Rescheduling a Cable-Modem Upstream Channel After Changing One or More of Its Properties

This paper describes a novel algorithm for rescheduling a DOCSIS upstream channel in response to an upstream-property change. This algorithm has been implemented, tested, and is in use in a real CMTS. The algorithm has several important properties: It is flexible - it enables the CMTS to perform any legal property change at any time. Second, it is service preserving - it never requires that the upstream channel be taken out of service and it never de-admits best-effort flows. Finally, it is efficient - it uses little time and space and it does not adversely affect any other CMTS performance measure.