Systems and methods for managing a network

• US 10,616,122 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2018
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• 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:
  US16/155,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20190222523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 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 system, comprising:

a computing device, comprising,

one or more processors, and

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

determine congestion information of at least a portion of a network,

receive a message comprising an upstream communication, wherein the upstream communication comprises one or more frames from a downstream computing device,

set, in at least one of the one or more frames, a service tag to indicate the congestion information, and

transmit, to an upstream computing device, the service tag;

the upstream computing device, comprising,

one or more processors, and

a memory storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the upstream computing device, cause the upstream computing device to

receive, from the computing device, the service tag; and

the downstream computing device, comprising,

one or more processors, and

a memory storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the downstream computing device, cause the downstream computing device to,

transmit the one or more frames.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to compare a network parameter to a threshold value.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the network parameter comprises effective bandwidth.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the service tag comprises discard eligibility data that indicates the congestion information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the discard eligibility data comprises a binary bit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the binary bit comprising a value of one indicates a congested state of the at least the portion of the network, and wherein the binary bit comprising a value of zero indicates a non-congested state of the at least the portion of the network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the upstream computing device, further cause the upstream computing device to:

receive the congestion information;

if the first upstream device is a boundary node, modify, based upon the congestion information, a downstream data rate; and

if the first upstream device is not a boundary node, transmit, to a computing device upstream from the upstream computing device, the congestion information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the boundary node comprises at least one of a node that supports Ethernet virtual connection termination points or a provider edge router.

9. A system, comprising:

a first computing device, comprising;

one or more processors, and

a memory storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one more processors, cause the first computing device to,

transmit, via a message in a service flow, an indication of network congestion relating to the service flow, wherein the message comprises a communication comprising one or more frames, and wherein the one or more frames comprise a service tag that indicates the service flow and the network congestion; and

a second computing device, comprising,

one or more processors, and

a memory storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the second computing device, cause the second computing device to,

receive, via the message, the indication of network congestion,

determine an effective bandwidth for the service flow, and

modify, based upon the effective bandwidth, a data rate associated with the service flow.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the service tag comprises discard eligibility data indicating the indication of network congestion.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the discard eligibility data comprises a binary bit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the binary bit comprising a value of one indicates a congested state of at least a portion of a network, and wherein the binary bit comprising a value of zero indicates a non-congested state of the at least a portion of the network.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the indication of network congestion indicates connection level capacity.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the second computing device, further cause the second computing device to:

receive a second indication of network congestion, wherein the second indication relates to the service flow;

determine a committed information rate for the service flow; and

modify, based upon the committed information rate, the data rate.

15. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

determine congestion information of at least a portion of a network;

receive a message comprising an upstream communication, wherein the upstream communication comprises one or more frames from a downstream device;

set, in at least one of the one or more frames, a service tag to indicate the congestion information; and

transmit, to a first upstream device of the network, the service tag.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15, wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the congestion information further cause the at least one processor to compare a network parameter to a threshold value.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the network parameter comprises effective bandwidth.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15, wherein the service tag comprises discard eligibility data that indicates the congestion information.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 18, wherein the discard eligibility data comprises a binary bit.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 19, wherein the binary bit comprising a value of one indicates a congested state of the at least a portion of the network, and wherein the binary bit comprising a value of zero indicates a non-congested state of the at least a portion of the network.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15, wherein the first upstream device is configured to:

receive the congestion information;

if the first upstream device is a boundary node, modify, based upon the congestion information, a downstream data rate; and

if the first upstream device is not a boundary node, transmit, to a second upstream device, the congestion information.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 21, wherein the boundary node comprises at least one of a node that supports Ethernet virtual connection termination points or a provider edge router.

23. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive, via a message in a service flow, an indication of network congestion relating to the service flow, wherein the message comprises a communication comprising one or more frames, wherein the one or more frames comprise a service tag that indicates the service flow and the network congestion;

determine an effective bandwidth for the service flow; and

modify, based upon the effective bandwidth, a data rate associated with the service flow.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the service tag comprises discard eligibility data indicating the indication of network congestion.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 24, wherein the discard eligibility data comprises a binary bit.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 25, wherein the binary bit comprising a value of one indicates a congested state of at least a portion of a network, and wherein the binary bit comprising a value of zero indicates a non-congested state of the at least a portion of the network.

27. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the indication of network congestion indicates connection level capacity.

28. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the processor executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

receive a second indication of network congestion, wherein the second indication relates to the service flow;

determine a committed information rate for the service flow; and

modify, based upon the committed information rate, the data rate associated with the service flow.