Apparatus and method for scheduling multiple and simultaneous traffic in guaranteed frame rate in ATM communication system

Claim 2

A traffic manager coupled to a communication system for scheduling transmission of information associated with a plurality of connections in the communication system, the traffic manager comprising: a priority queue; a connection data structure including a guaranteed frame rate field for each connection, the guaranteed frame rate filed being in a set condition or a non-set condition; a scheduler coupled to the connection data structure and the priority queue, the scheduler loading information from the connection data structure to the priority queue, wherein the scheduler shapes the connection for a minimum cell rate and allows use by the connection of excess bandwidth if the guaranteed frame rate field is in the set condition.

Claim 3

The traffic manager of claim 1 , wherein the shaping is performed by using a VBR service.

Claim 4

The traffic manager of claim 1 , wherein the excess bandwidth is utilized with a UBR service.

Claim 5

The traffic manager o f claim 1 , wherein the connection data structure and the scheduler are located in the same unit.

Claim 6

The traffic manager of claim 1 wherein the communication system is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) system.

Claim 7

A communication system comprising: a control memory including a priority queue and a connection data structure, the priority queue having at least one tunnel entry, the connection data structure including a guaranteed bit rate field for each connection and, the connection using a particular bit rate mode of traffic, the connection data structure including particular bit rate mode parameters for the connection; a scheduler coupled to the connection data structure, the scheduler scheduling a plurality of connections from the at least one tunnel entry to select a connection for eventual transmission, the scheduler dynamically rescheduling the connection in response to a timing parameter, the particular bit rate mode parameters for the connection, and the guaranteed bit rate field.

Claim 8

A communication system comprising: a control memory including a priority queue and a connection data structure, the priority queue having at least one tunnel entry, the connection data structure including a guaranteed bit rate field for each connection and, the connection using a particular bit rate mode of traffic, the connection data structure including particular bit rate mode parameters for the connection; a scheduler coupled to the connection data structure, the scheduler scheduling a plurality of connections from the at least one tunnel entry to select a connection for eventual transmission, the scheduler dynamically rescheduling the connection in response to a timing parameter, the particular bit rate mode parameters for the connection, and the guaranteed bit rate field.

Claim 9

The communication system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one tunnel entry includes an XBR tunnel for transmission of a variety of traffic modes, including ABR and VBR modes.

Claim 10

The communication system of claim 6 , wherein the at least on tunnel entry includes a UBR tunnel for transmission of traffic modes a UBR mode associated with a circularly linked list.

Claim 11

The communication system of claim 6 , wherein the particular bit rate mode of traffic is a variable bit rate (VBR) mode.

Claim 12

The communication system of claim 9 , wherein the scheduler dynamically reschedules in accordance with a single leaky bucket algorithm.

Claim 13

The communication system of claim 9 , wherein the scheduler dynamically reschedules in accordance with a dual leaky bucket algorithm.

Claim 14

The communication system of claim 11 , wherein the variable bit rate mode includes parameters of delta 1 , delta 2 , L 1 , L 2 , I 1 , and I 2 parameters.

Claim 15

The communication system of claim 6 , wherein the particular bit rate mode of traffic is an unspecified bit rate (UBR) mode.

Claim 16

The communication system of claim 6 , wherein the scheduler further shapes the connection for a minimum cell rate and allows use by the connection of excess bandwidth if the guaranteed bit rate field is set.

Claim 17

The communication system of claim 14 , wherein the shaping is performed by using a VBR mode.

Claim 18

The communication system of claim 14 , wherein the excess bandwidth is utilized with a UBR mode.

Claim 19

A traffic manager coupled to a communication system for scheduling transmission of information associated with a plurality of connections in the communication system, the traffic manager comprising: a schedule table having a plurality of slots; a GFR field being capable of a set condition or a non-set condition; a scheduler coupled to the schedule table, the scheduler processing the slots, the scheduler servicing a connection and scheduling the connection in accordance with GFR parameters when the GFR field is in the set condition.

Claim 20

A traffic manager coupled to a communication system for scheduling transmission of information associated with a plurality of connections in the communication system, the traffic manager comprising: a schedule table having a plurality of slots; a GFR field being capable of a set condition or a non-set condition; a scheduler coupled to the schedule table, the scheduler processing the slots, the scheduler servicing a connection and scheduling the connection in accordance with GFR parameters when the GFR field is in the set condition.

