Patent ID: 8385201

Claim:
A computer system for rate-limiting traffic in a peer-to-peer network, the computer system comprising: a processor; and a computer program product, the computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and including program code for causing the processor to execute steps comprising: estimating congestion in the network; determining a congestion control law associated with the estimated congestion, the congestion control law including a first rate limit for peer-to-peer traffic and a second rate limit for other traffic; and providing a bounding mechanism on the congestion control law by: calculating an average upload rate; determining a first number corresponding to the relative importance of other traffic; determining a second number corresponding to the relative importance of peer-to-peer traffic; calculating a minimum allowable rate limit as a fraction of the average upload rate, the fraction having as a numerator the second number and as a denominator the sum of the first number and the second number; and responsive to the determined first rate limit being below the minimum allowable rate limit, setting the first rate limit equal to the minimum allowable rate limit.