Patent ID: 7106699

Claim:
A method for sharing internal excess bandwidth between output termination modules and input termination modules of a switching network including a switch core fabric (FC) by means of which a plurality of N input termination modules (ITM 1 to ITMn) communicate with a plurality of M output termination modules (OTM 1 to OTMm) through at least point-to-point transmission means considered as corresponding each to a virtual ingress-to-egress pipe (VIEP), excess bandwidth sharing being realized for the bandwidth remaining available after bandwidth reservation for traffic with guaranteed bandwidth, sharing of such a remaining bandwidth being obtained by means of successive steps including at least calculating by a determined input termination module a minimum bandwidth request (MBR) for an ingress-to-egress pipe by which it is point-to-point linked to a determined output termination module, and transmitting said minimum bandwidth request to the determined output termination module for obtaining a minimum bandwidth grant (MBG) in return from this output termination module, wherein the minimum bandwidth request and grant related to an input termination module linked by an ingress-to-egress pipe to an output termination module are both calculated for a determined number K of relative administrative weights corresponding each to a different quality of service, with a different request and a corresponding grant for every weight.