Adaptive allocation of last-hop bandwidth based on monitoring of end-to-end throughput

A system for optimizing the allocation of bandwidth within a network system communicably linked with a network, the network system having one or more client devices and one or more intermediate computing devices that act as an interface between the network and the one or more client devices, the system comprising:

• means for measuring the throughput associated with a connection established between at least one of the client devices and the network;
• means for determining whether the measured throughput is less than an amount of bandwidth allocated to the at least one client device;
• and
• means for adjusting the amount of bandwidth allocated to the at least one client device to an amount equivalent to the measured throughput multiplied by an error variance factor.

A method for preventing the under utilization of reserved bandwidth by one or more client devices capable of communicating over a network by establishing a communicable link with an intermediate computing device that is communicably linked to the network, the method comprising:

• receiving a bandwidth reservation request from a first client device;
• determining whether the first client device has similar bandwidth affecting criteria as at least one of the client devices having an existing bandwidth allocation;
• and
• assigning the first client device an amount of bandwidth equivalent to the existing bandwidth allocation if the first device has similar bandwidth affecting criteria as at least one of the client devices having an existing bandwidth allocation.

A system for preventing the wasting of reserved bandwidth by one or more client devices capable of communicating over a network by establishing a connection with an intermediate computing device that is communicably linked to the network, the system comprising:

• means for receiving a bandwidth reservation request from a first client device having no current bandwidth allocation;
• means for determining whether the first client device shares comparable bandwidth affecting criteria with a second client device having a current bandwidth allocation;
• and
• means for assigning the first client device an amount of bandwidth equivalent to the amount of bandwidth allocated to the second client device.

A method for adjusting the amount of bandwidth allocated within a network system having one or more nodes and one or more intermediary nodes that act as an interface between the network and the one or more nodes, the method comprising:

• measuring throughput associated with a connection established between at least one of the nodes and the network;
• determining whether the measured throughput is less than an amount of bandwidth allocated to the at least one node;
• setting an amount of bandwidth to be allocated to the at least one node to an amount equivalent to the measured throughput multiplied by an error variance factor if the measured throughput is less than an amount of bandwidth allocated to the at least one node;
• repeating the steps of measuring, determining and setting for the duration of the connection established between at least one of the nodes and the network.

A system for preventing the over allocation of bandwidth by one or more computers capable of communicating over a network by establishing a connection with an intermediate computing device that is linked to the network, the system comprising:

• means for receiving a bandwidth reservation request from a first computer having no current bandwidth allocation;
• means for determining whether the first computer shares comparable bandwidth affecting criteria with a second computer having a current bandwidth allocation;
• and
• means for assigning the first computer an amount of bandwidth equivalent to the amount of bandwidth allocated to the second computer.

A method for adjusting the amount of bandwidth allocated within a network system having one or more nodes and one or more intermediary nodes that act as an interface between the network and the one or more nodes, the method comprising:

• receiving a throughput measurement associated with a connection established between at least one of the nodes and the network;
• determining whether the throughput measurement indicates a throughput of less than an amount of bandwidth allocated to the at least one node;
• setting an amount of bandwidth to be allocated to the at least one node to an amount equivalent to the throughput multiplied by an error variance factor if the throughput is less than an amount of bandwidth allocated to the at least one node;
• repeating the steps of receiving, determining and setting for the duration of the connection established between at least one of the nodes and the network.