Abstract: A method for automatic early packet discard mode enabling early packet discard on a cell switching network is disclosed. The method includes the steps of counting every non-end of the frame data cell that arrives on a network connection, comparing the number of non-end of the frame data cell to a predetermined threshold value to determine whether the traffic arriving on the network connection is a frame based traffic and enabling early packet discard if the traffic is frame based.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a percent utilization of shared resource and fine resolution scaling of a threshold based on the utilization is described. In one embodiment, the method includes detecting a cell that belongs to a VC queue where the VC queue includes a cell count, a minimum threshold cell count, and a maximum threshold cell count. The cell count is compared with the minimum threshold cell count. If the cell count is greater than (or equal to) the minimum threshold cell count, the method further includes determining a ratio between the cell count and the maximum threshold cell count, selecting a scaling factor responsive to the ratio, scaling the cell count by the scaling factor to provide a scaled cell count, comparing the scaled cell count with a maximum threshold cell count, and discarding the cell if the scaled cell count is greater than the maximum threshold cell count.