Congestion control within a communication network
AssigneeAlcatel Lucent
InventorsSiyu Tang, Danny De Vleeschauwer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to an embodiment a packet forwarding device is disclosed for forwarding data packets on a link within a communication network. The packet forwarding device is further configured to perform the following steps: measuring a load of the link; detecting if the load exceeds one of a plurality of threshold indicative for a level of congestion on the link; and sending a signal to another device in the communication network signalling the level of congestion.
Claims12
A packet forwarding device for forwarding packets on a link within a communication network, the device comprising:
- at least one memory configured to store computer-readable instructions;
- and
- at least one processor configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to cause the packet forwarding device to
- measure a load indicative of a congestion of the link;
- and
- whether the load exceeds one of a plurality of thresholds, the plurality of thresholds including at least a first threshold indicative of a first level of congestion on the link and a second threshold indicative of a second level of congestion on the link that is higher than the first level of congestion;
- in response to detecting the first threshold is exceeded, send a first congestion signal to an endpoint device in the communication network signalling the first level of congestion, the first congestion signal causing the endpoint device to probe available bandwidth according to a probing scheme that is less aggressive than a probing scheme used when the link is not congested;
- and
- in response to detecting the second threshold is exceeded, send a second congestion signal to the endpoint device in the communication network signalling the second level of congestion, the second congestion signal causing the endpoint device to probe the available bandwidth according to a back-off probing scheme.
A networking endpoint comprising:
- at least one memory storing computer-readable instructions;
- and
- at least one processor configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to cause the networking endpoint to adapt a transmission of packets on a link according to a congestion signal received from a packet forwarding device on the link, wherein the congestion signal is indicative of a congestion level selected from a plurality of congestion levels, and adapting the transmission of packets on the link according to the congestion signal includes
- in response to no congestion signal being received, probing an available bandwidth according to a first probing scheme;
- in response to receiving a first congestion signal corresponding to a first level of congestion, probing the available bandwidth according to a second probing scheme, wherein the second probing scheme is less aggressive than the first probing scheme;
- and
- in response to receiving a second congestion signal corresponding to a second level of congestion that is higher than the first level of congestion, probing the available bandwidth according to a third probing scheme that is different than the second probing scheme, wherein the third probing scheme is a back-off probing scheme.
A method for adapting a transmission of packets on a link in a networking endpoint according to a congestion signal received from a packet forwarding device on the link, wherein the congestion signal is indicative of a congestion level selected from a plurality of congestion levels, and the adapting of the transmission of packets on the link according to the congestion signal comprises:
- in response to no congestion signal being received, probing an available bandwidth according to a first probing scheme;
- in response to receiving a first congestion signal corresponding to a first level of congestion, probing the available bandwidth according to a second probing scheme, wherein the second probing scheme is less aggressive than the first probing scheme;
- and
- in response to receiving a second congestion signal corresponding to a second level of congestion that is higher than the first level of congestion, probing the available bandwidth according to a third probing scheme that is different than the second probing scheme, wherein the third probing scheme is a back-off probing scheme.
A method for forwarding packets on a link within a communication network, the method comprising:
- measuring a load indicative of a congestion of the link;
- detecting whether the load exceeds one of a plurality of thresholds, the plurality of thresholds including at least a first threshold indicative of a first level of congestion on the link and a second threshold indicative of a second level of congestion on the link that is higher than the first level of congestion;
- in response to detecting the first threshold is exceeded, sending a first congestion signal to an endpoint device in the communication network signalling the first level of congestion, the first congestion signal causing the endpoint device to probe available bandwidth according to a probing scheme that is less aggressive than a probing scheme used when the link is not congested;
- and
- in response to detecting the second threshold is exceeded, sending a second congestion signal to the endpoint device in the communication network signalling the second level of congestion, the second congestion signal causing the endpoint device to probe the available bandwidth according to a back-off probing scheme.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.