Nortel Networks Corporation

Ciena Corporation

Larry B Manor

Terry Pearson

Tom Colley

Joe Kidder

Heather D Achilles

Brian Branscomb

Paul S Gallo

Peter B Everdell

Linda M Cabeca

Colin Bell

Chris R Noel

Corey Simons

The present invention reduces the cost of a minimally configured network device by providing a network device with a distributed switch fabric. Such a network device locates a portion of the switch fabric functionality on each forwarding card allowing the minimal network device configuration to include less than the entire switch fabric functionality. The cost of the minimal configuration is, therefore, reduced allowing network service providers to more quickly recover the initial cost of the network device. As new services are requested, additional functionality, including both forwarding cards and universal port cards may be added to the network device to handle the new requests, and the fees for the new services may be applied to the cost of the additional functionality. Consequently, the cost of the network device more closely tracks the service fees received by network providers.

Network device including central and distributed switch fabric subsystems

A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for discarding a data packet. The data packet is classified according to a type of service (TOS) indicator and modified with an internal service class (ISC) indicator according to the TOS indicator. The data packet is modified with a watermark (WM) indicator according to the availability of a system resource. The ISC, WM and a drop preference (DP) indicator of the data packet are compared to a committed information rate (CIR). The packet is discarded if the DP exceeds the CIR.

Method and apparatus for discarding data packets through the use of descriptors

A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for translating the quality of service (QOS) of a data packet. An incoming type of service (TOS) mask word is generated, and a QOS lookup table is generated. A TOS value is generated by masking a header field of the data packet with the TOS mask. The QOS lookup table is searched for a QOS translation using the TOS value as a key value. An internal service class (ISC) indicator is output according to the QOS translation entry.

Method and apparatus for quality of service translation

A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for filtering a data packet. The data packet is classified a filter type according to a classification criteria. A size value of the data packet is added to a data count for the filter type. The filter type is compared to a committed information rate (CIR). The data packet is filtered if the data count exceeds the CIR or a burst rate. A status the data packet may optionally be altered if the data count exceeds the CIR. A priority of the data packet may optionally be reclassified if the data count exceeds the CIR.

Method and apparatus for discarding data packets

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Londonderry, NH, United States of America

Larry B Manor