Method and apparatus for communicating quality of service information among computer communication devices
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsVipin Rawat, David Langley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus allows a switch or other network equipment device to provide Quality of Service information to a router or other user equipment devices using a management interface such as frame relay LMI. The switch and router negotiate the version of the management interface that has the capabilities of the present invention. The router can then request Quality of Service parameters from the switch. The switch provides the parameters and the router can use them to route information via the switch. If the parameters are changed in the switch or other changes occur, the switch notifies the router and the router can then request updated parameters from the switch.
Claims37
A network equipment device capable of communicating information through a network, comprising:
- a Quality of Service storage having an input for receiving at least one Quality of Service parameter, the Quality of Service storage for storing and providing at an output at least one of the at least one Quality of Service parameters stored;
- a status provider having a first input coupled to the Quality of Service storage output for receiving at least one of the at least one Quality of Service parameter, the status provider for providing at an output at least one of the at least one Quality of Service parameter received at the status provider input;
- and
- a communication interface having an input coupled to the status provider output for receiving the at least one Quality of Service parameter, the communication interface for providing at an input/output coupled to at least one user equipment device at least one of the at least one Quality of Service parameter received at the communication interface.
A user equipment device for providing information to a network coupled to the user equipment device, the user equipment device comprising:
- a communications interface having a first input operatively coupled for receiving the information intended for communication over the network, and a second input operatively coupled for receiving information intended for a network equipment device, the communication interface for providing at an input/output coupled to the network the information received at the communication interface first and second inputs, for receiving information from the network and information comprising at least one Quality of Service parameter from the network equipment device at the input/output and for providing at an output information received at the communication interface input/output;
- a Quality of Service status receiver having an input coupled to the communication interface output for receiving at least one of the at least one Quality of Service parameter, the Quality of Service status receiver for providing at an output at least one of the at least one Quality of Service parameter received at the Quality of Service status receiver input;
- and
- a Quality of Service status storage having an input coupled to the Quality of Service status receiver output, the Quality of Service status storage for storing and providing at an output the at least one Quality of Service parameter received at the Quality of Service status storage input.
A method of receiving at least one Quality of Service parameter, comprising:
- providing from a user equipment device to a network equipment device a request for the at least one Quality of Service parameter;
- receiving from the network equipment device at the user equipment device the at least one Quality of Service parameter requested;
- and
- storing the at least one Quality of Service parameter received.
A method of providing at least one Quality of Service parameter, comprising:
- at network equipment device, receiving a request for the at least one Quality of Service parameter from at least one user equipment device;
- and
- providing from network equipment device to at least one user equipment device at least one of the at least one Quality of Service parameter requested.
A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for receiving at least one Quality of Service parameter, the computer program product comprising:
- computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to provide from a user equipment device to a network equipment device a request for the at least one Quality of Service;
- computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive from the network equipment device at the user equipment device the at least one Quality of Service parameter requested;
- and
- computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to store the at least one Quality of Service parameter received.
A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for providing at least one Quality of Service parameter, the computer program product comprising:
- computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to, at network equipment device, receive a request for the at least one Quality of Service parameter from a user equipment device;
- and
- computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to provide from a network equipment device to a user equipment device at least one of the at least one Quality of Service parameter requested.
A system for receiving at least one Quality of Service parameter, comprising:
- means for providing from a user equipment device to a network equipment device a request for the at least one Quality of Service parameter;
- and
- means for receiving from the network equipment device at the user equipment device the at least one Quality of Service parameter requested.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.