Dynamic Assignment of Traffic Classes to a Priority Queue in a Packet Forwarding Device

Abstract

Responsive to detecting a predetermined time of day, packet forwarding treatment is changed in accordance with at least one class of packet flow from a first packet forwarding treatment to a second packet forwarding treatment.

1 . In a packet forwarding device in a network in which packet flows are assigned respective classes and each respective class is accorded a respective packet forwarding treatment, a method comprising:
 detecting a predetermined time of day; and   responsive to detecting the predetermined time of day, changing the respective packet forwarding treatment accorded to at least one class of packet flow from a first packet forwarding treatment to a second packet forwarding treatment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein changing the respective packet flow treatment accorded to the at least one class of packet flow comprises changing assignment of the at least one class of packet flow from a queue having a first priority to a queue having a second priority. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein changing the respective packet flow treatment accorded to the at least one class of packet flow comprises dropping packets of the at least one class of packet flow. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein changing the respective packet flow treatment accorded to the at least one class of packet flow comprises copying packets of the at least one class of packet flow. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein changing the respective packet flow treatment accorded to the at least one class of packet flow comprises diverting packets of the at least one class of packet flow. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a packet flow is assigned a respective class based on at least one IP flow parameter of the packet flow. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a packet flow is assigned a respective class based on a respective source of the packet flow. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the packet flow is assigned the respective class based on a MAC address of the source of the packet flow. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the packet flow is assigned the respective class based on a VLAN associated with the source of the packet flow. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a packet flow is assigned a respective class based on a destination of the packet flow. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the packet flow is assigned a respective class based on a MAC address of the destination of the packet flow. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the packet flow is assigned the respective class based on a VLAN associated with the destination of the packet flow. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packet flow is assigned a respective class based on an ingress port associated with the packet flow. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packet flow is assigned a respective class based on an egress port associated with the packet flow. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packet flow is assigned a respective class based on a virtual port associated with the packet flow. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a packet flow is assigned a respective class based on a protocol of the packet flow. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a packet flow is assigned a respective class based on whether is associated with a specified high level protocol. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein a packet flow is assigned a respective class if it is associated with an FTP flow. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the packet flow is assigned a respective class if it is associated with an HTTP flow. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a packet flow is assigned a respective class based on a traffic type of the of the packet flow. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a packet flow is assigned a respective class based on whether it is associated with a specified IP flow. 
     
     
         22 . A non-transitory, processor-readable medium carrying instructions for execution by at least one processor, the instructions comprising instructions executable in a packet forwarding device in a network in which packet flows are assigned respective classes and each respective class is accorded a respective packet forwarding treatment, the instructions comprising:
 instructions executable to detect a predetermined time of day; and   instructions executable responsive to detecting the predetermined time of day, to change the respective packet forwarding treatment accorded to at least one class of packet flow from a first packet forwarding treatment to a second packet forwarding treatment.   
     
     
         23 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions executable to change the respective packet flow treatment accorded to the at least one class of packet flow comprise instructions executable to change assignment of the at least one class of packet flow from a queue having a first priority to a queue having a second priority. 
     
     
         24 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions executable to change the respective packet flow treatment accorded to the at least one class of packet flow comprise instructions executable to drop packets of the at least one class of packet flow. 
     
     
         25 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions executable to change the respective packet flow treatment accorded to the at least one class of packet flow comprise instructions executable to copy packets of the at least one class of packet flow. 
     
     
         26 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions executable to change the respective packet flow treatment accorded to the at least one class of packet flow comprise instructions executable to divert packets of the at least one class of packet flow. 
     
     
         27 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to assign a packet flow a respective class based on at least one IP flow parameter of the packet flow. 
     
     
         28 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to assign a respective class to a packet flow based on a respective source of the packet flow. 
     
     
         29 . The medium of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to assign a respective class to a packet flow based on a MAC address of the source of the packet flow. 
     
     
         30 . The medium of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to assign a respective class to a packet flow based on a VLAN associated with the source of the packet flow. 
     
     
         31 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to assign a respective class to a packet flow based on a destination of the packet flow. 
     
     
         32 . The medium of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to assign a respective class to a packet flow based on a MAC address of the destination of the packet flow. 
     
     
         33 . The medium of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to assign a respective class to a packet flow based on a VLAN associated with the destination of the packet flow. 
     
     
         34 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to assign a respective class to a packet flow based on an ingress port associated with the packet flow. 
     
     
         35 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to assign a respective class to a packet flow based on an egress port associated with the packet flow. 
     
     
         36 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to assign a respective class to a packet flow based on a virtual port associated with the packet flow. 
     
     
         37 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to assign a respective class to a packet flow based on a protocol of the packet flow. 
     
     
         38 . The medium of  claim 37 , wherein a packet flow is assigned a respective class based on whether is associated with a specified high level protocol. 
     
     
         39 . The medium of  claim 38 , wherein the instructions executable to assign a respective class to the packet flow based on the protocol of the packet flow comprise instructions executable to assign the packet flow the respective class if it is associated with an FTP flow. 
     
     
         40 . The medium of  claim 38 , wherein the instructions executable to assign a respective class to the packet flow based on the protocol of the packet flow comprise instructions executable to assign the packet flow the respective class if it is associated with an HTTP flow. 
     
     
         41 . The medium of  claim 22 , comprising instructions executable to assign a packet flow a respective class based on a traffic type of the of the packet flow. 
     
     
         42 . The medium of  claim 22 , wherein a packet flow is assigned a respective class based on whether it is associated with a specified IP flow.