Patent ID: 8446831

Claim:
A method for communicating data comprising: receiving a data packet included in a first data traffic flow having a first rate of traffic; marking the data packet with a first marker type if the first rate of traffic is less than or equal to a first threshold, otherwise marking the data packet with a second marker type; combining the first data traffic flow with a second data traffic flow having a second rate of traffic to produce a third data traffic flow having a third rate of traffic; if the data packet is marked with the first marker type: updating a flow meter for the first data flow; updating a flow meter for the third data flow; and forwarding the data packet in the third data flow; if the data packet is marked with the second marker type and the third rate of traffic is less than or equal to a second threshold: updating at least one of the flow meter for the first data flow and the flow meter for the third data flow; and forwarding the data packet in the third data flow; and if the data packet is marked with the second marker type and the third rate of traffic is greater than the second threshold: discarding the packet.