Adaptive Relative Bitrate Manager for TCP Depending Flow Control

A method for congestion control in a network node of a communication network, said network node being adapted to handle a plurality of data connections (RAB 1-N) for conveying data packets travelling between a core side and a terminal side of said communication network in compliance with an acknowledgement-based data transmission protocol for delivering a data stream from a sending host to a receiving host, the method comprising, in said network node:

• detecting a condition indicative of a congestion for any of said plurality of data connections;
• selecting, among said plurality of data connections, a data connection (RABdrop) for which a bit-rate reduction is to be caused;
• determining a number (Xi) of data packets to be discarded for the selected data connection, wherein the determined number depends on a time-integrated difference between experienced and targeted bit-rates for the selected data connection;
• and
• causing discarding of said determined number of data packets by manipulating each of said determined number of data packets in a way such that the receiving host upon receipt of the data packets will respond to the sending host with an indication that the data packets have not been duly received, so as to initiate the reduction of the bit-rate for the selected data connection.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereupon a computer program, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when executed by a programmable controller of a network node that is adapted to handle a plurality of data connections (RAB 1-N) for conveying data packets travelling between a core side and a terminal side of a communication network in compliance with an acknowledgement-based data transmission protocol for delivering a data stream from a sending host to a receiving host, cause the programmable controller to:

• detect a condition indicative of a congestion for any of said plurality of data connections;
• select, among said plurality of data connections, a data connection (RABdrop) for which a bit-rate reduction is to be caused;
• determine a number (Xi) of data packets to be discarded for the selected data connection, wherein the determined number depends on a time-integrated difference between experienced and targeted bit-rates for the selected data connection;
• and
• cause discarding of said determined number of data packets by manipulating each of said determined number of data packets in a way such that the receiving host upon receipt of the data packets will respond to the sending host with an indication that the data packets have not been duly received, so as to initiate the reduction of the bit-rate for the selected data connection

A network node of a communication network, said network node being adapted to handle a plurality of data connections (RAB 1-N) for conveying data packets travelling between a core side and a terminal side of said communication network in compliance with an acknowledgement-based data transmission protocol for delivering a data stream from a sending host to a receiving host, and said network node comprising a controller, wherein said controller is configured to:

• detect a condition indicative of a congestion for any of said plurality of data connections;
• select, among said plurality of data connections, a data connection (RABdrop) for which a bit-rate reduction is to be caused;
• determine a number (Xi) of data packets to be discarded for the selected data connection, wherein the determined number depends on a time-integrated difference between experienced and targeted bit-rates for the selected data connection;
• and
• cause discarding of said determined number of data packets by manipulating each of said determined number of data packets in a way such that the receiving host upon receipt of the data packets will respond to the sending host with an indication that the data packets have not been duly received, so as to initiate the reduction of the bit-rate for the selected data connection.