Patent ID: 7277962

Claim:
A method for scheduling packets in a network, the network having routers including core routers and edge conditioners, the packets entering the network at the edge conditioners providing inputs to the network and leaving the network at the edge conditioners providing outputs from the network, the method comprising: generating a packet state including a virtual time stamp for each of the packets, comprising initializing the virtual time stamp for each of the packets to an arrival time of each of the packets at an initial router at which the packet enters the network, adding a virtual delay and a propagation delay to the virtual time stamp, the virtual delay comprising an amount of time to process each packet and the propagation delay indicating a transmission time between the routers; associating the packet states with the packets to obtain virtual time reference system (VTRS) packets; at each core router receiving a VTRS packet, scheduling transmission of the VTRS packet to a next core router by using the virtual time stamp; updating the virtual time stamp at the core router as the VTRS packet leaves the core router; and removing the virtual time stamp from the VTRS packets at the edge conditioners providing the outputs from the network.