Patent ID: 8867360

Claim:
A method of managing a shared buffer pool of memory to implement lossless packet forwarding at a network element, the shared buffer pool of memory being shared between a plurality of ports on the network element, the method comprising: receiving a packet on a first of the ports of the network element; coloring the packet as in-profile or out-of-profile; determining a fullness level of the shared buffer pool of memory; storing the packet in the shared buffer pool regardless of the fullness level of the shared buffer pool and regardless of the color of the packet; transmitting a flow control message on the first of the ports if the fullness level of the shared buffer pool is above a first threshold; not transmitting the flow control message on the first of the ports if the fullness level of the shared buffer pool is below a second threshold; and using a statistical process to determine whether the flow control message should be transmitted on the first of the ports if the fullness level of the shared buffer pool is above the second threshold and below the first threshold; wherein a single threshold is used for the first threshold regardless of the color of the packet, and wherein a single threshold is used for the second threshold regardless of the color of the packet, and wherein separate probability curves are used in the statistical process for packets that are colored in-profile and packets that are colored out-of-profile in connection with determining whether the flow control message should be transmitted when the fullness level of the shared buffer pool is above the second threshold and below the first threshold.