Method and system for prioritizing traffic in a network

• US 20020010765A1
• Filed: 07/12/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Border, John
• Application Number:
  US09/903,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20020010765A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18584 Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4604 LAN interconnection over a backbone network, e.g. Internet, Frame Relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/083 for increasing network speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0873 Checking configuration conflicts between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/30 Routing of multiclass traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 : Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 : at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 : for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 : Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 : Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/40 : using split connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 : Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 : Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/901 : using storage descriptor, e.g. read or write pointers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9042 : Separate storage for different parts of the packet, e.g. header and payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9094 : Arrangements for simultaneous transmit and receive, e.g. simultaneous reading/writing from/to the storage element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 : Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1466 : Active attacks involving interception, injection, modification, spoofing of data unit addresses, e.g. hijacking, packet injection or TCP sequence number attacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 : Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 : Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 : Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 : taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 : Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 : Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 : In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/165 : Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 : Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 : Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 : Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 : Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication system having a proxy architecture is disclosed. The system includes a platform that provides performance enhancing functions. The platform includes a prioritization apparatus that routes information within a communication system. The prioritization apparatus receives prioritization parameters from the platform and maintains the current parameters in one or more prioritization profiles. The prioritization apparatus routes packets of information throughout the communication system based on the prioritization profile. The above arrangement has particular applicability to a bandwidth constrained communication system, such as a satellite network.

Claims

1. A method for routing information in a communication system that includes a platform and a prioritization apparatus configured to perform a plurality of performance enhancing functions, the method comprising:

receiving the information from the platform and receiving prioritization parameters, wherein the prioritization apparatus maintains a profile that contains the prioritization parameters; and

routing the information in accordance with the profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a path that the information takes to reach its destination based on the profile.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the path by applying at least one priority rule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a priority of the information is determined by the prioritization apparatus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a priority of the information is determined prior to receipt by the prioritization apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the information should be forwarded using an alternate path.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the prioritization parameters as a data structure from the platform.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the prioritization parameters from the platform at start-up or when the platform receives updated path selection or path activation parameters.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying multiple prioritization rules using boolean operators.

10. A communication system comprising:

a platform configured to provide performance enhancing functions, the platform supplying information and prioritization parameters;

a prioritization apparatus communicating with the platform, the prioritization apparatus being configured to receive the information and the prioritization parameters from the platform, wherein the prioritization apparatus has a profile that specifies prioritization parameters, wherein the communication system is configured to route the information in accordance with the profile.

11. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the prioritization apparatus determines a path that the information takes to reach its destination based on the profile.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the prioritization apparatus determines the path by applying at least one prioritization rule.

13. The communication system of claim 10, wherein a priority of the information is determined by the prioritization apparatus.

14. The communication system of claim 10, wherein a priority of the information is determined prior to receipt by the prioritization apparatus.

15. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the prioritization apparatus determines whether the information should be forwarded using an alternate path.

16. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the prioritization apparatus receives the prioritization parameters as a data structure from the platform.

17. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the prioritization apparatus receives the prioritization parameters from the platform at start-up or when the platform receives updated prioritization parameters.

18. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the prioritization apparatus can apply multiple prioritization rules, combined using boolean operators.

19. A prioritization apparatus for routing information in a communication system that includes a platform configured to perform a plurality of performance enhancing functions, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving the information and prioritization parameters, means for maintaining a profile containing the prioritization parameters; and

means for routing the information in accordance with the profile.

20. The prioritization apparatus of claim 19, wherein the prioritization apparatus determines a path that the information takes to reach its destination.

21. The prioritization apparatus of claim 20, wherein the prioritization apparatus determines the path by applying at least one prioritization rule.

22. The prioritization apparatus of claim 19, wherein a priority of the information is determined by the prioritization apparatus.

23. The prioritization apparatus of claim 19, wherein a priority of the information is determined prior to receipt by the prioritization apparatus.

24. The prioritization apparatus of claim 19, wherein the prioritization apparatus determines whether the information should be forwarded using an alternate path.

25. The prioritization apparatus of claim 19, wherein the prioritization apparatus receives the prioritization parameters as a data structure from the platform.

26. The prioritization apparatus of claim 19, wherein the prioritization apparatus receives the prioritization parameters from the platform at start-up or when the platform receives updated prioritization parameters.

27. The prioritization apparatus of claim 19, wherein the prioritization apparatus can apply multiple prioritization rules, combined using boolean operators.

28. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for routing information in a communication system that includes a platform and a prioritization apparatus configured to perform a plurality of performance enhancing functions, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving the information from the platform and receiving prioritization parameters, wherein the prioritization apparatus maintains a profile that contains the prioritization parameters; and

routing the information in accordance with the profile.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

determining a path that the information takes to reach its destination based on the profile.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

determining the path by applying at least one prioritization rule.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein a priority of the information is determined by the prioritization apparatus.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein a priority of the information is determined prior to receipt by the prioritization apparatus.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

determining whether the information should be forwarded using an alternate path.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving the prioritization parameters as a data structure from the platform.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving the prioritization parameters from the platform at start-up or when the platform receives updated prioritization parameters.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising:

applying multiple prioritization rules using boolean operators.