US Patent 10153974 Software defined network traffic congestion control

A method includes obtaining traffic statistics of accepted hybrid traffic at a controller of a software defined network that includes multiple local switches coupled by links, calculating an end to end delay associated with the accepted hybrid traffic, determining network stability thresholds from each local switch as a function of network congestion, determining an adjusted rate decision policy as a function of the end to end delay and the network stability thresholds, the adjusted rate decision policy for use by an edge switch to determine whether or not to accept offered traffic loads.