Lucent Technologies Inc.

Aleksandr Stoylar

Kavita Ramanan

Packets are scheduled for transmission over a communication link in a network, using a Largest Weighted Delay First (LWDF) scheduling policy. A delay measure W, i=1, 2, . . . N, is computed for each of N packets, each associated with a corresponding one of N data flows and located in a head position in a corresponding one of N data flow queues. The computed delay measures are then weighted using a set of positive weights &#x3b1;, &#x3b1;, . . . , &#x3b1;. The packet having the largest weighted delay W/&#x3b1;associated therewith is then selected for transmission. In an embodiment configured to meet a quality of service (QoS) requirement specified in terms of a deadline Tand an allowed deadline violation probability &#x3b4;, e.g., a requirement specified by P(W&#x3e;T)&#x2266;&#x3b4;, the weights &#x3b1;in the set of positive weights &#x3b1;, &#x3b1;, . . . , &#x3b1;may be given by &#x3b1;=&#x2212;T/log &#x3b4;. The invention can also be used to meet other types of QoS requirements, including, e.g., requirements based on packet loss probabilities. For example, the QoS guarantee may be defined for a delay measure in the form of queue length Q, i=1, 2, . . . N, and an allowed queue length violation probability &#x3b4;. In such an embodiment, the QoS requirement is specified by P(Q&#x3e;H)&#x2266;&#x3b4;, and the weights &#x3b1;in the set of positive weights &#x3b1;, &#x3b1;, . . . , &#x3b1;may be given by &#x3b1;=&#x2212;H/log &#x3b4;, where Hrepresents an upper bound on the length of the queue.

Growing community of inventors

Basking Ridge, NJ, United States of America

Aleksandr Stoylar