Patent ID: 7907519

Claim:
Packet forwarding apparatus comprising: an input for receiving packets; a packet classifier arranged in operation to read class indications in respect of received packets and, in respect of each of a plurality of received packets, to pass said packet to one of a plurality of class-based policers selected for said packet in dependence on the class indication read in respect of said packet, said class-based policer being associated with the class indicated in respect of said packet; a plurality of class-based policers, each class-based policer being operable to assign a provisional indication to packets of said associated class indicative of whether or not a measure of the load presented by packets of said class exceeds a predetermined class-based threshold; a multi-class policer operable to receive packets processed by said class-based policers and, in response to congestion arising at said packet forwarding apparatus, to assign a congestion indication in relation to a packet in dependence on whether or not a provisional indication assigned by the associated class-based policer in respect of said packet indicates that the load presented by packets of the associated class exceeds said class-based threshold; and an output for presenting packets processed by said multi-class policer for onward transmission from said apparatus.