Patent ID: 8693489

Claim:
A method performed by a network node having a transmission port, plurality of queues, a plurality of first level shapers, a second level shaper, and a third level shaper for forwarding packets in a computer network, the method comprising: storing a plurality of packets in the plurality of queues, wherein a packet priority is associated with each packet of the plurality of packets; indicating by each queue of the plurality of queues that a packet at the front of the queue is available for transmission; identifying, at a first level shaper of the plurality of first level shapers, a packet having a first level highest packet priority of all packets available for transmission; sharing, at the first level shaper, the highest packet priority with at least one other component; receiving, at the second level shaper, an indication that the transmission port is ready to receive a packet; receiving, at the second level shaper, at least one first level highest packet priority shared by at least one of the plurality of first level shapers; identifying, at the second level shaper, an available packet associated with a highest packet priority based on the at least one first level highest packet priority; transmitting, at the second level shaper, the available packet having the highest packet priority to the transmission port; monitoring, at the third level shaper, an activity level of the third level shaper; determining, at the third level shaper, whether the third level shaper is eligible to transmit a packet based on the activity level; and indicating, at the third level shaper, when the third level shaper is ineligible to transmit a packet, that no packet is available for transmission.