# US 2020/0396154 A1 · Methods, Apparatus and Computer Programs for Allocating Traffic in a Telecommunications Network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0396154 A1 - Document ID: US20200396154A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/771,851 - Filed: 2017-12-21 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-21 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Inventors: Giovanni Fiaschi; Mats Forsman; Ahmad Rostami - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200396154A1 ## CPC - H04L 45/124: {using a combination of metrics} - H04L 45/02: Topology update or discovery - H04L 45/125: based on throughput or bandwidth - H04L 45/42: Centralised routing - H04L 45/64: using an overlay routing layer - H04L 43/0882: Utilisation of link capacity - H04L 47/125: by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods, apparatus and computer programs for allocating traffic in a telecommunications network comprising a plurality of nodes, with pairs of nodes being connected by respective links. A method comprises obtaining a plurality of demands for connectivity between respective first nodes and respective second nodes of the telecommunications network, each demand being subject to a respective constraint associated with the connectivity between the respective first node and the respective second node; for each demand, generating a list of possible paths between the first node and the second node satisfying the constraint; based on the list of possible paths for each demand and an indication of traffic usage for each demand, determining, for each demand, weights in respect of each of the possible paths; and providing the weights to nodes of the telecommunications network, for the distribution of traffic associated with each of the plurality of demands to the possible paths in accordance with the respective weights. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-30. (canceled) ### Claim 31 A method for allocating traffic in a telecommunications network, the telecommunications network comprising a plurality of nodes, with pairs of nodes being connected by respective links, the method comprising: obtaining a plurality of demands for connectivity between respective first nodes and respective second nodes of the telecommunications network, each demand being subject to a respective constraint associated with the connectivity between the respective first node and the respective second node; for each demand: generating a list of possible paths between the first node and the second node satisfying the constraint; and determining weights in respect of each of the possible paths based on the list of possible paths for each demand and an indication of traffic usage for each demand; and providing the weights to nodes of the telecommunications network, for the distribution of traffic associated with each of the plurality of demands to the possible paths in accordance with the respective weights. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the determining weights comprises performing a global optimization algorithm, having as input the lists of possible paths for the plurality of demands and the indications of traffic usage for the plurality of demands, to generate the weights. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The method of claim 32, wherein each link has a capacity, and wherein the optimization algorithm seeks to minimize the globally highest ratio of traffic usage to capacity for a link. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The method of claim 32, wherein each link has a capacity, and wherein the optimization algorithm seeks to minimize a sum of the square of the ratio of traffic usage to capacity for the plurality of links. ### Claim 35 (depends on 32) The method of claim 32, wherein the optimization algorithm comprises a quadratic optimization algorithm or a minimax linear algorithm. ### Claim 36 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the respective constraint for each demand comprises: a maximum latency; a maximum light path length before optical-to-electrical conversion; a maximum number of electro-optic converters per unit path length; a maximum number of nodes; and/or a maximum number of segments used to express path routing. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36, wherein each link is associated with a latency, and wherein the generating the list of possible paths comprises determining all paths through the telecommunications network from the first node to the second node having a cumulative latency which is less than the maximum latency. ### Claim 38 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the generating the list of possible paths comprises performing a breadth-first search or a depth-first search. ### Claim 39 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein each of the demands for connectivity is associated with an expected amount of traffic. ### Claim 40 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a fronthaul network providing connectivity between nodes of a radio access network. ### Claim 41 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the method is performed in a software-defined networking controller for the telecommunications network. ### Claim 42 A network management node for allocating traffic in a telecommunications network; the telecommunications network comprising a plurality of nodes, with pairs of nodes being connected by respective links; the network management node comprising: processing circuitry; memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the network management node is operative to: obtain a plurality of demands for connectivity between respective first nodes and respective second nodes of the telecommunications network, each demand being subject to a respective constraint associated with the connectivity between the respective first node and the respective second node; for each demand: generate a list of possible paths between the first node and the second node satisfying the constraint; and determine weights in respect of each of the possible paths based on the list of possible paths for each demand and an indication of traffic usage for each demand; and provide the weights to nodes of the telecommunications network, for the distribution of traffic associated with each of the plurality of demands to the possible paths in accordance with the respective weights. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) The network management node of claim 42, wherein the instructions are such that the network management node is operative to determine the weights by performing a global optimization algorithm, having as input the lists of possible paths for the plurality of demands and the indications of traffic usage for the plurality of demands, to generate the weights. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The network management node of claim 43, wherein each link has a capacity, and wherein the optimization algorithm seeks to minimize the globally highest ratio of traffic usage to capacity for a link. ### Claim 45 (depends on 43) The network management node of claim 43, wherein each link has a capacity, and wherein the optimization algorithm seeks to minimize a sum of the square of the ratio of traffic usage to capacity for the plurality of links. ### Claim 46 (depends on 43) The network management node of claim 43, wherein the optimization algorithm comprises a quadratic optimization algorithm or a minimax linear algorithm. ### Claim 47 (depends on 42) The network management node of claim 42, wherein the respective constraint for each demand comprises: a maximum latency; a maximum light path length before optical-to-electrical conversion; a maximum number of electro-optic converters per unit path length; a maximum number of nodes; and/or a maximum number of segments used to express path routing. ### Claim 48 (depends on 47) The network management node of claim 47, wherein each link is associated with a latency, and wherein the generating the list of possible paths comprises determining all paths through the telecommunications network from the first node to the second node having a cumulative latency which is less than the maximum latency. ### Claim 49 (depends on 42) The network management node of claim 42, wherein the network management node is caused to generate a list of possible paths by performing a breadth-first search or a depth-first search. ### Claim 50 (depends on 42) The network management node of claim 42, wherein each of the demands for connectivity is associated with an expected amount of traffic. ### Claim 51 (depends on 42) The network management node of claim 42, wherein each of the demands for connectivity is associated with a measured amount of traffic.