Packet Metering Overflow Counter for Token Utilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In packet metering systems, bursty traffic can lead to dropped packets due to the unavailability of tokens, as overflowed tokens from the Committed Burst Size (CBS) bucket are wasted, and no Excess Information Rate (EIR) is configured, resulting in inefficient utilization of green tokens.
Innovation Solution
A packet metering method that utilizes an overflow counter to preserve unused green tokens from previous intervals, ensuring the Committed Information Rate (CIR) and Committed Burst Size (CBS) are maintained, allowing for better utilization of green tokens by marking packets as green, yellow, or red based on available tokens, and updating token buckets accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If token buckets C and E are initially full and tokens are incremented at rates CIR and EIR, then the metering algorithm can handle bursty traffic within limits, but overflowed tokens from CBS are wasted and no EIR is configured, leading to dropped packets even when traffic is within metering limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers wasted overflowed green tokens by introducing an overflow counter that stores unused tokens from previous intervals. These recovered tokens are then made available for use in subsequent intervals, preventing their complete waste and improving overall token utilization efficiency while maintaining packet throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-storing overflowed tokens in an overflow counter before they are completely wasted. This allows the system to prepare and utilize these tokens in future intervals when traffic conditions require them, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing token efficiency.
2Reliability
If green tokens are used for committed packets and yellow tokens for excess packets, then packet coloring can be implemented, but bursty traffic causes green tokens to be depleted and packets to be dropped even when within CIR and CBS limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers discarded green tokens by capturing overflowed tokens in an overflow counter. These recovered tokens are then reused in subsequent intervals, improving packet delivery reliability by ensuring tokens are available even during bursty traffic conditions, while also enhancing throughput by utilizing previously wasted token capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using the overflow counter to track and remember unused green tokens from previous intervals. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust token allocation in current intervals based on historical data, improving both packet reliability and throughput by optimizing token utilization patterns.
3Loss of energy
If the overflow counter is used to preserve unused green tokens, then token utilization is optimized, but the system complexity increases due to additional counter and state management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers wasted tokens through a relatively simple overflow counter mechanism that adds minimal complexity to the existing metering algorithm. The counter simply stores overflowed green tokens and makes them available in subsequent intervals, achieving improved token utilization efficiency without requiring complex state management or extensive computational overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
Packet metering systems and methods optimize utilization of green or committed tokens. The packet metering method includes receiving a packet of size B in an interval; and marking a color of the packet as green for committed, yellow for excess, or red for discard, based on the size B, a current committed token bucket for the interval, a current excess token bucket, and an overflow counter used to preserve unused green tokens from previous intervals while preserving Committed Information Rate (CIR) and Committed Burst Size (CBS) for the interval.