A gateway device includes a first communication system, a second communication system and a network processor. The first communication system and the network processor communicate first network signals therebetween. The first network signals comprising first higher priority network signals and first lower priority network signals. The second communicate system and the network processor communicating second network signals therebetween. The second network signals comprising second higher priority network signals and second lower priority network signals. The network processor communicates a first congestion notification request signal to the first communication system. The first communication system modifies the first lower priority network signals at the first communication system in response to the first congestion notification signal to form first modified network signals and communicates the first modified network signals from the gateway device.

A network device includes a rate measurement circuit that is configured to measure respective egress rates at which respective data is being transmitted via respective ports associated with the network device. A marking ratio determination circuit is configured to select respective marking ratios based on respective measured egress rates, the marking ratios for marking packets to be transmitted via the respective ports to indicate respective levels of congestion corresponding to the respective ports. Different marking ratios correspond to different measured egress rates. A packet editor circuit is configured to mark selected packets to be transmitted via respective ports according to the respective selected marking ratios. The respective selected marking ratios indicate to other communication devices that respective network paths via which the selected packets travelled experienced congestion, and the respective marking ratios indicate respective levels of congestion.

A network device includes a rate measurement circuit that is configured to measure respective egress rates at which respective data is being transmitted via respective ports associated with the network device. A marking ratio determination circuit is configured to select respective marking ratios based on respective measured egress rates, the marking ratios for marking packets to be transmitted via the respective ports to indicate respective levels of congestion corresponding to the respective ports. Different marking ratios correspond to different measured egress rates. A packet editor circuit is configured to mark selected packets to be transmitted via respective ports according to the respective selected marking ratios. The respective selected marking ratios indicate to other communication devices that respective network paths via which the selected packets travelled experienced congestion, and the respective marking ratios indicate respective levels of congestion.

In one example, a location of a potential bottleneck of network traffic in a network is identified. Based on the location of the potential bottleneck, a first QoE inference model is selected from a plurality of respective QoE inference models. The respective QoE inference models are each trained to infer a respective QoE of the network traffic based on one or more respective network traffic metrics generated by monitoring the network traffic at a respective location in the network. One or more first network traffic metrics of the one or more respective network traffic metrics are generated by monitoring the network traffic at a first respective location. The one or more first network traffic metrics are provided to the first QoE inference model to infer a first respective QoE.

In one example, a location of a potential bottleneck of network traffic in a network is identified. Based on the location of the potential bottleneck, a first QoE inference model is selected from a plurality of respective QoE inference models. The respective QoE inference models are each trained to infer a respective QoE of the network traffic based on one or more respective network traffic metrics generated by monitoring the network traffic at a respective location in the network. One or more first network traffic metrics of the one or more respective network traffic metrics are generated by monitoring the network traffic at a first respective location. The one or more first network traffic metrics are provided to the first QoE inference model to infer a first respective QoE.

Some embodiments provide a method of forwarding data messages to a machine that executes on a host computer and has an associated virtual network interface controller (VNIC) also executing on the host computer. The method retrieves data messages from a queue associated with the VNIC and stores these data messages in a first set of buffer data stores associated with the VNIC. When the first buffer set reaches a threshold congestion level, the method stores data messages subsequently retrieved from the VNIC queue in a second set of buffer data stores associated with the VNIC. In some embodiments, a set of one or more processes executing on the machine retrieves the data messages stored in the buffer sets for processing by these processes or other processes.

Packets received by a network switch device from upstream network devices, coupled to respective ones of a plurality of ports of the network switch device, are temporarily stored in an internal memory of the network switch device. In response to detecting congestion in the internal memory of the network switch device, a flow control engine triggers, during respective timeslots of a timing schedule and while the flow control engine continues to monitor congestion in the internal memory of the network switch device, transmission of respective flow control messages via different subsets of ports, among the plurality of ports, to control flow of packets from different subsets of upstream network device, among the plurality of upstream network devices, to the network switch device so that flow control is distributed over time among upstream network devices of the plurality of upstream network devices.

Packets received by a network switch device from upstream network devices, coupled to respective ones of a plurality of ports of the network switch device, are temporarily stored in an internal memory of the network switch device. In response to detecting congestion in the internal memory of the network switch device, a flow control engine triggers, during respective timeslots of a timing schedule and while the flow control engine continues to monitor congestion in the internal memory of the network switch device, transmission of respective flow control messages via different subsets of ports, among the plurality of ports, to control flow of packets from different subsets of upstream network device, among the plurality of upstream network devices, to the network switch device so that flow control is distributed over time among upstream network devices of the plurality of upstream network devices.

A data processing system includes a phantom queue for each of a plurality of output ports each associated with an output link for outputting data. The phantom queues receive/monitor traffic on the respective ports and/or the associated links such that the congestion or traffic volume on the output ports/links is able to be determined by a congestion mapper coupled with the phantom queues. Based on the determined congestion level on each of the ports/links, the congestion mapper selects one or more non or less congested ports/links as destination of one or more packets. A link selection logic element then processes the packets according to the selected path or multi-path thereby reducing congestion on the system.

A controller is configured to obtain traffic information of one or more tunnels in the network, where the traffic information of each tunnel is indicative of a protection type of the tunnel against failures, and provide configuration information to each network node that is a head-end node of a determined tunnel with a certain protection type according to the obtained traffic information of the determined tunnel, where the configuration information includes a bandwidth threshold and a load balancing configuration for the determined tunnel. A network node is configured to receive configuration information from the controller, and send the notification to the controller, if it is determined that the traffic of the tunnel is above the bandwidth threshold.