Claim 21

The traffic manager of claim 17 , wherein the scheduler places the connection in a priority queue and the schedule table and the priority queue are located in the same memory unit.

Claim 22

The traffic manager of claim 18 , wherein the scheduler shapes the connection for a minimum cell rate and allows use by the connection of excess bandwidth if the GFR field is in the set condition.

Claim 23

The traffic manager of claim 19 , wherein the shaping is performed by using a VBR service and wherein the excess bandwidth is utilized with a UBR service.

Claim 26

The method of claim 21 , wherein the first tunnel communicates any of a plurality of service classes.

Claim 27

The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of service classes include single and dual variable bit rate (VBR) modes.

Claim 28

The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of service classes includes unspecified bit rate (UBR) mode.

Claim 29

A scheduler, comprising: a priority queue including at least a first tunnel level associated with a first tunnel and a second tunnel level associated with a second tunnel; and a tunnel activation mechanism, the tunnel activation mechanism activating the first tunnel and the second tunnel, including a first tunnel counter and a second tunnel counter, wherein the tunnel activation mechanism activates the first tunnel and the second tunnel by incrementing the first tunnel counter associated with the first tunnel when a connection is processed, setting the first tunnel active when the first tunnel counter is above a first threshold and incrementing a second tunnel counter associated with the second tunnel when a connection is processed, setting the second tunnel active when the second tunnel counter is above a second threshold, and determining whether the first and second tunnels are processed.

Claim 30

A scheduler, comprising: a priority queue including at least a first tunnel level associated with a first tunnel and a second tunnel level associated with a second tunnel; and a tunnel activation mechanism, the tunnel activation mechanism activating the first tunnel and the second tunnel, including a first tunnel counter and a second tunnel counter, wherein the tunnel activation mechanism activates the first tunnel and the second tunnel by incrementing the first tunnel counter associated with the first tunnel when a connection is processed, setting the first tunnel active when the first tunnel counter is above a first threshold and incrementing a second tunnel counter associated with the second tunnel when a connection is processed, setting the second tunnel active when the second tunnel counter is above a second threshold, and determining whether the first and second tunnels are processed.

Claim 31

A traffic manager coupled to a communication system for scheduling transmission of information associated with a plurality of connections in the communication system, the traffic manager comprising: a schedule table including a plurality of slots, each of the slots having at least one tunnel entry; a global priority queue having a tunnel level associated with the tunnel entry, the tunnel level defining at least one connection from one of a plurality of service classes; and a scheduler coupled to the schedule table and the global priority queue, the scheduler loading information from the schedule table to the global priority queue, wherein the scheduler shapes the connection for a minimum cell rate and allows use by the connection of excess bandwidth if a guaranteed bit rate field is set, the scheduler further selecting at least one connection from the tunnel level of the global priority queue when the tunnel level is active, whereby the selection of connections from the plurality of service classes allows per connection shaping in the tunnel mode to maximize communication bandwidth.

Claim 32

A traffic manager coupled to a communication system for scheduling transmission of information associated with a plurality of connections in the communication system, the traffic manager comprising: a schedule table including a plurality of slots, each of the slots having at least one tunnel entry; a global priority queue having a tunnel level associated with the tunnel entry, the tunnel level defining at least one connection from one of a plurality of service classes; and a scheduler coupled to the schedule table and the global priority queue, the scheduler loading information from the schedule table to the global priority queue, wherein the scheduler shapes the connection for a minimum cell rate and allows use by the connection of excess bandwidth if a guaranteed bit rate field is set, the scheduler further selecting at least one connection from the tunnel level of the global priority queue when the tunnel level is active, whereby the selection of connections from the plurality of service classes allows per connection shaping in the tunnel mode to maximize communication bandwidth.

Claim 33

The traffic manager of claim 26 , wherein the schedule table and priority queue are located in the same unit.

Claim 34

The traffic manager of claim 26 , wherein the service classes include a VBR mode or an ABR mode.

Claim 35

The traffic manager of claim 26 , wherein the service classes include a UBR mode.

Claim 36

The traffic manager of claim 26 , wherein the communication system is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) system.