early packet discard (ATM) (EPD)

Early Packet Discard (EPD) is an overload control for IP traffic over an ATM network.

When an overload occurs, the EPD procedure discards the ATM cells at the beginning of the IP packet and leaves the rest unchanged. The last ATM cell is retained and informs the ATM switch and the end station of the start of a new frame. IP packets that have ATM cells removed are not acknowledged and are therefore automatically repeated by the sending station. Early Packet Discard (EPD) is used in conjunction with Unspecified Bit Rate( UBR).