Dynamic setting of optimal buffer sizes in IP networks

A router comprising:

• a buffer associated with a particular quality of service (QOS) class and having an adjustable capacity;
• a scheduler configured to receive a plurality of packets received in the router from a packet data network, and to perform functions to:
• determine a quality of service (QOS) class for each packet of the received plurality of packets;
• route each received packet having the particular QOS class to the buffer associated with the particular QOS class;
• compute an updated capacity for the buffer associated with the particular QOS based on a first QOS parameter, a second QOS parameter and an arrival rate of packets in the buffer;
• wherein the first QOS parameter corresponds to an end-to-end delay performance requirement and the updated capacity of the buffer is decreased in response to a lowering of the first QOS parameter, and the second QOS parameter corresponds to a packet loss requirement for the QOS class of the buffer and the updated capacity of the buffer is increased in response to a lowering of the second QOS parameter;
• and
• adjust the adjustable capacity of the buffer according to the updated capacity.

A computer program product comprising:

• at least one non-transitory machine readable medium;
• and
• executable code encoded in the at least one machine readable medium,
• wherein execution of the code by at least one programmable processor of a router causes the at least one programmable processor to perform functions comprising:
• receiving a plurality of packets in a router of a packet data network;
• determining a quality of service (QOS) class for each packet of the received plurality of packets;
• routing each received packet having a particular QOS class to a buffer associated with the particular QOS class;
• computing an updated capacity for the buffer, having an adjustable capacity, associated with the particular QOS based on a first QOS parameter, a second QOS parameter and an arrival rate of packets in the buffer;
• wherein the first QOS parameter corresponds to an end-to-end delay performance requirement and the updated capacity of the buffer is decreased in response to a lowering of the first QOS parameter, and the second QOS parameter corresponds to a packet loss requirement for the QOS class of the buffer and the updated capacity of the buffer is increased in response to a lowering of the second QOS parameter;
• and
• adjusting the adjustable capacity of the buffer according to the updated capacity.

A method comprising steps of:

• receiving a plurality of packets in a router of a packet data network, wherein the router has a plurality of buffers, and each buffer is associated with a respective quality of service (QOS) class;
• determining a QOS class for each packet of the received plurality of packets;
• routing each received packet having a particular QOS class to a buffer that is associated with the particular QOS class of the packet;
• for each buffer of the plurality of buffers,
• computing a respective updated capacity for the buffer, having an adjustable capacity, based on a first QOS parameter, a second QOS parameter characterizing the QOS class of the buffer and an arrival rate of packets in the buffer;
• wherein the first QOS parameter corresponds to an end-to-end delay performance requirement and the updated capacity of the buffer is decreased in response to a lowering of the first QOS parameter, and the second QOS parameter corresponds to a packet loss requirement for the QOS class of the buffer and the updated capacity of the buffer is increased in response to a lowering of the second QOS parameter;
• and
• independently adjusting the adjustable capacity of each buffer to the respective updated capacity for the buffer.