Patent ID: 7453806

Claim:
A data packet flow control system for a data packet switching node that transmits data packets received from at least one source network adapter to at least one destination network adapter, the switching node comprising means for temporarily storing the data packets, the flow control system comprising: identifier means ( 100 - 1 ) to determine the at least one destination adapter of each received data packet; flow control logic ( 41 - 2 , 31 - 2 ) coupled to the storing means for computing a data packet flow value representing flow of traffic for the at least one destination adapter; and means ( 61 - 2 , 70 ) coupled to the identifier means and to the computing means for transmitting the computed data packet flow value simultaneously to the at least one source network adapter and to at least one destination adapter, each time a data packet for the at least one destination network adapter is stored into the storing means.