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US 2004/0174883 A1Published application
Method and arrangement for bandwidth shaping in data communications system
OwnerMathias Johansson, Johan Kolhiinventors
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OwnerMathias Johansson, Johan Kolhiinventors
Estimating the term…
The present invention relates to bandwidth shaping in a data communications system. The bandwidth shaping is adjusted according to different traffic streams and depends on the destination of each traffic stream The destination dependent bandwidth shaping according to the present invention is achieved by means of, in a router according to the invention, introducing quality of service profiles (21, 22) that are based on the contents of the router's routing table (15). The routing table (15) includes information (16, 17) regarding how to route traffic to known destinations (16), and information (18) on where to forward traffic to an unknown destination. By means of creating an association between the quality of service profiles (21, 22) and the routing table (15), the bandwidth shaping can be made dependent on the contents of the routing table (15). According to an embodiment of the present invention, all traffic streams to destinations (16) that are known and specified in the routing table (15) are allocated bandwidth according to a first set of requirements (21b) in a first quality of service profile (21), while traffic streams to destinations that are not specified in the routing table (15) are allocated bandwidth according to a second set of requirements in a second quality of service profile (22).
A router (4a, 4b, 4c) for routing data communications traffic comprising a routing table (15, 23), and at least two quality of service profiles (21, 22), of which a fist quality of service profile (21) specifies a first set of requirements (21a, 21b) for allocation of bandwidth and a second quality of service profile (22) specifies a second set of requirements (22a, 22b) for allocation of bandwidth, which router is arranged to receive data packets on at least two ports (41a-43a, 41b, 42b, 41c-44c), and to route data packets according to information in the data packets regarding their destination address, characterized in that the quality of service profiles (21, 22) are associated with the routing table (15, 23) and in that the router is arranged to perform bandwidth shaping on a traffic stream associated with a first data packet in such a way that the bandwidth usage of the traffic stream is limited such that the bandwidth usage does not exceed a maximum bandwidth allocation requirement of a chosen quality of service profile, which bandwidth shaping is performed according to the first quality of service profile (21) or the second quality of service profile (22) depending on information (16) in the routing table (15, 23) regarding the destination address of the first data packet.
A method for bandwidth shaping, which method involves a router (4a, 4b, 4c) for routing data communications traffic comprising at least two ports (41a-43a, 41b, 42b, 41c-44c), a routing table (15, 23), and at least two quality of service profiles (21, 22), of which a first quality of service profile (21) specifies a first set of requirements (21a, 21b) for allocation of bandwidth and a second quality of service profile specifies a second set of requirements (22a, 22b) for allocation of bandwidth, which method includes the step (50) of receiving a first data packet on one of the ports of the router and the step of routing the first data packet according to information in the first data packet regarding its destination address, characterized by the method further including the step (53) of choosing the first quality of service profile (21) or the second quality of service profile (22) depending on information (16) in the routing table (15, 23) regarding the destination address of the first data packet and the step (54, 57) of performing bandwidth shaping on a traffic stream associated with the first data packet according to the chosen quality of service profile in such a way that the bandwidth usage of the traffic stream controlled such that the bandwidth usage does not exceed a maximum bandwidth allocation requirement of the chosen quality of service profile.
Superordinate operating system (60) for controlling bandwidth shaping in at least one router (4a, 4b, 4c) in a data communications system, which at least one router (4a, 4b, 4c) is arranged to route data communications traffic and includes a routing table (15, 23) and at least two ports, which superordinate operating system (60) includes means (61) for communicating with the at least one router, characterized in that the superordinate operating system (60) includes means (61) for providing the at least one router (4a, 4b, 4c) with at least two quality of service profiles (21, 22), of which a first quality of service profile (21) specifies a first set of requirements (21a, 21b) for allocation of bandwidth and a second quality of service profile (22) specifies a second set of requirements (22a, 22b) for allocation of bandwidth, which quality of service profiles (21, 22) are associated with the routing table (15, 23) such that they include instructions to the router for performing bandwidth shaping on a traffic stream associated with a first data packet according to the first quality of service profile (21) or the second quality of service profile (22) depending on information in the routing table (15, 23) regarding the destination address of the first data packet, which bandwidth shaping includes controlling the bandwidth usage of the traffic stream in such a way that the bandwidth usage does not exceed a maximum bandwidth allocation requirement of the quality of service profile according to which the bandwidth shaping is performed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.