Systems and methods for managing a network

• US 10,142,246 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Toy, Mehmet
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Shailendra
• Application Number:
  US14/929,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20160142328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/26 using explicit feedback to the source, e.g. choke packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/35 by embedding flow control information in regular packets, e.g. piggybacking

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing congestion in a network are disclosed. One method can comprise receiving a service tag at a first node, the service tag representing congestion information of at least a portion of the network. If the first node is a boundary node, the method comprises modifying a downstream data rate based upon the congestion information, and if the first node is not a boundary node, the method comprises transmitting the congestion information to a second node.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a message at a boundary node via a first messaging protocol, wherein the message is configured for a second messaging protocol, wherein the second messaging protocol requires that a bit of the message be reserved;

determining that the reserved bit indicates congestion on a network for a class of service; and

responsive to the reserved bit indicating congestion, modifying a downstream data rate for the class of service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a service tag comprising the reserved bit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the message comprises receiving the message via a port, and the method further comprises setting the port to a congested state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein modifying the downstream data rate further comprises implementing a congestion control algorithm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the message comprises receiving the message from a downstream node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reserved bit comprises a discard eligibility bit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the reserved bit indicates congestion on the network comprises determining that the reserved bit corresponds to a first state.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a second message at the boundary node, wherein the second message comprises a second reserved bit; and

responsive to the second reserved bit being in a second state, determining that the second reserved bit of the second message indicates no congestion.

9. A method comprising:

determining that congestion is occurring at a boundary node for a class of service;

responsive to determining that congestion is occurring at the boundary node, modifying a data rate of the data associated with the class of service;

responsive to determining that congestion is not occurring at the boundary node, generating a message configured for a second messaging protocol, wherein the second messaging protocol requires that a bit of the message be reserved, wherein the reserved bit indicates congestion for the class of service by corresponding to a state, and

transmitting the message to an upstream node via a first messaging protocol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that congestion is occurring at the boundary node comprises determining that a buffer associated with the boundary node exceeds a predefined threshold.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that congestion is occurring at the boundary node comprises determining that congestion is occurring at the boundary node relative to a port of the boundary node, and wherein modifying the data rate comprises modifying the data rate of data transported on the port.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that congestion is occurring at the boundary node comprises determining that congestion is occurring at the boundary node relative to a network connection of the boundary node, and wherein modifying the data rate comprises modifying the data rate of data transported via the network connection.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the message comprises a service tag comprising the reserved bit.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the reserved bit comprises a discard eligibility bit.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a message at a node via a first messaging protocol, wherein the message is configured for a second messaging protocol;

wherein the second messaging protocol requires that a bit of the message be reserved;

determining that the reserved bit indicates congestion relating to a service flow for a class of service on at least a portion of a network;

determining an effective bandwidth for the at least the portion of the network; and

modifying, based on the effective bandwidth, a data rate associated with the service flow for the class of service in the at least the portion of the network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the reserved bit comprises a discard eligibility bit.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the effective bandwidth comprises determining the effective bandwidth relative to a port of the node.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the effective bandwidth comprises determining the effective bandwidth relative to a network connection.

19. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

receive a message at a boundary node via a first messaging protocol, wherein the message is configured for a second messaging protocol, wherein the second messaging protocol requires that a bit of the message be reserved;

determine that the reserved bit indicates congestion on a network for a class of service; and

responsive to the reserved bit indicating congestion, modify a downstream data rate for the class of service.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the message comprises a service tag comprising the reserved bit.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to receive the message further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to receive the message via a port, and further comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to set the port to a congested state.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to modify the downstream data rate further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to implement a congestion control algorithm.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to receive the message further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to receive the message from a downstream node.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the reserved bit comprises a discard eligibility bit.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine that the reserved bit indicates congestion on the network further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine that the reserved bit corresponds to a first state.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a second message at the boundary node, wherein the second message comprises a second reserved bit; and

responsive to the second reserved bit being in a second state, determine that the second reserved bit of the second message indicates no congestion.

27. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

determine if congestion is occurring at a boundary node for a class of service;

responsive to determining that congestion is occurring at the boundary node, modify a data rate of the data associated with the class of service;

responsive to determining that congestion is not occurring at the boundary node, generate a message configured for a second messaging protocol, wherein the second messaging protocol requires that a bit of the message be reserved, wherein the reserved bit indicates congestion for the class of service by corresponding to a state, and

transmit the message to an upstream node via a first messaging protocol.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine that congestion is occurring at the boundary node further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine that a buffer associated with the boundary node exceeds a predefined threshold.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine that congestion is occurring at the boundary node further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine that congestion is occurring at the boundary node relative to a port of the boundary node, and wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to modify the data rate further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to modify the data rate of data transported on the port.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine that congestion is occurring at the boundary node further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine that congestion is occurring at the boundary node relative to a network connection of the boundary node, and wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to modify the data rate further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to modify the data rate of data transported via the network connection.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the message comprises a service tag comprising the reserved bit.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the reserved bit comprises a discard eligibility bit.

33. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

receive a message at a node via a first messaging protocol, wherein the message is configured for a second messaging protocol, wherein the second messaging protocol requires that a bit of the message be reserved;

determine that the reserved bit indicates congestion relating to a service flow for a class of service on at least a portion of a network;

determine an effective bandwidth for the at least the portion of the network; and

modify, based on the effective bandwidth, a data rate associated with the service flow for the class of service in the at least the portion of the network.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the reserved bit comprises a discard eligibility bit.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine the effective bandwidth further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine the effective bandwidth relative to a port of the node.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine the effective bandwidth further comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine the effective bandwidth relative to a network connection.