Methods and systems for managing and monitoring network resources for ensuring quality of service for enterprise users in the access networks

Abstract

In this invention, we seek to optimize end user Internet connection performance. We focus specifically on enterprise end users to narrow the scope of the problem without sacrificing the generality of the approach. To optimize Internet connections for enterprise end users, the network connections need to be optimized from the ISP Internet Edge through the Enterprise Gateway connection all the way up to the individual enterprise end user. The only way to ensure that an end user can receive any network traffic, uninterrupted and with low latency, is to ensure that there is no congestion between the source and end user nodes. Non-congestion is a sufficient and necessary condition to ensure that a network provider can deliver on their enterprise Quality of Service (QOS) guarantees. This invention presents systems and methods that can ensure non-congestion between source and end user nodes. While the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Internet backbone providers closely approximate the ideal of non-congested network transports, our invention focuses on the Internet Service Providers (ISP) and the enterprise distribution networks that extend Internet connections from the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Internet backbone providers to the end users. Internet connections are measured in terms of the Internet bandwidth, or bits per second of access that the Internet end user has to the Tier 1 or Tier 2 backbones. Bandwidth is sold by the ISPs. Most bandwidth customer provisioning practices involve overprovisioning of available bandwidth at the enterprise gateway connection to ensure that end users will have unlimited resources for data transfer to or from the Internet during typical usage. This overprovisioned bandwidth can be quite costly for service providers and for end users. This will also result in underutilized, inefficient networks. In networks where the bandwidth is under-provisioned, contention becomes an issue, especially during peak consumption periods. Users on the network will experience regular packet loss and data retransmission, resulting in higher connection latency and degraded user experience during times of heavy network usage. Many strategies have been developed to address problems caused by under-provisioned networks. Traffic priority mechanisms have been implemented in the network protocols. Traffic prioritization devices are used to ensure that high priority traffic will always come first. Optimization methods like adaptive queue management approaches can ensure fair usage of available capacity. New protocols like the QUIC protocol have been invented to mitigate inefficiencies in TCP due to data retransmission. QUIC also allows higher throughputs by allowing parallel data transmission between end points. However, none of these approaches fully solve the issues caused by under-provisioned bandwidth. This invention proposes methods and systems that will allow ISPs and Enterprise Network managers to provision sufficient network bandwidth for individual end users in order that every end user has sufficient provisioned capacity based on the agreed upon Quality of Service (QOS) for every user. This invention ensures that enterprise users will always get their agreed QoS for as long as there is no congestion at the enterprise gateway connection. The invention includes Feedback Control Mechanisms (FCMs) that ensure that Internet traffic at the enterprise gateway connection point and at the ISP service delivery edge will be uncongested. This will result in optimally provisioned Internet bandwidth service for each enterprise end user, for the enterprise as a whole, and for the Internet service provider, avoiding under-provisioning and presenting minimal overprovisioning. The methods and systems described in this document will allow the ISP or a designated Enterprise Network manager with access to the ISP provisioning system to control bandwidth allocation to end users on the network via a subscription bandwidth allowance per end user device rather than a subscription bandwidth for the entire enterprise customer. In this invention, the bandwidth usage of the single enterprise end user is monitored through a FCM that ensures that the allocated bandwidth for the individual end user is delivered independently of any other end user on the enterprise network. A second FCM ensures that the enterprise is provisioned with enough bandwidth to allow each independent end user connection to be non-congested. These mechanisms ensure a non-congested Quality of Service (QOS) for the enterprise end user. Bandwidth consumed by the totality of enterprises is then managed by a third FCM to ensure that the total consumption of bandwidth by all enterprise customers does not exceed the bandwidth on the Internet edge of the ISP. The FCM allows the ISP to adjust the available bandwidth at the Internet Edge to ensure any site requiring more bandwidth can maintain activity at a non-congested state. The methods and systems of this invention breakup and simplify feedback control loops to ensure that at any level on the network, users will not experience congestion and therefore no contention of resources. The attainment of non-congestion on any network is sufficient and necessary for improving user experience and achieving a level of service to end users that is promised by the service providers (QOS guarantee). This invention is a general invention and can address residential and consumer end user experience, but to have a more manageable scope, we focus this invention on ensuring the quality of service of Internet end users located on sites with many end users connected to a single network such as enterprises, schools, public institutions, residential buildings, and other large Internet users.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.