Differentiated services in packet-switched networks
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorsDavid M Ireland, Paul A Kirkby, Peter G Hamer
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Abstract
Internet protocol based transmissions have historically been transmitted on a best efforts basis. There are proposals to provide differentiated services to allow different packets to be delivered with different service qualities depending on the bandwidth requirements of a particular flow. By performing bandwidth monitoring within the core network and performing packet dropping and/or queuing at the network ingress, the need for packet dropping and/or queuing within the core network is removed and furthermore the core network resources are not used by packets which will not be delivered to their destination but will instead be dropped within the core network.
Claims15
A method of controlling bandwidth usage in a packet-switched network comprising:
- (a) measuring overall network performance to calculate a plurality of metrics representative of bandwidth usage in the core network,
- (b) predetermining a guaranteed bandwidth value for a network user which is representative of a guaranteed bandwidth usage level,
- (c) receiving data at a network ingress and monitoring bandwidth usage of the network user at the network ingress to determine the bandwidth usage of the user in relation to the respective guaranteed bandwidth value,
- (d) deciding whether to pass packets into the network for the user which represent bandwidth which does not exceed its guaranteed bandwidth usage, and
- (e) deciding whether to pass any excess packets which represent bandwidth usage in excess of the user's guaranteed bandwidth, into the network based on at least one of the said metrics.
An edge-based node for a packet switched network comprising:
- (a) an ingress arranged to receive data from a plurality of users,
- (b) an egress arranged to feed data into a packet switched network,
- (c) a metrics input arranged to receive a plurality of metrics representing a plurality of statistical measurements of bandwidth usage in the core network, and
- (d) a resource processor arranged to control the flow of data from the ingress to the egress,
- the resource processor being operable to receive data from the ingress and to monitor the bandwidth usage of a plurality of network users connected to the ingress to determine the bandwidth usage of each user in relation to respective guaranteed bandwidth values associated with each user, the resource processor being further operable to decide whether to pass packets to the egress for each user which has not exceeded its guaranteed bandwidth usage, and to decide whether to pass any excess packets which represent bandwidth usage in excess of a user's guaranteed bandwidth, to the egress based on at least one of the said metrics.
Software which when executed on suitable hardware operates to control bandwidth usage in a packet-switched network by causing the hardware to:
- (a) measure overall network performance to calculate a plurality of metrics representative of bandwidth usage in the core network,
- (b) predetermine a guaranteed bandwidth value for each user which is representative of a guaranteed bandwidth usage level,
- (c) receive data at a network ingress and monitoring bandwidth usage of a plurality of network users at the network ingress to determine the bandwidth, usage of each user in relation to the respective guaranteed bandwidth values,
- (d) decide whether to pass packets into the network for each user which has not exceeded its guaranteed bandwidth usage, and
- (e) decide whether to pass any excess packets which represent bandwidth usage in excess of a user's guaranteed bandwidth, into the network based on at least one of the said metrics.
A packet-switched network including an edge-based node, the node comprising:
- (a) an ingress arranged to receive data from a plurality of users,
- (b) an egress arranged to feed data into a packet switched network,
- (c) a metrics input arranged to receive a plurality of metrics representing a plurality of statistical measurements of bandwidth usage in the core network, and
- (d) a resource processor arranged to control the flow of data from the ingress to the egress,
- the resource processor being operable to receive data from the ingress and to monitor the bandwidth usage of a plurality of network users connected to the ingress to determine the bandwidth usage of each user in relation to respective guaranteed bandwidth values associated with each user, the resource processor being further operable to decide whether to pass packets to the egress for each user which has not exceeded its guaranteed bandwidth usage, and to decide whether to pass any excess packets which represent bandwidth usage in excess of a user's guaranteed bandwidth, to the egress based on at least one of the said metrics.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.