Patent ID: 8531968

Claim:
A network device, comprising: a memory including first and second groups of memory locations, wherein the device is configured to implement a primary queue in the first group of memory locations and a congestion queue in the second group of memory locations; wherein the network device is configured to: receive one or more packets to be transmitted by the network device and, in response, store the one or more packets in one or more memory locations of the primary queue implemented in the first group of memory locations; receive information specifying that a particular output port of a downstream network device is congested; and based at least in part on the information specifying that the particular output port of the downstream network device is congested and that a route for the one or more packets includes the particular output port of the downstream network device, transfer the one or more packets from within the primary queue implemented in the first group of memory locations to one or more memory locations of the congestion queue implemented in the second group of memory locations.