Patent ID: 8059546

Claim:
A system for managing traffic flow for transport over a plurality of communication channels on a shared access cable network, the system comprising: at least one processor; at least one interface operable to provide a communication link to at least one network device; and memory; the system being operable to shape a plurality of different traffic flows to be transported over the plurality of different communication channels of the shared access cable network; wherein the plurality of communication channels includes a first communication channel, a second communication channel, and a third communication channel; wherein the first communication channel and the second communication channel are associated with a first channel group; wherein the second communication channel and the third communication channel are associated with a second channel group; wherein the first channel group has associated therewith a first plurality of queues including a first queue and a second queue; wherein the second channel group has associated therewith a second plurality of queues including a third queue and a fourth queue; wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth queues is capable of containing a respective number of packets stored for transmission via the channels in the associated channel group; and wherein the shaping of the plurality of different traffic flows includes: determining whether a first number of packets stored in the first queue has exceeded a first threshold number of packets, wherein the first queue is associated with the first channel group and associated with the first communication channel; determining whether a second number of packets stored in the second queue has exceeded a second threshold number of packets, wherein the second queue is associated with the first channel group and associated with the second communication channel; initiating at least one operation for suspending or disabling, during a first time interval, traffic flow associated with the first channel group in response to detecting that at least one of the queues associated with the first channel group has exceeded its associated threshold number of packets; determining whether a third number of packets stored in the third queue has exceeded third threshold number of packets, wherein the third queue is associated with the second channel group and associated with the second communication channel; determining whether a fourth number of packets stored in the fourth queue has exceeded fourth threshold number of packets, wherein the fourth queue is associated with the second channel group and associated with the third communication channel; and initiating at least one operation for suspending or disabling, during a second time interval, traffic flow associated with the second channel group in response to detecting that at least one of the queues associated with the second channel group has exceeded its associated threshold number of packets.