3com Corporation

Chester A Ruszczyk

David A Willming

Methods for reducing interference from initializing network devices in a data-over-cable system. The method includes aligning Initial Maintenance intervals for multiple upstream channels of the data-over-cable system. A cable modem termination system determines if usage intervals for the upstream channels may accommodate Initial Maintenance intervals that start at a common time. If so, the cable modem termination system constructs Bandwidth Allocation MAP messages for the usage intervals that contain Initial Maintenance intervals timed to start at the common time. In response to the MAP messages, initializing network devices range when there are no scheduled data transmissions on any upstream channel. The method may shorten a cable modem's time for ranging and may decrease collisions with data transmissions on the upstream paths when cable modems try to initialize.

Method for reducing interference from initializing network devices in a data-over-cable system

A method for scheduling lower priority and higher priority data packets in a network system is provided. The method allows a network device to schedule the order in which data packets are sent and received on a network system using dual queues. As the network device receives data packets, the network device places data packets into a first queue and sorts the data packets as higher priority and lower priority data packets based upon a transmission deadline of each data packet. Subsequently, the network device places the high priority data packets into a second queue and the lower priority data packets into a third queue. The network device schedules data packets for execution in the second using a first scheduling method while using a second scheduling method to schedule data packets in the third queue. When a transmission deadline for a lower priority data packet expires in the third queue, the network device promotes a data packet from the third queue to the second queue for rescheduling. This method ensures that lower priority data packets are not starved out of delayed in execution by higher priority data packets.

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Medford, MA, United States of America

Chester A Ruszczyk