Policy-Based Packet Scheduling Using Virtual Queue Occupancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Packet switching networks face challenges in managing traffic congestion, leading to packet drops due to the lack of efficient methods for policing and managing queue occupancy, which results in increased costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing policy-based scheduling and virtual destination queue occupancy values to determine whether to admit or drop packets, eliminating the need for physical queues and reducing implementation complexity and costs by using virtual traffic management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical queues are used to manage packet traffic, then traffic congestion can be managed, but device complexity and implementation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses virtual destination queue occupancy values as a copy or representation of actual queue occupancy, allowing the system to manage traffic based on virtual queue states without requiring physical queue structures. This copying approach maintains congestion management functionality while eliminating the complexity of physical queue implementation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical queue system with a virtual queue occupancy tracking mechanism. Instead of physically managing packet queues, the system uses software-based occupancy values that are updated based on packet admission decisions, substituting physical infrastructure with computational logic
2Device complexity
If policy-based scheduling with virtual queue occupancy values is implemented, then implementation complexity is reduced, but traffic management effectiveness may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where virtual destination queue occupancy values are continuously updated based on packet admission decisions and scheduling outcomes. The admission controller uses these updated occupancy values to make subsequent admission decisions, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains traffic management effectiveness without complex physical queues
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual queue occupancy values automatically update themselves based on packet admission and scheduling events without requiring external management. The system self-regulates by incrementing occupancy values when packets are admitted and decrementing them when packets are transmitted, maintaining accurate traffic state information through autonomous operation
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment is associated with dropping or admitting packets to an output queue using occupancy values of virtual destination queues which are updated according to different independent disciplines upon the enqueuing of a packet to an output queue, and the dequeuing of that packet from an output queue. In one embodiment, a virtual destination queue is determined for a packet. A policing decision is made whether to drop the packet or admit the packet to the output queue based on the occupancy level of the determined virtual destination queue, which is updated upon admission. Packets are dequeued in first-in-first-out order from the output queue. For a dequeued one or more packets, one or more of the occupancy values of the virtual destination queues are updated based a scheduling policy that is independent of the particular virtual destination queue(s) associated with the dequeued packets.