Network Device Queue State Reporting via Differential Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Network devices face challenges in effectively communicating queue state information across ingress and egress sides, particularly in determining and reporting queue states to optimize traffic management and prevent packet drops.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for determining the queue state of egress queues based on queue length or drop probability, selecting the queue with the greatest difference from the last reported state, and reporting this information to ingress nodes to inform queuing strategies and prevent packet drops.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If all queue state information is reported continuously, then the ingress node has complete information for traffic management, but the network overhead and processing load increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequeue state information completenessVSAvoidnetwork overhead and processing load

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and reports only the most significant queue state information - specifically selecting the queue with the greatest difference between current and previously reported states. This selective extraction approach transmits minimal necessary data while maintaining effective traffic management, resolving the contradiction between information completeness and network overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of reporting all queue states continuously (excessive action), the patent implements partial reporting by selecting and transmitting only the most critical queue state - the one with the maximum state change. This partial action approach reduces communication overhead while providing sufficient information for ingress nodes to make informed traffic management decisions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Speed

If queue state is reported frequently, then traffic management responsiveness improves, but the processing overhead and network bandwidth consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic management responsivenessVSAvoidprocessing overhead and bandwidth efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic queue state reporting based on state changes rather than continuous periodic transmission. The egress node reports queue state information when significant changes occur (when the difference from previously reported state exceeds a threshold), creating an event-driven periodic reporting mechanism that balances responsiveness with resource efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The reporting frequency is made dynamic rather than static - the system adapts the reporting interval based on actual queue state changes. When queue states change significantly, reporting occurs immediately; when states are stable, reporting is deferred. This dynamic approach optimizes responsiveness to actual network conditions while minimizing unnecessary processing and bandwidth consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9749255B2Method, network device, computer program and computer program product for communication queue state

Publication Date: 2017.08.29 MARVELL ASIA PTE LTD

AI summary

Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for communicating queue information. The method includes determining a queue state for each one of a plurality of queues at least partially based on respective queue length, selecting a queue with a greatest difference between the queue state of the queue and a last reported queue state of the queue, and reporting the queue state of the selected queue to at least one node.