Patent ID: 7729376

Claim:
A method for controlling data traffic within a group of cooperating network nodes, where at least one service function is-available for said nodes within the group, the method including the steps of: assigning, through a first service function of the at least one service function, individual numerical values to individual nodes of the group; transmitting to the network nodes their respective individual numerical values; storing in the network nodes their assigned individual numerical values; a network node determining that its stored numerical value is above a threshold and determining from the numerical value a data rate value, wherein the determined data rate value is higher for greater numerical values; the network node sending or receiving data at the determined data rate; and the network node decreasing the stored numerical value and storing the decreased numerical value, where a bandwidth is reduced by the node according to the decreased numerical value, and wherein decreasing the stored numerical value and reducing the bandwidth are repeated until a plurality of nodes of the group of cooperating network nodes has sent or received data and the first service function assigns a new individual numerical value to the network node.