Abstract: A method and system for controlling electrical devices, such as lights capable of emitting different colours or colour sequences (shows). A multi-field command protocol is proposed to transmit command messages from a line controller to a controllable electrical device (light) to control its mode of operation, and optionally at least one dimension associated with the mode (e.g. light colour, and brightness and/or colour saturation, or blending colour show and speed of changing colours). The protocol comprises brief interruptions to the power supplied to the electrical device comprising a first variable length OFF time, a variable length ON time following the first OFF time, and a second variable length OFF time following the ON time. Together these times form three information fields having values represented by their respective lengths/durations. The fields define a selected mode of operation of the electrical device, and optionally at least one dimension associated with the mode.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes measuring a rate of traffic received at a leaf node, marking a plurality of packets in the flow as protected at the leaf node to match the rate of traffic with a configured rate of traffic for the flow at the leaf node, and dropping a plurality of non-protected packets at the leaf node when a queue at the leaf node is congested. A minimum bandwidth is provided for the flow based on the configured rate of traffic at the leaf node. The leaf node comprises an ingress node or an egress node connected to a fabric. An apparatus is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes measuring a rate of traffic received at a leaf node, marking a plurality of packets in the flow as protected at the leaf node to match the rate of traffic with a configured rate of traffic for the flow at the leaf node, and dropping a plurality of non-protected packets at the leaf node when a queue at the leaf node is congested. A minimum bandwidth is provided for the flow based on the configured rate of traffic at the leaf node. The leaf node comprises an ingress node or an egress node connected to a fabric. An apparatus is also disclosed herein.