Patent ID: 7006440

Claim:
A method performed by a class based queuing architecture in a communications network comprising: receiving packets of a first class generated by a plurality of sources for being stored in a shared queue for said first class; detecting bits in said packets; associating at least one first congestion algorithm with a first set of said bits in said packets, said first congestion algorithm corresponding to a bandwidth associated with said first set of bits; associating at least one second congestion algorithm with a second set of said bits, said second congestion algorithm corresponding to a bandwidth associated with said second set of bits; counting a number of packets stored in said queue having said first set of bits in said packets; counting a number of packets stored in said queue having said second set of bits in said packets; determining whether to drop packets having said first set of bits prior to entering said queue based upon at least said first congestion algorithm; and determining whether to drop packets having said second set of bits prior to entering said queue based upon at least said second congestion algorithm.