Data flow control

1. A method of controlling an information flow in a data transmission system, comprising:

receiving a plurality of data packets;

allocating a priority level to each data packet, wherein the priority level is allocated to a data packet based on a function of a state of queue; and

generating a modified information flow wherein the data packets in the modified information flow are spaced with a variable spacing whilst maintaining the order of the data packets, and the variable spacing between the data packets is exponentially distributed.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the modified information flow for at least one information flow; and

generating a further modified information flow by providing a further variable spacing between the data packets thereof.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising generating a plurality of modified information flows and multiplexing the modified information flows.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a configured packet length for the data packets based on a configured service rate thereof.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the data packets are selectively admitted to a queue based on a length of the queue.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein a level of service is associated with each data packet in the queue.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the priority level is a function of a class of loss for the data packet and a class of urgency of service for the data packet.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the data packets are serviced based upon the priority level.

9. A controller for controlling an information flow in a data transmission system, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of data packets;

means for allocating a priority level to each data packet, wherein the priority level is allocated to a data packet based on a function of a state of a queue; and

means for generating a modified information flow wherein the data packets in the modified information flow are spaced with a variable spacing whilst maintaining the order of the data packets, and the variable spacing between the data packets is exponentially distributed.

10. The controller as recited in claim 9 wherein the means for generating a modified information flow is embodied at least in part in a policer/shaper and a rate limiter.

11. The controller as recited in claim 9 wherein the means for generating a modified information flow employs one of a random pattern and a pseudo-random pattern.

12. The controller as recited in claim 9 further comprising a means for providing a data packet identifier to each data packet and means for storing each data packet in a sequence.

13. A controller for controlling an information flow in a data transmission system, comprising:

a policer/shaper configured to:

receive a plurality of data packets for the information flow,

generate a modified information flow wherein the data packets in the modified information flow are spaced with a variable spacing whilst maintaining the order of the data packets, and the variable spacing between the data packets in the modified information flow is exponentially distributed, and

allocate a priority level to each data packet based on a function of a state of a queue.

14. The controller as recited in claim 13 further comprising a rate limiter configured to service the data packets in accordance with the policer/shaper.

15. The controller as recited in claim 13 wherein the policer/shaper employs one of a random pattern and a pseudo-random pattern.

16. The controller as recited in claim 13 , further comprising:

a queue memory manager configured to provide a data packet identifier to each data packet in accordance with the policer/shaper; and

a queue memory configured to store each data packet in a sequence.