Harmonic Inc.
Virtual CCAP downstream traffic scheduling

Abstract:

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.