System and method to provide routing control of information over data networks

• US 20030088671A1
• Filed: 12/07/2001
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Internap Holding LLC
• Original Assignee: netVmg, Inc. (Internap Holding LLC)
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeremy, Klinker, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• 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 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• 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 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9023 for implementing a jitter-buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and a method for controlling routing of data over multiple networks. Accordingly, network users can define specific flow polices to ensure that a particular flow of data traffic maintains an acceptable level of performance, such as in terms of latency, loss, jitter, or an acceptable level usage that includes cost and bandwidth management across multiple networks.

Claims

1. A method of enforcing a policy for data communicated by a computer network designed to route data between a first point and a second point, the first point is coupled to one or more first networks, at least one of the one or more first networks is coupled to at least one of a plurality of second networks, at least one of the second networks is coupled to the second point, each of the networks includes at least one segment of a path, the path is from the first point to the second point, for transporting the data communicated to the second point, where at least two of the networks are coupled at an interconnection and where the data communicated flows through the interconnection point, the method comprising:

monitoring at least one usage characteristic associated with at least one segment, the at least one segment being located in a first network; and

comparing the at least one usage characteristic with an associated usage requirement of a policy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the at least one usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the first network violates the usage requirement.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

modifying the routing of data such that the at least one usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the first network no longer violates the usage requirement.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein modifying the routing of data comprises:

monitoring at least one usage characteristic associated with at least another segment, the another segment being located in another first network;

determining that one or more usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the another first network complies with the usage requirement; and

altering the routing of data such that data is routed thorough the another segment located in the another first network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring at least one performance characteristic associated with the path.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining if the at least one performance characteristic associated with the path violates one or more performance requirements;

monitoring at least one performance characteristic associated with another path;

determining that one or more performance characteristics associated with the routing of data in the another path complies with the performance requirement; and

altering the routing of data such that data is routed through the another path.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring at least one usage characteristic comprises:

measuring a usage characteristic related to utilization of the at least one segment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring at least one usage characteristic comprises:

measuring a usage characteristic related to usage of the at least one segment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring at least one usage characteristic comprises:

measuring a usage characteristic related to load of the at least one segment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring at least one usage characteristic comprises:

measuring a usage characteristic related to cost of the at least one segment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring at least one performance characteristic comprises:

measuring a performance characteristic related to loss.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring at least one performance characteristic comprises:

measuring a performance characteristic related to latency.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring at least one performance characteristic comprises:

measuring a performance characteristic related to jitter.

14. A system for enforcing a policy for data communicated by a computer network designed to route data between a first point and a second point, the first point is coupled to one or more first networks, at least one of the one or more first networks is coupled to at least one of a plurality of second networks, at least one of the second networks is coupled to the second point, each of the networks includes at least one segment of a path, the path is from the first point to the second point, for transporting the data communicated to the second point, where at least two of the networks are coupled at an interconnection and where the data communicated flows through the interconnection point, the method comprising:

a usage monitoring module configurable to monitor at least one usage characteristic associated with at least one segment, the at least one segment being located in a first network; and

a comparing module configurable to compare the at least one usage characteristic with an associated usage requirement of a policy.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a usage determining module configurable to determine if the at least one usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the first network violates the usage requirement.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a modifying module configurable to modify the routing of data such that the at least one usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the first network no longer violates the usage requirement.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the modifying module comprises:

a first module configurable to monitor at least one usage characteristic associated with at least another segment, the another segment being located in another first network;

a second module configurable to determine that one or more usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the another first network complies with the usage requirement; and

a third module configurable to alter the routing of data such that data is routed thorough the another segment located in the another first network.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a performance monitoring module configurable to monitor at least one performance characteristic associated with the path.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a performance determining module configurable to determine if the at least one performance characteristic associated with the path violates one or more performance requirements,

the performance monitoring module is configurable to monitor at least one performance characteristic associated with another path;

a performance determining module configurable to determine that one or more performance characteristics associated with the routing of data in the another path complies with the performance requirement; and

an altering module configurable to alter the routing of data such that data is routed through the another path.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the usage monitoring module comprises:

a utilization measuring module configurable to measure a usage characteristic related to utilization of the at least one segment.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the usage monitoring module comprises:

a usage measuring module configurable to measure a usage characteristic related to usage of the at least one segment.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the usage monitoring module comprises:

a load measuring module configurable to measure a usage characteristic related to load of the at least one segment.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the usage monitoring module comprises:

a cost measuring module configurable to measure a usage characteristic related to cost of the at least one segment.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the usage monitoring module comprises:

a loss measuring module configurable to measure a performance characteristic related to loss.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the usage monitoring module comprises:

a latency measuring module configurable to measure a performance characteristic related to loss.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the performance monitoring module comprises:

a jitter measuring module configurable to measure a performance characteristic related to jitter.

27. A system for enforcing a policy for data communicated by a computer network designed to route data between a first point and a second point, the first point is coupled to one or more first networks, at least one of the one or more first networks is coupled to at least one of a plurality of second networks, at least one of the second networks is coupled to the second point, each of the networks includes at least one segment of a path, the path is from the first point to the second point, for transporting the data communicated to the second point, where at least two of the networks are coupled at an interconnection and where the data communicated flows through the interconnection point, the method comprising:

means for monitoring at least one usage characteristic associated with at least one segment, the at least one segment being located in a first network; and

means for comparing the at least one usage characteristic with an associated usage requirement of a policy.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

means for determining if the at least one usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the first network violates the usage requirement.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising

means for modifying the routing of data such that the at least one usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the first network no longer violates the usage requirement.

30. A computer-readable media for enforcing a policy for data communicated by a computer network designed to route data between a first point and a second point, the first point is coupled to one or more first networks, at least one of the one or more first networks is coupled to at least one of a plurality of second networks, at least one of the second networks is coupled to the second point, each of the networks includes at least one segment of a path, the path is from the first point to the second point, for transporting the data communicated to the second point, where at least two of the networks are coupled at an interconnection and where the data communicated flows through the interconnection point, the method comprising:

instructions for monitoring at least one usage characteristic associated with at least one segment, the at least one segment being located in a first network; and

instructions for comparing the at least one usage characteristic with an associated usage requirement of a policy.

31. The computer-readable media of claim 30, further comprising:

instructions for determining if the at least one usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the first network violates the usage requirement.

32. The computer-readable media of claim 31, further comprising:

instructions for modifying the routing of data such that the at least one usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the first network no longer violates the usage requirement.

33. A method of enforcing a policy for data communicated by a computer network designed to route data between a first point and a second point, the first point is coupled to one or more first networks, at least one of the one or more first networks is coupled to at least one of a plurality of second networks, at least one of the second networks is coupled to the second point, each of the networks includes at least one segment of a path, the path is from the first point to the second point, for transporting the data communicated to the second point, where at least two of the networks are coupled at an interconnection and where the data communicated flows through the interconnection point, the method comprising:

comparing the at least one usage characteristic with an associated usage requirement of a policy;

determining if the at least one usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the first network violates the usage requirement; and

modifying the routing of data such that the at least one usage characteristic associated with the routing of data in the first network no longer violates the usage requirement.