Method and apparatus for communicating data packets according to classes of service
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for communicating data packets according to classes of service is described. One or more service interfaces are coupled to a plurality of transport interfaces. The service interfaces carry packets having multiple classes of service, while each of the plurality of transport interfaces carries packets of a single class of service. A differentiated services codepoint profile is associated with each service interface and maps a differentiated services codepoint value of a data packet to a class of service and a drop precedence. The data packet is assigned to a transport interface based on its class of service and its drop precedence. Other factors, such as the destination of the data packet may be considered when assigning the data packet to a transport interface. Data packets from different transport interfaces are preferably enqueued in different queues of a destination service interface.
1. Apparatus for communicating data packets according to classes of service comprising:
a service interface for receiving the data packets, the data packets including a differentiated service codepoint field having a plurality of differentiated service codepoint values;
a differentiated service profile associated with the service interface;
a plurality of transport interfaces operatively coupled to the service interface, the service interface assigning a first data packet having a first differentiated service codepoint value to a first transport interface according to the differentiated service profile, wherein the service interface assigns a second data packet having a second differentiated service codepoint value to a second transport interface according to the differentiated service profile;
a second service interface; and
a second differentiated service profile associated with the second service interface, the second service interface operatively coupled to the plurality of transport interfaces, the second service interface assigning a third data packet having a third differentiated service codepoint value to a third transport interface according to the second differentiated service profile.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second service interface assigns a fourth data packet having a fourth differentiated service codepoint value to the first transport interface according to the second differentiated service profile.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second service interface assigns a fifth data packet having the first differentiated service codepoint value to the second transport interface according to the differentiated service profile.
4. The apparatus of claim I wherein the data packets received at the service interface includes a first subset of the data packets having a first class of service and a second subset of the data packets having a second class of service.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the first transport interface transports the first subset of data packets having the first class of service.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the second transport interface transports the second subset of data packets having the second class of service.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the differentiated service profile maps the first differentiated service codepoint value to the first class of service and a first drop precedence and maps the second differentiated service codepoint value to the second class of service and a second drop precedence.