Method and apparatus for controlling network bandwidth

• US 20020085496A1
• Filed: 09/19/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Packet Intelligence LLC (Packet Intelligence Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dzung-Ji Lii, Jack Hsu, Rueiming Jamp, Wen-Tsing Chen
• Inventors: Jamp, Rueiming, Hsu, Jack, Lii, Dzung-Ji, Chen, Wen-Tsing
• Granted Patent: US 6,816,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/225 Determination of shaping rate, e.g. using a moving window
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds

Abstract

A method and apparatus controls network bandwidth between a first node and a second node on a network. A data element transmitted from the first node to the second node is intercepted. The data element comprises a data portion and a header portion including an original window size. The original window size in the header portion of the data element is replaced with a replacement window size, the data portion of the data element remaining unmodified. The data element is then routed to the second node, the header portion of the data element being coupled to the replacement window size.

Claims

1. A method for controlling network bandwidth between a first node and a second node on a network, the method comprising the steps of:

intercepting a data element transmitted from the first node to the second node, the data element comprising a data portion and a header portion, the header portion including an original window size;

replacing the original window size in the header portion of the data element with a replacement window size, the data portion of the data element remaining unmodified; and

routing the data element to the second node, the header portion of the data element being coupled to the replacement window size.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of replacing further includes the steps of:

determining a current bandwidth and a threshold value of the data element;

comparing the current bandwidth of the data element to the threshold value of the data element to determine a zone for the data element;

identifying the replacement window size associated with the zone for the data element; and

replacing the original window size with the replacement window size.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the step of replacing further includes the steps of:

determining a current bandwidth and a threshold value of a group to which the data element belongs;

comparing the current bandwidth of the group to the threshold value of the group to determine a zone for the data element;

identifying the replacement window size associated with the zone for the group; and

replacing the replacement window size with a second replacement window size.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the steps of determining the current bandwidth and the threshold value of the data element and the group to which the data element belongs further includes the steps of;

examining a table to determine the current bandwidth of the data element and the threshold value of the data element; and

examining the table to determine the current bandwidth of the group and the threshold value of the group.

5. The method according to claim 2 further including the step of:

defining at least two zones corresponding to the threshold value, a first zone having a lower bandwidth than the threshold value and a second zone having a higher bandwidth than the threshold value,

wherein the step of comparing the current bandwidth to the threshold value to determine the zone for the data element comprises the step of comparing the current bandwidth to the threshold value to select the first or the second zone.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the current bandwidth fluctuates between the first zone and the second zone.

7. The method according to claim 5 wherein the first zone is associated with a first replacement window size and the second zone is associated with a second replacement window size.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the step of replacing includes replacing the original window size with the first replacement window size when the current bandwidth is determined to fall in the first zone and replacing the original window size with the second replacement window size when the current bandwidth is determined to fall in the second zone.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data element is unbuffered and the step of replacing is performed on the fly.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data element is associated with a virtual circuit.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein multiple virtual circuits are aggregated to form an aggregate virtual circuit, the virtual circuit being associated with an aggregate of data elements from each of the multiple virtual circuits.

12. The method according to claim 2 further including the step of defining multiple zones, wherein the step of comparing the current bandwidth to the threshold value to determine the zone for the data element comprises the step of comparing the current bandwidth to the threshold value to select one of the multiple zones.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the bandwidth manager also determines a current bandwidth and a threshold value of the data element, compares the current bandwidth of the data element to the threshold value of the data element to determine a zone for the data element, identifies the replacement window size associated with the zone for the data element, and replaces the original window size with the replacement window size.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the bandwidth manager also determines a current bandwidth and a threshold value of a group to which the data element belongs, compares the current bandwidth of the group to the threshold value of the group to determine a zone for the data element, identifies the replacement window size associated with the zone for the group and replaces the replacement window size with a second replacement window size.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the bandwidth manager also examines a table to determine the current bandwidth of the data element, the threshold value of the data element, the current bandwidth of the group and the threshold value of the group.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the bandwidth manager also defines at least two zones corresponding to the threshold value, a first zone having a lower bandwidth than the threshold value and a second zone having a higher bandwidth than the threshold value and compares the current bandwidth to the threshold value to select the first or the second zone.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the current bandwidth fluctuates between the first zone and the second zone.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the bandwidth manager defines multiple zones and compares the current bandwidth to the threshold value to select one of the multiple zones.

13. A system for controlling network bandwidth comprising;

a first node on a first network transmitting data having a data portion and a header portion, the header portion including an original window size;

a second node on a second network;

a bandwidth controller coupled to the first node via the first network and to the second node via the second network, the bandwidth controller intercepting data from the first node to the second node, wherein the bandwidth controller replaces the original window size in the header portion with a replacement window size prior to routing the data from the first node to the second node.

14. An apparatus for controlling network bandwidth between a first node and a second node on a network, the apparatus comprising:

a bandwidth manager for intercepting a data element transmitted from the first node to the second node, the data element comprising a data portion and a header portion, the header portion including an original window size;

the bandwidth manager replacing the original window size in the header portion of the data element with a replacement window size, the data portion of the data element remaining unmodified; and

the bandwidth manager then routing the data element to the second node, the header portion of the data element being coupled to the replacement window size.