Methods and devices for regulating traffic on a network

• US 20040221032A1
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bernstein, Alon, Leano, Chrisanto
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• 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 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/215 using token-bucket
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit

Abstract

Methods and devices are provided for regulating traffic on a network. According to some aspects of the invention, if a subscriber'"'"'s upstream traffic exceeds a predetermined level over a first period of time, the subscriber'"'"'s quality of service is adjusted without requiring the subscriber to re-register. According to some embodiments, a first token bucket is used to determine whether the subscriber'"'"'s upstream traffic exceeds the predetermined level over the first period of time. In some such embodiments, the first token bucket is used to control the burst size of another token bucket, depending on the subscriber'"'"'s upstream traffic during the first period of time.

Claims

1. A method of controlling bandwidth utilization of a network subscriber, comprising:

regulating bursty traffic by using a token bucket having a capacity for a plurality of tokens, each token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a unit of data, the tokens being added to the token bucket at a rate that equals the capacity divided by a first time period;

calculating a number of excess tokens that are not retained in the token bucket because the token bucket has reached the capacity; and

controlling bandwidth utilization of the network subscriber based in part on a calculated number of excess tokens during a second time period greater than the first time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time period is less than one second.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second time period is at least one hundred times greater than the first time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling step comprises changing the network subscriber'"'"'s quality of service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling step comprises changing the network subscriber'"'"'s priority of service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling step comprises sending a message to the network subscriber.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating the network subscriber'"'"'s bill based in part on the number of excess tokens.

8. A method of controlling bandwidth utilization of a network subscriber, comprising:

regulating bursty traffic by using a first token bucket having a first capacity B1 for first tokens, each first token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a unit of data, the first tokens added to the token bucket at a rate R1 that equals the first capacity B1 divided by a first time period T1; and

controlling the first token bucket by using a second token bucket having a second capacity B2 for second tokens added to the second token bucket at a second rate R2 that equals the second capacity B2 divided by a second time period T2 greater than T1.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein T1 is less than one second.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein T2 is at least one minute.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the controlling step comprises changing the first capacity.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the controlling step comprises changing the network subscriber'"'"'s priority of service.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the controlling step comprises sending a message to the network subscriber.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein B2 is at least 100 times greater than B1.

15. A method of controlling bandwidth utilization of a network subscriber, comprising:

regulating bursty traffic by using a first token bucket having a first capacity B1 for first tokens, each first token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a first unit of data; and

controlling the first token bucket by using a second token bucket having a second capacity B2 for second tokens, each second token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a second unit of data, the second unit of data being at least 100 times greater than the first unit of data.

16. A method of controlling bandwidth utilization of a cable network subscriber, comprising:

monitoring the cable network subscriber'"'"'s upstream transmissions during a predetermined time period; and

reducing the cable network subscriber'"'"'s quality of service while the cable network subscriber is logged on if the cable network subscriber transmits more than a predetermined quantity of data during the predetermined time period.

17. An apparatus for controlling bandwidth utilization of a network subscriber, the apparatus configured to:

regulate bursty traffic by using a token bucket having a capacity for a plurality of tokens, each token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a unit of data, the tokens being added to the token bucket at a rate that equals the capacity divided by a first time period;

calculate a number of excess tokens that are not retained in the token bucket because the token bucket has reached the capacity; and

control bandwidth utilization of the network subscriber based in part on a calculated number of excess tokens during a second time period greater than the first time period.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus comprises a cable modem termination system.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus comprises a line card.

20. An apparatus for controlling bandwidth utilization of a network subscriber, comprising:

means for regulating bursty traffic by using a first token bucket having a first capacity B1 for first tokens, each first token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a unit of data, the first tokens added to the token bucket at a rate R1 that equals the first capacity B1 divided by a first time period T1; and

means for controlling the first token bucket by using a second token bucket having a second capacity B2 for second tokens added to the second token bucket at a second rate R2 that equals the second capacity B2 divided by a second time period T2 greater than T1.

21. An apparatus for controlling bandwidth utilization of a network subscriber, the apparatus configured to do the following:

regulate bursty traffic by using a first token bucket having a first capacity B1 for first tokens, each first token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a first unit of data; and

control the first token bucket by using a second token bucket having a second capacity B2 for second tokens, each second token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a second unit of data, the second unit of data being at least 100 times greater than the first unit of data.

22. An apparatus for controlling bandwidth utilization of a cable network subscriber, the apparatus configured to do the following:

monitor the cable network subscriber'"'"'s upstream transmissions during a predetermined time period; and

reduce the cable network subscriber'"'"'s quality of service while the cable network subscriber is logged on if the cable network subscriber transmits more than a predetermined quantity of data during the predetermined time period.

22-1. A computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium for controlling bandwidth utilization of a network subscriber, the computer program including instructions for controlling a network device to do the following:

monitor the cable network subscriber'"'"'s upstream transmissions during a predetermined time period; and

reduce the cable network subscriber'"'"'s quality of service while the cable network subscriber is logged on if the cable network subscriber transmits more than a predetermined quantity of data during the predetermined time period.

23. A computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium for controlling bandwidth utilization of a network subscriber, the computer program including instructions for controlling a network device to do the following:

regulate bursty traffic by using a token bucket having a capacity for a plurality of tokens, each token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a unit of data, the tokens being added to the token bucket at a rate that equals the capacity divided by a first time period;

calculate a number of excess tokens that are not retained in the token bucket because the token bucket has reached the capacity; and

control bandwidth utilization of the network subscriber based in part on a calculated number of excess tokens during a second time period greater than the first time period.

24. A computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium for controlling bandwidth utilization of a network subscriber, the computer program including instructions for controlling a network device to do the following:

regulate bursty traffic by using a first token bucket having a first capacity B1 for first tokens, each first token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a unit of data, the first tokens added to the token bucket at a rate R1 that equals the first capacity B1 divided by a first time period T1; and

control the first token bucket by using a second token bucket having a second capacity B2 for second tokens added to the second token bucket at a second rate R2 that equals the second capacity B2 divided by a second time period T2 greater than T1.

25. A computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium for controlling bandwidth utilization of a network subscriber, the computer program including instructions for controlling a network device to do the following:

regulate bursty traffic by using a first token bucket having a first capacity B1 for first tokens, each first token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a first unit of data; and

control the first token bucket by using a second token bucket having a second capacity B2 for second tokens, each second token authorizing the network subscriber to transmit a second unit of data, the second unit of data being at least 100 times greater than the first unit of data.