Abstract: A Soft, Prioritised Early Packet Discard System is provided, which is suitable for satellite onboard switching and very-high-speed terrestrial switching applications. The system counts the number of newly arriving packets, calculates and regularly updates an average queue size, which is used in setting a packet-count threshold via a descending staircase function. When the number of newly arriving packets reaches the packet-count threshold and when the average queue size reaches or exceeds the congestion threshold; a packet is discarded and the packet-counter is reset to zero. The counting of packets is halted while the average queue size remains below the congestion threshold. The regular dropping of packets allows simplified hardware implementations. In calculating the average queue size, a progressively higher exponential queue-length averaging parameter is used for higher instantaneous queue length, to provide faster reaction to congestion situations.

Abstract: A system and method for resource allocation in a broadband telecommunications network operating under CF-DAMA. Data-slot credits for each terminal are accumulated, once all CRA and RBDC bandwidth reservations have been satisfied. These credits represent the prioritized segment of the terminal's VBDC bandwidth request and are used by a resource allocation server within the base station of the network to prioritize the VBDC allotment of data slots to that terminal. Once the terminal's VBDC credits have been used, the resource allocation server attempts to satisfy the remaining un-prioritized VBDC bandwidth request, but will only do so if data slots are still available after all of the CRA and RBDC reservations and all VBDC credits of the given terminal have been accommodated.