Closed loop congestion control using a queue measurement system

Abstract

A queue length measurement device that is comprised of a number of queues that are capable of holding data cells. A differential counter is coupled to each queue. The counter is incremented when a cell is written into the queue and decremented when a cell is read from the queue. An interval measurement device, coupled to the differential counter, generates a pulse to reset the counter at fixed intervals equivalent to n cells time (where n is the maximum number of cells the queue counter can measure). A multiplexer is coupled to the multiple differential counters. A transfer control circuit coupled to the interval measurement device selects the appropriate queue measurement to be output from the multiplexer to the other switch elements. A system and methodology provide for queue flow statistics and closed loop control of cell flow into the queue. A congestion control system is provided comprising a queue (having an input and an output, and capable of storing and outputting a plurality of data cells), an input processor (for coupling a plurality of data cells to the queue input), an output processor, an interval measurement device (generating a pulse at predetermined intervals), and differential queue length generation logic. The output processor, couples to the queue output, for receiving a plurality of data cells from the queue, which generates a queue change in size signal in response to determining for each of the predefined intervals of the difference between a present and a previous queue length.