Network-based adaptive rate limiting

An apparatus comprising:

• a session rate limit calculator configured to compute a session rate limit for a given session of a plurality of adaptive streaming media sessions based on state information for the given session and state information for a downstream bottleneck link to which the apparatus feeds the plurality of adaptive streaming media sessions;
• a rate limiter configured to control downstream traffic for the given session based on the session rate limit and to provide corresponding rate-limited downstream traffic for the given session;
• and
• a control system configured to control an effective target bandwidth based on a time-averaged measurement of bandwidth for the downstream bottleneck link, the session rate limit calculator being configured to compute the session rate limit for the given session based on the effective target bandwidth.

A method comprising:

• computing, by a session rate limit calculator, a session rate limit for a given session of a plurality of adaptive streaming media sessions based on state information for the given session and state information for a downstream bottleneck link to which an apparatus feeds the plurality of adaptive streaming media sessions;
• controlling, by a rate limiter, downstream traffic for the given session based on the session rate limit;
• providing, by the rate limiter, corresponding rate-limited downstream traffic for the given session;
• and
• controlling, by a control system, an effective target bandwidth based on a time-averaged measurement of bandwidth for the downstream bottleneck link, wherein computing, by the session rate limit calculator, the session rate limit comprises computing the session rate limit for the given session based on the effective target bandwidth.