US 2005/0100009 A1 · Method and system for bandwidth estimation

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for estimating the effective bandwidth on-line at a node in a communications network. The invention works by measuring the effective bandwidth and the mean rate of traffic flow for an identified type of traffic flow off-line, defining a relationship between the two measured values and storing the relationship in a database of relationships for different identifiable types of traffic flow off-line. A type of traffic flow or group of flows is identified on-line from which the mean rate of traffic flow is measured on-line which is a relatively simple measurement to make. From the database of relationships a relationship is obtained from which the effective bandwidth is estimated for the traffic flow or flows on-line. This is the simplest operation of the invention. The invention further discloses means for incorporating loss ratio and delays in the estimation of the effective bandwidth on-line.

Claims71

Dependent claims

A method of estimating the effective bandwidth requirement of a traffic flow at a node in a communications network with an associated database of relationships, the database having been provided by:

identifying a type of traffic flow off-line;
estimating a mean rate of traffic flow of the identified type of traffic flow;
estimating the effective bandwidth requirement of this flow;
defining a relationship between the effective bandwidth requirement and the mean rate of traffic flow for this identified type of traffic flow;
and
storing in the database of relationships, the relationship for different identifiable types of traffic flows, and
in which the method comprises:
(a) sampling the traffic flow on-line at the node;
(b) identifying the type of traffic flow on-line at the node;
(c) estimating the mean rate of the traffic flow on-line;
(d) comparing the identified type of the traffic flow on-line to a similar identified type of traffic flow off-line to obtain a relationship from the database of relationships;
and
(e) estimating an effective bandwidth requirement of the traffic flow on-line at the node from the estimated mean rate of the traffic flow and the relationship obtained from the database of relationships.

10 more elements

A method of estimating the effective bandwidth requirement of a traffic flow at a node in a communications network with an associated database of relationships, the database having been provided by:

identifying a type of aggregate traffic flow comprising a plurality of individual traffic flows off-line;
estimating a mean rate of traffic flow of the identified type of aggregate traffic flow;
estimating the effective bandwidth requirement of this flow;
defining a relationship between the effective bandwidth requirement and the mean rate of traffic flow for this identified type of aggregate traffic flow;
and
storing in the database of relationships, the relationship for different identifiable types of aggregate traffic flows, and
in which the method comprises:
(a) sampling the aggregate traffic flow on-line;
(b) identifying the type of the aggregate traffic flow on-line at the node;
(c) measuring the mean rate of the aggregate traffic flow on-line;
(d) comparing the identified type of the aggregate traffic flow on-line to a similar identified type of aggregate traffic flow off-line to obtain a relationship from the database of relationships;
and
(e) estimating an effective bandwidth requirement of the aggregate traffic flow on-line at the node from the estimated mean rate of the traffic flow and the relationship obtained from the database of relationships.

10 more elements

A method of estimating the effective bandwidth requirement of a traffic flow at a node in a communications network comprising:

identifying a type of traffic flow off-line;
estimating an effective bandwidth requirement and a mean rate of traffic flow of the identified type of traffic flow;
defining a relationship between the effective bandwidth requirement and the mean rate of traffic flow for the identified type of traffic flow;
storing in a database of relationships, the relationship for different identifiable types of traffic flows off-line;
identifying the type of the traffic flow on-line at the node;
measuring the mean rate of the traffic flow on-line;
comparing the identified type of the traffic flow on-line to a similar identified type of traffic flow off-line to obtain a relationship from the database of relationships;
and
estimating an effective bandwidth requirement of the identified type of traffic flow on-line at the node from the mean rate of the traffic flow measured on-line and the relationship obtained from the database of relationships for the similar identified type of traffic flow off-line.

6 more elements

A system for estimating the effectively bandwidth requirement at a node in a communications network comprising:

(a) at least one computer connected to the node;
(b) a database of relationships comprising, for a previously sampled traffic flow, an identifier for the traffic flow, an estimate of the mean rate of said identified traffic flow, and an estimated effective bandwidth requirement for the said identified traffic flows, together with a measure of the relationship between the mean rate of flow and the effective bandwidth requirement;
(c) means for sampling traffic on-line at the node;
(d) means for allocating an identifier to the traffic on-line at the node;
(e) means for estimating the mean rate of flow of the traffic on-line;
(f) means for comparing the identifier of the traffic on-line with the identifiers in the database;
(g) means for identifying the closest stored identifier in the database with that of the traffic on-line;
and
(h) means for extracting the appropriate relationship from the database and estimating the effective bandwidth requirement of the traffic flow on-line;
and
(i) an admission control unit connected to the node providing means to control the traffic sent to the node.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for bandwidth estimation

Life of this patent

Method and system for bandwidth estimation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims71