Ethernet differentiated services

1. A method for scheduling data forwarding in an Ethernet network, the method comprising:

defining a set of differentiated service classes, each differentiated service class associated with a set of per-hop behaviors;

indicating a particular per-hop behavior of the set of per-hop behaviors for an Ethernet frame in a set of priority bits in a tag field of a header of the Ethernet frame;

allocating a link bandwidth among the set of differentiated service classes;

allocating portions of the allocated link bandwidth for the set of differentiated service classes among at least one particular service class, the service class including multiple virtual local area network (VLAN) classes;

allocating portions of the allocated link bandwidth for the particular service class among a particular VLAN class based on the set of priority bits, each allocated portion reserved for a separate data queue;

assigning the Ethernet frame to a data queue based on the per-hop behavior indicated in the set of priority bits in the tag field; and

forwarding the Ethernet frame through the Ethernet network using the allocated portion of the allocated link bandwidth for the particular service class of the particular VLAN class.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the differentiated service classes includes at least one of an Ethernet expedited forwarding (E-EF) class, an Ethernet assured forwarding, (E-AF) class, an Ethernet class selector (E-CS) class, a default-forwarding (E-DF) class.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising requiring delivery of a frame within a particular amount of time for an Ethernet expedited forwarding (E-EF) class frame.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the Ethernet assured forwarding (E-AF) class includes a plurality of sub-classes based on a bandwidth allocation.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising assigning a drop precedence for an E-AF class.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the Ethernet class selector (E-CS) class includes multiple sub-classes.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising assigning preferential treatment to a particular sub-class.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising assigning a lower level of service to an E-DF class frame than to frames from other classes.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allocating bandwidth to a link among multiple virtual local area networks (VLANs), the VLANs including multiple E-Diff traffic classes; and

allocating portions of the allocated bandwidths for the multiple virtual local area networks among at least one VLAN class for the multiple virtual local area networks based on the set of priority bits.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising defining additional per-hop behaviors based on at least one of networking needs and application needs.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the Ethernet frame also includes a canonical format indicator (CFI) bit indication and a per-hop behavior includes indicating a per-hop behavior using the CFI bit.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising marking the CFI bits of the frame based on the differentiated service class.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the priority bits include a congestion indication.

14. A networking device comprises:

an input;

an output; and

a switch; electrically connected between the input and the output, the switch being configured to:

define a set of differentiated service classes, each differentiated service class associated with a set of per-hop behaviors; and

indicate a particular per-hop behavior for an Ethernet frame in a set of priority bits in a tag field of a header of the Ethernet frame;

allocate a link bandwidth among the set of differentiated service classes;

allocate portions of the allocated link bandwidth for the set of differentiated service classes among at least one particular service class, the service class including multiple VLAN classes;

allocate portions of the allocated for the particular service class among a particular VLAN class based on the set of priority bits, each allocated portion reserved for a separate data queue;

assign the Ethernet frame to a data queue based on the per-hop behavior indicated in the set of priority bits in the tag field; and

forward the Ethernet frame through an Ethernet network using the allocated portion of the allocated link bandwidth for the particular service class of the particular VLAN class.

15. The networking device of claim 14 wherein the differentiated service classes includes at least one of an Ethernet expedited forwarding (E-EF) class, an Ethernet assured forwarding CE-AF) class, an Ethernet class selector (E-CS) class, a default-forwarding (E-DF) class.

16. The networking device of claim 14 wherein the device is further configured to require delivery of a frame within a particular amount of time for an Ethernet expedited forwarding (E-EF) class frame.

17. The networking device of claim 15 wherein the Ethernet assured forwarding (E-AF) class includes a plurality of sub-classes based on a bandwidth allocation.

18. The networking device of claim 14 wherein the device is further configured to assign a drop precedence for an E-AF class.

19. The networking device of claim 15 wherein the Ethernet class selection (E-CS) includes multiple sub-classes.

20. The networking device of claim 14 wherein the device is further configured to assign preferential treatment to a particular sub-class.

21. The networking device of claim 14 wherein the device is further configured to assign a lower level of service to an E-DF class frame than to frames from other classes.

22. The networking device of claim 14 wherein the device is further configured to:

allocate bandwidth to a link among multiple virtual local area networks (VLANs), the VLANs including multiple E-Diff traffic classes; and

allocate portions of the allocated bandwidths for the multiple virtual local area networks among at lease one VLAN class for the multiple virtual local area networks based on the set of priority bits.

23. A computer program product, comprising computer instructions tangibly embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer instructions, when executed on a processor, cause a machine to:

define a set of differentiated service classes, each differentiated service class associated with a set of per-hop behaviors;

indicate a particular per-hop behavior for an Ethernet frame in a set of priority bits in a tag field of a header of the Ethernet frame;

allocate a link bandwidth among the set of differentiated service classes;

allocate portions of the allocated link bandwidth for the set of differentiated service classes among at least one particular service class, the service class including multiple VLAN classes;

allocate portions of the allocated link bandwidth for the particular service class among a particular VLAN class based on the set of priority bits, each allocated portion reserved for a separate data queue;

assign the Ethernet frame to a data queue based on the per-hop behavior indicated in the set of priority bits in the tag field; and

forward the Ethernet frame through an Ethernet network using the allocated portion of the allocated link bandwidth for the particular service class of the particular VLAN class.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the differentiated service classes includes at least one of an Ethernet expedited forwarding (E-EF) class, an Ethernet assured forwarding (E-AF) class, an Ethernet class selector (E-CS) class, a default-forwarding (E-DF) class.

25. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the Ethernet assured forwarding (E-AF) class includes a plurality of sub-classes based on a bandwidth allocation.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the Ethernet class selector (E-CS) class includes multiple sub-classes.

27. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising instructions to cause a machine to:

allocate bandwidth to a link among multiple virtual local area networks (VLANs), the VLANs including multiple E-Diff traffic classes; and

allocate portions of the allocated bandwidths for the multiple virtual local area networks among at least one VLAN class for the multiple virtual local area networks based on the set of priority bits.