If a plurality of streams and an environment in which a dependent relationship exists between the streams are assumed, fairness may not be maintained by a conventional technique. The priority of a stream is determined by the dependent relationship between the streams.

In one embodiment, a network device includes multiple ports to be connected to a packet data network so as to serve as both ingress and egress ports in receiving and forwarding of data packets including unicast and multicast data packets, a memory coupled to the ports and to contain a combined unicast-multicast user-pool storing the received unicast and multicast data packets, and packet processing logic to compute a combined unicast-multicast user-pool free-space based on counting only once at least some of the multicast packets stored once in the combined unicast-multicast user-pool, compute an occupancy of an egress queue by counting a space used by the data packets of the egress queue in the combined unicast-multicast user-pool, apply an admission policy to a received data packet for entry into the egress queue based on at least the computed occupancy of the egress queue and the computed combined unicast-multicast user-pool free-space.

Systems and methods are provided to achieve dynamic bandwidth allocation among terminal groups (TGs) with proportional fairness in terms of both throughput and spectrum usage across a network. Quality of service (QoS) metrics for such TGs can be satisfied in terms of maximum throughput and spectrum utilization, while also satisfying QoS metrics such as latency, throughput, and prioritized traffic services for individual terminals within the TGs. A centralized bandwidth manager can be utilized to manage such dynamic bandwidth allocation across multiple Code Rate Organizers (CROs), including environments in which the multiple CROs manage communications across multiple IPGWs for multiple terminal groups. Because, in such environments, a given conventional CRO cannot effectively manage allocations across the entire network, the centralized bandwidth management functionality can be introduced to assess the flows for multiple TGs across multiple CROs and to make bandwidth allocations accordingly.

Implementing a fair share of resources among one or more scheduling peers. Resource allocations are received for a plurality of scheduling peers. For each scheduling peer, a usage percentage difference is determined between their respective usage percentage and configured share ratio. For a first competing peer that is served more than a second competing peer, resource allocation is adjusted such that resources from the first competing peer are allocated to the second competing peer based, at least in part, on a time decay factor function that gives less weight to the usage percentage difference as an age of the usage percentage difference increases.

A system, includes a plurality of sub-queues. Each sub-queue is assigned to an age class of a sequence of age classes. A set of age thresholds divides the sub-queues. A queue manager places a received transaction into a sub-queue based on a comparison of an age of the received transaction to the set of age thresholds.

Rate limiting systems and methods for regulating access to a shared network resource in a computing device accessed through an application programming interface. A rate limit associated with a shared network resource is assigned to a user for a time period. During the time period, access to the shared network resource is granted or denied repeatedly based upon the rate limit; a cost is calculated using a cost function; and, the rate limit is updated based upon the cost.

Described herein include systems, methods, and apparatuses for the scheduling of data over a network (e.g., a wired or wireless network). A scheduler may be configured to receive a portion of packets at a receiving buffer and classify the packets into real time packets or non-real time packets using associated first and second queues. Further, a first re-transmission component may receive the real time packets from the first queue, and a second re-transmission component may receive the non-real time packets from the second queue. The real time packets may be received, by a transmission component, from the first re-transmission component; the transmission component may also receive non-real time packets from the second re-transmission component. The scheduler may then transmit at least one real time packet or non-real time packet to another device over a network using any suitable scheduling algorithm.

Scheduling of packets to be forwarded onto DOCSIS downstream channels as part of a Virtual Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP). A packet to be forwarded onto a DOCSIS downstream channel is enqueued in a service flow queue. The packets stored in the service flow queue are associated with a single service flow. A request is propagated up a hierarchy of schedule elements to a scheduler process to schedule the packet for delivery. The scheduler process determines a grant of how much traffic to offer the DOCSIS downstream channel. The grant determined for the DOCSIS downstream channel may be expressed in units of symbols rather than in bytes. The scheduler process extends a particular grant to the service flow queue by translating symbols in the grant for the service flow queue which issued the request.

A system, includes a plurality of sub-queues. Each sub-queue is assigned to an age class of a sequence of age classes. A set of age thresholds divides the sub-queues. A queue manager places a received transaction into a sub-queue based on a comparison of an age of the received transaction to the set of age thresholds.

A technique allows stations to utilize an equal share of resources (e.g., airtime or throughput). This prevents slow stations from consuming too many resources (e.g., using up too much air time). Fairness is ensured by selective dropping after a multicast packet is converted to unicast. This prevents slow stations from using more than their share of buffer resources. Multicast conversion aware back-pressure into the network layer can be used to prevent unnecessary dropping of packets after multicast to unicast (1:n) conversion by considering duplicated transmit buffers. This technique helps achieve airtime/resource fairness among stations.