Patent ID: 7372814

Claim:
A network system, comprising: a first network node, comprising: an input for receiving packets, wherein during operation the first network node operates as a downstream node when receiving packets at the input from an upstream node; a buffer, coupled to the input and for storing received packets; circuitry for detecting when a number of packets stored in the buffer exceeds a buffer storage threshold; and circuitry, responsive to a detection by the circuitry for detecting that the number of packets stored in the buffer exceeds the buffer storage threshold, for issuing a message to the upstream node, wherein the message selectively commands the upstream node to either continue with transmission of packets from the upstream node to the downstream node or to reduce a rate of transmission of packets from the upstream node to the downstream node to a non-zero rate, in response to a packet drop precedence in the buffer of the downstream node relative to a packet drop precedence in at least a portion of a buffer in the upstream node.