Patent ID: 7733776

Claim:
A packet switch operating method comprising: accessing statistical data, the statistical data characterizing operation of a switch module of a packet switch during each of a set of chronological equal-length time periods; forwarding packets received by a port of the packet switch during at least a portion of each of the time periods of the set, the portions commencing at the beginnings of the time periods of the set; based on the statistical data, the packet switch determining during each of the periods of the set whether a subset of the statistical data characterizing the operation of the switch module during a portion of the period satisfies a user-specified condition; for periods of the set in which the user-specified condition is satisfied and in response to the determining, configuring the switch module to temporarily discard data packets received by the port from subsequent to the determining until the end of the period; and after the conclusion of periods of the set during which the user-specified condition is satisfied, configuring the switch module to resume forwarding packets received on the port.