Patent ID: 7286470

Claim:
For use with a packet transport system associated with a switching network and having a master device and a slave device that transmits packets therebetween over a local interface, a messaging system for facilitating communications between said master device and said slave device, comprising: an event driven messaging subsystem, including: a channel level detector that reads a level of a first-in, first-out (FIFO) buffer of said slave device and compares said level to a threshold, said slave device providing a network interface to said switching network for said master device, and an event driven message generator that issues an event driven message to said master device when said level reaches said threshold; and a periodic messaging subsystem, including: an aggregate level detector that determines storage levels of a plurality of channels associated with said slave device, and a periodic message generator that periodically issues to said master device over said local interface a periodic message indicating said storage levels, said master device controlling transmission of packets to said slave device based on at least one of said event driven message and said periodic message.