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US 2019/0058676 A1Published application
Intelligent network switch
AssigneeVideotec S.p.A.
InventorOttavio CAMPANA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for controlling the transfer of data packets in an IP network. A device transmits a plurality of data packets in the IP network that are received by a switch on an input port. The switch analyses the data packets received by the device and extracts information identifying the type of device connected, and on the basis of this information, identifies in an internal memory area the criteria for setting the operating parameters of an application software executed by the device. The switch provides the device with operating parameters that are calculated on the basis of the criteria contained in the memory area such that the device subsequently executes the application software using the values provided by the switch.
Claims10
A method for controlling the transfer of data packets in an IP network, wherein the IP network includes a plurality of switches and a plurality of devices connected to the plurality of switches, wherein each switch of the plurality of switches is configured to receive on an input port data transmitted from a device of the plurality of devices, the method comprising the following steps performed by the switch:
- a) analysing the data packets received from said device and extracting information identifying the type of device connected,
- b) based on said identifying information, identifying in an internal memory area criteria to set operational parameters of a software application executed by said device,
- c) providing to the device operating parameters calculated on the basis of the criteria contained in said memory area,
- d) communicating with other switches of said plurality of switches to receive information about devices connected to said other switches,
- e) storing in a memory, topology information relating to the IP network, said topology information comprising:
- connection links between all the switches of said plurality of switches,
- a list of devices connect to each switch of said plurality of switches, and
- bandwidth requirements for each of the plurality of devices
- f) calculating, for each link, a bandwidth request necessary to satisfy data transfer requests for each device, and
- g) coordinating with said other switches of said plurality of switches to identify an output port on which to transmit data packets received at the input port, thereby balancing the total network load between each link of the network;
- wherein when the coordination with the other switches of said plurality of switches results in routing rules of the data packets such that a link of the network is a critical link with a bandwidth capacity less than that required by the devices of said IP network, each switch of said plurality of switches performs the same bitrate reduction algorithm, the bitrate reduction algorithm comprising the steps of:
- calculating a reduction factor of the bitrate of one or more devices of said plurality of devices whose data packets transport said critical link, said reduction factor of the bitrate being such that by reducing the bitrate of said one or more devices by the bitrate reduction factor, the bandwidth capacity of the link is greater than the bandwidth request of all the devices whose data packets pass on said critical link,
- transmitting to said one or more devices new operating parameters such that the bitrate of the data packets transmitted by said one or more devices is reduced by a factor greater than or equal to said reduction factor, and
- performing, on said one or more device said software application using new operating parameters provided by the switch.
11 more elements
(canceled)
A network switch comprising:
- an input port for receiving data packets transmitted by an external device,
- a plurality of output ports,
- a control unit for determining an output port of said plurality on which to transmit the data packets received in the input port,
- the network switch further comprising a memory area containing criteria for setting operating parameters of a software application executable by an external device,
- wherein the control unit is configured to analyse the data packets received on the input port by the external device and to extract, if present, an information identifying the type of device being connected, and
- on the basis of said identifying information, identifying in an internal memory area, the criteria to set operating parameters of said software application executed by said external device, to provide to the external device new operating parameters calculated based on the criteria contained in said memory area, the network switch further configured to:
- keep memory of devices directly connected to the network switch and of bandwidth requests of devices connected to the network switch,
- communicate with other switches of a plurality of switches connected in an IP network for receiving information on the devices connected to said other switches,
- store in a memory a topology information for the IP network, said topology information comprising:
- connection links between all of the switches of said plurality of switches,
- a list of the devices connected to each of said plurality of switches,
- bandwidth requests of each of said devices,
- calculate, for each link, the bandwidth request necessary to satisfy the requests of data transfer of each device;
- coordinate with said other switches of said plurality of switches to identify the output port transmitted by the data packets received at the input port, so as to balance the total network load between the links of the network;
- execute a bitrate reduction algorithm, in case coordination with the other switch of said plurality of switches results in routing rules of the data packets such that a link of the network is a critical link that has a bandwidth capacity less than that required by the IP network devices, said bitrate reduction algorithm configured to:
- calculate a reduction factor of the bitrate of one or more of the devices whose data packets pass on said critical link, said reduction factor of the bitrate being such that by reducing the bitrate of said one or more devices by the bitrate reduction factor, the bandwidth capacity of the link is greater than the bandwidth request of all the devices whose data packets pass on said critical link, and
- transmit to said one or more devices connected to it new operating parameters such that the bit rate of the data packets transmitted by said one or more devices is reduced by a factor at least equal to said reduction factor, whereby said one or more devices performs said software application using the new operating parameters provided by the switch.
14 more elements
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.