System and process for allocating flow capacity in a network

A flow allocation system for a set of usage devices accessing a network through a portal, comprising:

• a set of restriction agents in-line with the portal and responsive to a set of restriction rules to restrict a set of flows transferred between the accessed network and the usage devices;
• a set of collection agents monitoring said set of transferred flows during a time period for each of said usage devices;
• and
• a processing agent receiving said monitored set of said transferred flows from said set of collection agents and communicating said set of flow restriction rules to said restriction agents, wherein said processing agent has a flow allocation module to select a subset of the usage devices with said transferred flows exceeding a usage limit and to create said set of flow restriction rules for said subset of usage devices.

A method for allocating a flow capacity to a set of usage devices accessing a service network, comprising the steps of:

• (a) defining a set of flow restrictions, wherein said set of defined flow restrictions comprises a range of flow rates less than a maximum flow rate;
• (b) defining a set of volume limits corresponding with the set of usage devices and corresponding with a time period in which the set of usage devices access the service network;
• p1 (c) associating said set of volume limits with said range of flow rates in said set of flow restrictions for each usage device in the set of usage devices;
• (d) transferring a set of flows through a set of restriction agents between the set of usage devices and the service network;
• (e) monitoring said set of flows in a control network, wherein each of said usage devices in the service network has a unique identity in said control network;
• (f) selecting a set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions, said selected set of flow restrictions being determined by a processor according to said volume limits and according to said monitored set of flows, wherein said selecting step comprises the steps of:
• (i) computing a flow volume for each of the usage devices during said time period according to said monitored flows,
• (ii) comparing said flow volume with said set of volume limits as applied to each of the usage devices,
• (iii) identifying a subset of the usage devices having said flow volume exceeding said corresponding set of applied volume limits, p2 (iv) shifting a set of volume quotas for the set of usage devices according to a set of exception policies for the set of usage devices, and
• (v) selecting said set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions for each of the usage devices according to said association between said set of volume limits and said range of flow rates;
• and
• (g) allocating a portion of said maximum flow rate to said transferred flows according to said selected set of flow restrictions, wherein said identified subset of usage devices are restricted to flows within said range of restricted flow rates.

A method for allocating a flow capacity to a set of communication devices accessing a network, comprising the steps of:

• (a) defining a set of flow restrictions, wherein said set of defined flow restrictions comprises a restricted flow rate that does not exceed a maximum flow rate;
• (b) defining a volume limit for a time period;
• (c) communicating a set of flows through a portal between the set of communication devices and the network;
• (d) monitoring said communicated flows, wherein each of said communication devices in the network has a unique identity;
• (e) selecting a set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions, said selected set of flow restrictions being determined by a processor, wherein said selecting step comprises the steps of:
• (i) computing a flow volume for each of the communication devices during said time period according to said monitored flows,
• (ii) comparing said flow volume with said single volume limit for each of the communication devices,
• (iii) identifying a subset of the communication devices having said flow volume exceeding said single volume limit, and
• (iv) associating said identified subset of communication devices with said restricted flow rate in said selected set of flow restrictions;
• and
• (f) allocating a portion of said maximum flow rate to said communicated flows according to said selected set of flow restrictions, wherein said identified subset of communication devices are restricted to flows within said restricted flow rate.

A method for allocating bandwidth to a set of users accessing a computer network through a portal, comprising the steps of:

