Importance

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Abstract

A system and method of generating flow control information for a switching node for a digital network is disclosed. The network includes a source device and a destination device interconnected by the switching node. The source device generates cells for transmission at a selected transmission rate to the destination device over a path through the switching node to transmit data in a downstream direction from the source device to the destination device. The source device further periodically generates resource management cells for transmission to the destination device over the path in the downstream direction, and the destination device returns the resource management cells over the path in upstream direction through the switching node to the source device. The switching node includes a buffer for buffering cells transmitted in the downstream direction, a cell receiver for receiving cells from the network and buffering the received cells in the buffer, a cell transmitter for transmitting cells buffered in the buffer. The resource management cell information generator generates the flow control information for inclusion in resource management cells to be transmitted by the cell transmitter. In generating the flow control information, a maximum allowed rate value is periodically generated in response to a buffer occupancy rate identifying the current portion of the buffer currently buffering cells for transmission. The flow control information said flow control information for inclusion in a resource management cell buffered in said buffer, the flow control information being generated in relation to the maximum allowed rate value most recently generated by said periodic statistic generator and an adjustment factor value generated in relation to changes in the buffer occupancy.

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First Claim