# US 2018/0026901 A1 · Procedures, apparatuses, systems, and computer program products for adaptive tunnel bandwidth by using software defined networking > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0026901 A1 - Document ID: US20180026901A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/710,129 - Filed: 2017-09-20 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-08 - Assignees: Coriant Operations, Inc. - Applicants: Coriant Operations, Inc. - Inventors: Rajesh Sugunadass - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180026901A1 ## CPC - H04L 47/29: {using a combination of thresholds} - H04L 41/0896: Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities (flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76) - H04L 41/122: of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV] - H04L 43/0882: Utilisation of link capacity - H04L 45/64: using an overlay routing layer - H04L 45/70: {Routing based on monitoring results} - H04L 47/76: using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation requested by the user or requested by the network in response to changing network conditions - H04L 47/781: {Centralised allocation of resources} - H04L 43/0858: {One way delays} - H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring - H04L 45/586: of virtual routers - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A procedure for managing network traffic, and a system that operates in accordance with the procedure. Performance monitoring data is received from multiple network elements that define one or more paths along a network tunnel. The performance monitoring data includes data on network utilization. There is a detection of whether network utilization through the network tunnel exceeds an overflow threshold or an underflow threshold based on the performance monitoring data. A new path and new network elements are determined for the network tunnel, and instructions are transmitted to the network elements on the network to implement the new path. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-20. (canceled) ### Claim 21 A method for adapting bandwidth in a communication network, comprising: determining whether network utilization in the communication network is outside of a range bounded by upper and lower thresholds; selecting at least one new communication path to communicate traffic based on a result of the determining; and providing instructions to implement the at least one new communication path, wherein: in a case where the determining determines that the network utilization is at or outside the upper threshold, the selecting selects one or more communication paths that can provide a required bandwidth for communicating the traffic, and in a case where the determining determines that the network utilization is at or outside the lower threshold, the selecting selects one or more communication paths that can provide a shorter bandwidth for communicating the traffic than was provided to communicate the traffic in the communication network before the selecting was performed. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the determining includes monitoring data on network utilization in paths of the communication network. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising configuring a sampling rate and sampling time for monitoring a rate flow of data flow in the communication network. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the data is received from one or more network elements of the communication network. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the data is received in response to querying the one or more network elements. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the network utilization includes at least one of a bandwidth, whether any packets have been dropped, or a delay in data transmission. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising calculating the network utilization over a sampling period, wherein the calculating includes determining how much data is flowing through a tunnel in the communication network over the sampling period. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the upper and lower thresholds is based on one of a bandwidth in the communication network, lost data packets in the communication network, and a delay in the communication network. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the providing includes performing a multi-layer computation based on a new bandwidth needed for the at least one communication path. ### Claim 30 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the selecting includes: inputting constraints to a look-up table, the constraints including at least one of bandwidth, delay, or a number of network elements; and outputting from the look-up table selection of the at least one new communication path. ### Claim 31 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one new communication path includes a path in an optical layer and another path in a packet layer. ### Claim 32 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the instructions are provided to at least one network element of the communication network, to configure the at least one new communication path. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The method of claim 32, wherein the instructions specify make-before-break switching. ### Claim 34 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising configuring at least one load balancer based on the at least one new communication path. ### Claim 35 A communication network, comprising: at least one path for communicating traffic in the communication network; and a network controller, comprising: a memory storing a program having instructions for performing a method to adapt bandwidth, and a computer processor, arranged to execute the instructions to perform the method, the method including: determining whether network utilization in the at least one path is outside of a range bounded by upper and lower thresholds, selecting at least one new communication path to communicate traffic based on a result of the determining, and providing instructions to implement the at least one new communication path, wherein: in a case where the determining determines that the network utilization is at or outside the upper threshold, the selecting selects one or more communication paths that can provide a required bandwidth for communicating the traffic, and in a case where the determining determines that the network utilization is at or outside the lower threshold, the selecting selects one or more communication paths that can provide a shorter bandwidth for communicating the traffic than was provided to communicate the traffic in the communication network before the selecting was performed. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The communication network of claim 35, further comprising a plurality of network elements connected by the at least one path. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The communication network of claim 36, wherein at least one of the network elements includes a router. ### Claim 38 (depends on 35) The communication network of claim 35, wherein the method further comprises calculating the network utilization over a sampling period, wherein the calculating includes determining how much data is flowing through the at least one path in the communication network over the sampling period. ### Claim 39 (depends on 35) The communication network of claim 35, wherein the at least one new communication path includes a path in an optical layer and another path in a packet layer. ### Claim 40 (depends on 36) The communication network of claim 36, wherein the determining of the network utilization is based on data obtained from the network controller from at least one of the network elements.