Traffic Shaping Processor for IP Queue Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current network packet processing chips have limited queueing capabilities, including the number and depth of queues, which are insufficient for modern telecommunications networks, especially in access networks requiring large-scale traffic shaping and hierarchical scheduling.
Innovation Solution
A packet processing system comprising a programmable packet switching processor and a separate traffic shaping processor, which handles a large number of queues with deep storage capacity, enabling advanced queueing and scheduling capabilities, including hierarchical rate limiting and active queue management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional network packet processing chips are used, then device complexity is reduced, but queueing capabilities (number and depth of queues) are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate processing components: a packet processing chip that handles header processing and packet classification, and a traffic shaping processor that handles queueing functions. This segmentation allows the traffic shaping processor to specialize in providing a large number of deep queues (exceeding 10,000 queues with depths exceeding 10 MB each) without requiring the packet processing chip to have complex queueing capabilities, thus resolving the contradiction between queueing capabilities and device complexity.
2Volume of stationary object
If conventional network packet processing chips are used, then device complexity is reduced, but queueing depth and storage capacity are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The traffic shaping processor is separated from the packet processing chip and dedicated to providing large queue storage capacity. Each queue in the traffic shaping processor can store more than 10 MB of data, with total memory reaching multiple GBs (up to 100 GB in future implementations). This segmentation allows the system to achieve large queue storage capacity without requiring the packet processing chip to be complex.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a large number of queues with deep storage are implemented, then traffic shaping capabilities are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates traffic shaping functions from packet processing functions into distinct components. The traffic shaping processor provides adaptability and versatility through hierarchical scheduling capabilities, support for numerous queues (exceeding 10,000), and deep queue storage (exceeding 10 MB per queue), while the packet processing chip maintains relative simplicity by focusing on header processing and classification.
Solution Approach 2:
The traffic shaping processor acts as an intermediary between the packet processing chip and the network egress. It receives packets from the packet processing chip with appended queue identification information, selects appropriate queues based on this information, and manages the actual queueing and scheduling operations, thereby providing sophisticated traffic shaping capabilities without requiring the packet processing chip to be complex.
4Measurement precision
If hierarchical scheduling and active queue management are implemented, then traffic management precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The traffic shaping processor serves as an intermediary that implements hierarchical scheduling and active queue management algorithms. It receives packets with queue identification information from the packet processing chip, applies sophisticated scheduling algorithms to select packets for transmission from different queues, and manages queue depths and rates, thereby achieving precise traffic management without requiring the packet processing chip to be complex.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for an improved traffic shaping and/or management of IP traffic in a packet processing system, especially as part of a telecommunications network, wherein the packet processing system comprises a programmable packet switching processor and a traffic shaping processor, wherein data packets - received by the packet processing system - are ingressed to the packet switching processor, and wherein data packets - transmitted by the packet processing system - are egressed by the traffic shaping processor, wherein for an improved traffic shaping and/or management of IP traffic, the method comprises the following steps: -- in a first step, a number of considered data packets, after or while being received by the packet processing system, are received by or ingressed to the packet switching processor, -- in a second step, subsequent to the first step, the packet switching processor processes the number of considered data packets, appends a queue identification information to each one of the considered data packets, and transmits the considered data packets to the traffic shaping processor, -- in a third step, subsequent to the second step, the traffic shaping processor applies traffic shaping to the considered data packets by means of using the respective queue identification information of each one of the considered data packets to select a queue for each one of the considered data packets, respectively, and by means of: -- using a number of queues exceeding 10.000 queues, wherein each one of said queues has a depth or a storing capacity of more than 10 MB, -- applying a hierarchical scheduling of the considered data packets.