Multi-time scale adaptive internet protocol routing system and method

• US 20050041583A1
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Mohammed, Aziz, Su, Kailing James
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/024 by adaptive sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• 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

Abstract

Method and apparatus for implementing multi-time scale adaptive routing in an IP network are described. One embodiment is a packet router that supports multi-time scale resource management. The packet router comprises a management agent that manages differentiated services policy information database operable to store policies on forwarding packets in the packet router; a resource server system that controls forwarding of packets in the packet router based on adaptive selections of policies from the policy information database; a flow measurement system that monitors packet flows through the packet router and generates statistic reports which affect the resource server systems selection of control; and a hardware forwarding engine that receives and forwards packets in response to the resource server system controls.

Claims

1. A packet router that supports multi-time scale resource management, comprising:

a management agent (“

MA”

) that manages a differentiated services policy information database operable to store policies on forwarding packets in the packet router;

a resource server system (“

RSS”

) that controls forwarding of packets in the packet router based on adaptive selections of policies from the policy information database;

a flow measurement system (“

FMS”

) that monitors packet flows through the packet router and generates statistic reports which affect the RSS selection of control; and

a hardware forwarding engine (“

HFE”

) that receives and forwards packets in response to the RSS controls.

2. The packet router of claim 1 wherein the MA resides in a management plane of an communications network.

3. The packet router of claim 1 wherein the RSS resides in a control plane of a communications network.

4. The packet router of claim 1 wherein the HFE resides in a data plane of a communications network.

5. The packet router of claim 4 wherein the communications network comprises an internet protocol (“

IP”

) network.

6. The packet router of claim 1 wherein the FMS includes a monitor resource controller (“

MRC”

) for receiving adaptive selections of policies from the policy information database and for distributing the statistics reports generated by the FMS.

7. The packet router of claim 1 wherein the FMS includes a monitor resource abstraction library (“

MRAL”

) that functions as a real-time monitor executive and generates the statistics reports.

8. The packet router of claim 1 wherein the FMS includes a monitor data collector/data source controller (“

MDC”

) for receiving data collected at observation points of the HFE.

9. A system for supporting multi-time scale resource management in a packet router, the system comprising:

means for managing a differentiated services policy information database that stores policies on forwarding packets in the packet router;

means for controlling forwarding of packets in the packet router based on adaptive selections of policies from the policy information database;

means for monitoring packet flows through the packet router;

means for generating statistic reports that affect the resource server systems selection of control; and

means for receiving and forwarding packets in response to the resource server system controls.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the means for managing is a management agent (“

MA”

).

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the means for controlling forwarding of packets in the packet router is a resource server system (“

RSS”

).

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the means for receiving and forwarding is a hardware forwarding engine (“

HFE”

).

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the means for monitoring is a flow measurement system (“

FMS”

).

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for generating statistic reports is a flow measurement system (“

FMS”

).

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the FMS further comprises:

an FMS reports buffer for buffering statistics reports generated by the FMS;

a policy information buffer; and

a dynamic component for controlling adaptation of the packet router to dynamic service requirements and resource conditions.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the DC further comprises:

a monitor resource controller (“

MRC”

) for receiving adaptive selections of policies from the policy information database and for distributing the statistics reports generated by the FMS;

a monitor resource abstraction library (“

MRAL”

) that functions as a real-time monitor executive and generates the statistics reports; and

a monitor data collector/data source controller (“

MDC”

) for receiving data collected at observation points of the HFE.

17. A method of providing multi-time scale resource management in a packet router, the method comprising:

managing a differentiated services policy information database that stores policies on forwarding packets in the packet router;

controlling forwarding of packets in the packet router based on adaptive selections of policies from the policy information database;

monitoring packet flows through the packet router;

generating statistic reports that affect the forwarding of packets in the packet router; and

receiving and forwarding packets in response to the forwarding of packets in the packet router.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the managing is performed by a management agent.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the controlling forwarding of packets in the packet router is performed by a resource server system.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the monitoring is performed by a flow measurement system.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the generating statistic reports is performed by a flow measurement system.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the receiving and forwarding is performed by a hardware forwarding engine.