Resource allocation in packet network

• US 20030147401A1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kyronaho, Jukka, Enqvist, Timo
• Granted Patent: US 7,372,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.41
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1425 involving dedicated fields in the data packet for billing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/146 using digital cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1492 negotiation of tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/18 End to end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/748 Negotiation of resources, e.g. modification of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

The idea of the invention is to negotiate the resource allocation between two network elements on the Application or Transport layer level so that the negotiation is possible over the network, even if the network comprises several physically different networks. To determine the transmission capacity for the allocation, the sending element must first send a request message with a proposal for the capacity and media types. The receiving element either accepts the proposal or makes a new proposal by changing the parameter values so that they are acceptable from the point of view of the receiver, and sends a response to the sending element. Based on the response from the receiving element, the sending element the either accepts or rejects the allocation and informs the receiving element of its decision by sending a confirmation.

Claims

1. A method for allocating transmission resources between two network elements in a packet switching network, characterized in that the resources are allocated by exchanging messages above a network layer between the two networks elements by:

sending a request message, from the first network element to the second network element, the request message including the value of the capacity that the first element desires to allocate for use between the two network elements,

receiving the request message in the second network element and finding a capacity value which is acceptable from the point of view of the second network element and not greater than the value received in the request message,

sending a response message from the second network element to the first network element, the response message including the capacity value found in the second network element,

receiving the response message in the first network element and making a decision, based on the capacity value received in the response message, on the acceptability of the resource allocation, and

sending a confirmation message from the first network element to the second network element, the confirmation message including data indicating the decision made.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the request message further includes:

a type of the capacity, and

a token for identifying the request.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the request message further includes:

a bandwidth of the type of the capacity,

tariff information related to the capacity, and

time information indicating how long the allocation is to be valid.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the response message further includes:

a type of the capacity to be allocated for use,

a token for identifying the request, and

a token for identifying the allocation session.

5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the response message further includes:

a bandwidth of the type of the capacity,

tariff information related to the capacity to be allocated for use, and

time information indicating how long the allocation is to be valid.

6. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the confirmation message includes:

a type of the capacity to be allocated for use,

the accepted capacity value,

a token for identifying the request, and

a token for identifying the allocation session.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the confirmation message further includes:

a bandwidth of the type of the capacity,

tariff information related to the capacity to be allocated for use, and

time information indicating how long the allocation is valid.

8. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that before sending the response message, the second network element sends a pending message to the first network element, the pending message including

a token for identifying the request,

a token for identifying the allocation session, and

time information indicating the maximum time period between the request message and the response message.

9. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the method further includes the steps of:

sending a release message from one network element to the other network element for releasing the allocation,

sending a release-acknowledged-message from the network element that received the release message to the network element that sent the release message.

10. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the release message includes

a token for identifying the request,

a token for identifying the allocation session, and

time information for indicating how long the resource allocation is available.