• (a) defining a set of bandwidth rules for a set of restriction agents, said defined set of bandwidth rules including a plurality of rate-limit rules, wherein said rate-limit rules include a range of bandwidth limits less than a maximum allowable bandwidth;
• (b) defining a single data volume limit for a time period;
• (c) registering a set of communication devices with the set of users via a registration server, wherein each of said communication devices has a unique identity and each one of the users individually registers at least one communication device;
• (d) associating the set of users with said set of communication devices accessing the portal, wherein the portal comprises at least one restriction agent in said set of restriction agents;
• (e) communicating a set of data flows through said set of restriction agents between the set of users and the computer network, wherein said communicating step further comprises the steps of:
• (i) communicating a plurality of data headers in a set of sampling periods during said time period, and
• (ii) repeating said communicating step for a series of sequential time periods as a moving time frame;
• (f) monitoring said communicated set of data flows, wherein said monitoring step further comprises the steps of:
• (i) communicating said data headers to a processing agent during each of said sampling periods, and
• (ii) summarizing historical information about said data flows for each of said sequential time periods;
• and
• (g) selecting a set of bandwidth rules from said defined set of bandwidth rules, said selected set of bandwidth rules being determined by said processing agent, and wherein said selecting step comprises the steps of
• (i) allocating said monitored set of data flows to the set of users according to said association between the set of users and said set of communication devices,
• (ii) computing a data flow volume for each of the users during said time period according to said data headers,
• (iii) comparing said computed data flow volume with said single data volume limit for each of the users,
• (iv) identifying a set of the users having said computed data flow volume exceeding said data volume limit,
• (v) adding said plurality of rate limit rules to said selected set of bandwidth rules for each of the users in said identified set of users, and
• (vi) transmitting said selected set of bandwidth rules to said set of restriction agents;
• and
• (h) allocating bandwidth to said data flows according to said selected set of bandwidth rules transmitted from said processing agent to said restriction agents, wherein said data flows for said identified set of users are respectively within said plurality of rate-limit rules.

A flow allocation system for a set of usage devices accessing a network through a portal, comprising:

• a set of restriction agents in-line with the portal and responsive to a set of restriction rules to restrict a set of flows transferred between the accessed network and the usage devices;
• a set of collection agents monitoring said set of transferred flows during a time period for each of said usage devices;
• and
• a processing agent receiving said monitored set of said transferred flows from said set of collection agents and communicating said set of flow restriction rules to said restriction agents, wherein said processing agent has a flow allocation module that sets a first service level and a second service level for a first subset of the usage devices and a second subset of the usage devices, respectively, wherein said first service level is selected from a group consisting of a first maximum flow rate and a first usage limit and wherein said second service level is selected from a group consisting of a second maximum flow rate greater than said first maximum flow rate and a second usage limit greater than said first usage limit, said flow allocation module creating a first subset of flow restriction rules for any of said first subset of usage devices exceeding said first usage limit and creating a second subset of flow restriction rules for any of said second subset of usage devices exceeding said second usage limit.

A flow allocation system for a set of usage devices accessing a service network through a portal, comprising:

• a set of restriction agents in-line with the portal and providing the set of usage devices with a set of flow levels to the service network through the portal, wherein a set of flows is transferred through said restriction agents between the service network and the usage devices, and wherein the portal to the service network has a total maximum flow rate and said set of restriction agents allocates a portion of said maximum total flow rate to said flows according to a set of flow restriction rules and thereby defining said set of flow levels to the service network;
• a set of collection agents monitoring said set of flows and defining monitored flow information for said set of flows according to each of said usage devices;
• and
• a processing agent in communication with said set of restriction agents and said set of collection agents, said processing agent having a flow allocation module that generates said flow restriction rules according to a relationship between said set of flows and a set of volume limits, said set of volume limits having a correspondence with said set of usage devices, said flow allocation module further comprising a volume calculator interconnected with a restriction rule generator, wherein said volume calculator sums a flow volume during a time period for each of the usage devices according to said monitored flow information and identifies a subset of usage devices with said flow volume exceeding said corresponding volume limits, and wherein said restriction rule generator creates said set of flow restriction rules for each of said identified usage devices and communicates said set of flow restriction rules to said set of restriction agents corresponding with said identified usage devices, said set of flow restriction rules being formed by associating at least one flow restriction control rule to said set of identified set of usage devices, wherein said flow restriction control rule commands an adjustment to said portion of said total maximum flow rate for each of said identified set of usage devices.