Dynamic virtual private network (VPN) tunnel quality of service (QoS) treatment

• US 20050088977A1
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Roch, Stephane S., Algie, Glenn G.
• Application Number:
  US09/735,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088977A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/31 by tagging of packets, e.g. using discard eligibility [DE] bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

Dynamic Quality of Service (QoS) treatment of traffic within a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel is provided by attaching a QoS marker to data traffic at an ingress end of the VPN tunnel. The QoS marker is obtained by querying a policy database. The policy database returns QoS information, from which the QoS marker is derived. The policy data base can be queried by a VPN Gateway at an ingress end of the tunnel during tunnel setup, and/or at any time following tunnel setup to obtain updated QoS information. This updated QoS information is then propagated through the VPN tunnel to a VPN gateway at the opposite end of the VPN Tunnel, so that it can be used for egress processing of the tunnel. traffic without renegotiating the Security Association. Consequently, re-establishment of the tunnel is not required in order to change the QoS treatment of tunnel traffic.

Claims

1. A method of providing dynamic Quality of Service (QoS) treatment of data traffic within a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel, the method comprising the steps of:

a) querying a policy database to obtain QoS information concerning a desired QoS treatment for data traffic within the VPN tunnel;

b) forwarding the QoS information through the VPN tunnel to a VPN gateway at an opposite end of the VPN Tunnel; and

c) attaching a QoS marker based on the QoS information to the data traffic within the VPN tunnel.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the QoS information obtained from the policy database comprises the QoS marker.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the QoS information obtained from the policy database comprises Tspec and Rspec parameters indicative of the desired QoS treatment.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step of attaching a QoS marker comprises the steps of:

a) mapping the Tspec and Rspec parameters to the QoS marker; and

b) inserting the QoS marker into a predetermined field of a header portion of the data traffic within the VPN tunnel.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the QoS marker is a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) value.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining an indication of a QoS treatment further comprises the steps of:

a) obtaining, from a customer, an indication of a desired QoS treatment;

b) confirming an availability of the desired QoS treatment; and

c) if the desired QoS treatment is available, updating the policy database with information respecting the desired QoS treatment.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the step of confirming an availability of the desired QoS treatment comprises any one or more of the steps of:

a) determining whether or not the VPN tunnel has sufficient available bandwidth to support the desired QoS; and

b) comparing the desired QoS to a Service Level Agreement (SLA).

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of querying the policy database is performed at a start of the communications session.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of querying the policy database is performed in response to a session initiation message received from the customer.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of querying the policy database is performed during the communications session.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of querying the policy database is performed at predetermined intervals during the communications session.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of querying the policy database is performed in response to a query request from either one of the customer and a service provider.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of querying the policy database is performed in response to a change in the information respecting QoS treatment stored in the policy database.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of notifying a service provider of the indicated QoS treatment.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of notifying the service provider is performed at a start of the communications session.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of notifying the service provider is performed in response to a change in the indicated QoS treatment.

17. A VPN gateway adapted to provide dynamic QoS treatment of data traffic within a secure VPN tunnel, the gateway comprising:

a) means for querying a policy database to obtain Qos information concerning a desired Qos treatment for data traffic within the VPN tunnel;

b) means for forwarding the QoS information through the VPN tunnel to a VPN gateway at an opposite end of the VPN Tunnel; and

c) means for attaching a QoS marker based on the QoS information to the data traffic within the VPN tunnel.

18. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 17, wherein the QoS information obtained from the policy database comprises the QoS marker.

19. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 17, wherein the QoS information obtained from the policy database comprises Tspec and Rspec parameters indicative of the desired QoS treatment.

20. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 19, wherein the means for attaching a QoS marker comprises:

a) means for mapping the Tspec and Rspec parameters to the QoS marker; and

b) means for inserting the QoS marker into a predetermined field of a header portion of the data traffic within the VPN tunnel.

21. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 20, wherein the QoS marker is a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) value.

22. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 17, further comprising means for receiving a QoS request message indicative of the desired QoS treatment.

23. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 17, wherein the means for forwarding the QoS information through the VPN tunnel comprises:

a) a policy update message adapted to convey the QoS information through the VPN tunnel; and

b) means for inserting the QoS information into a payload portion of the policy update message.

24. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 23, wherein the policy update message is an ISAKMP/IKE message having a predetermined unique “

Next Payload”

type.

25. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 17, wherein the policy database is queried at a start of the communications session.

26. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 25, wherein the means for querying the policy database is responsive to a session initiation message received from the customer.

27. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 17, wherein the policy database is queried during the communications session.

28. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 27, wherein the policy database is queried at predetermined intervals during the communications session.

29. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 27, wherein the means for querying the policy database is responsive to a query request from either one of the customer and a service provider.

30. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 27, wherein the means for querying the policy database is responsive to a change in the information respecting QoS treatment stored in the policy database.

31. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 17, further comprising means for notifying a service provider of the indicated QoS treatment.

32. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 31, wherein the means for notifying the service provider is adapted to send a notification message to the service provider at a start of the communications session.

33. A VPN gateway as claimed in claim 31, wherein the means for notifying the service provider is adapted to send a notification message to the service provider in response to a change in the indicated QoS treatment.