Alcatel Lucent

Gordon Hanes

Michel Rochon

Adrian Alfred Ellsworth

Robert John Johnson

Charlie Sabry

Embodiments of the invention are directed to providing a method for selecting a link for transmitting a data packet, from links of a Multi-Link Point-to-Point Protocol (MLPPP) bundle, by compiling a list of links having a minimum queue depth and selecting the link in a round robin manner from the list. Some embodiments of the invention further provide for a flag to indicate if the selected link has been assigned to a transmitter so that an appropriate link will be selected even if link queue depth status is not current.

MLPPP occupancy based round robin

A network statistics processing device comprises a port processing unit for determining an update from a forward statistic metric carried by an input PDU, an arbitration unit for placing the updates into a scheduled stream of updates, and a memory unit for storing statistic totals relating to the network operating parameters. The port processing unit also processes the statistic results retrieved from the memory into reverse statistic metrics that are inserted into an output PDU. A statistics monitoring and processing unit enables performance of high level statistical processing on selected updates and on the results. A method of generating and maintaining statistic totals on a plurality of network operating parameters is also described. This arrangement reduces backplane traffic, provides the statistical ports with intelligence and so as to accommodate plural transmission protocols, and provides greater visibility into transactions that can occur on a network to provide debugging, flow and/or load information.

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Ottawa, Canada

Gordon Hanes