent ID: 6618357
Filing Date: 2003-09-09
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
For use at a network element which operates in either a transmit state or a paused state, a method of controlling the operational state of the network element in accordance with flow control messages received from destination elements, e each of said flow control messages including a pause time, said method comprising the steps of:determining whether the network element is already in the paused state when a flow control message is received; if the network element is not in the paused state, setting said network element into the paused state and triggering a counter to time out after the pause time in the received flow control message; if the network element is already in the paused state and if a set of recently received flow control messages came from the same destination element, resetting the counter using said pause time, otherwise resetting the counter to said pause time only if resetting the counter will extend the period of time during which the network element remains in the paused state; and returning said network element to the transmit state when the counter times out.