Assigning WAN links to subflows based on WAN link characteristics and application preferences

• US 20050243835A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Shin, Kang G., Lee, Sung-Ju, Sharma, Puneet, Brassil, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.420
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware

Abstract

WAN link preferences for subflows of an application flow are determined. The characteristics of WAN links operable to transmit the subflows are also determined. The WAN link preferences are compared to the WAN link characteristics, and the subflows are assigned to the WAN links based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A method of assigning subflows of an application flow to a plurality of WAN links, the method comprising:

determining WAN link preferences for the subflows;

determining WAN link characteristics of WAN links operable to transmit the subflows;

comparing the WAN link preferences to the WAN link characteristics; and

assigning the subflows to the WAN links based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting each subflow on the assigned WAN link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining WAN link preferences comprises:

identifying an application associated with the application flow; and

determining WAN link preferences based on the identified application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the WAN link preferences comprise WAN link preferences for each subflow of the subflows.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

prioritizing the subflows based on the application; and

assigning the subflows to the WAN links comprises assigning a highest priority subflow to a WAN link having determined characteristics that best match the WAN link preferences for the highest priority subflow.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein assigning the subflows to the WAN links comprises:

determining whether any bandwidth on the WAN link assigned to the highest priority subflow is available;

using a scheduling algorithm to schedule transmission of packets for the highest priority subflow and a next highest priority subflow on the WAN link assigned to the highest priority subflow in response to determining that bandwidth on the WAN link assigned to the highest priority WAN link is available; and

identifying a best match WAN link, not including the WAN link assigned to the highest priority subflow, for the next highest priority subflow in response to determining that bandwidth on the WAN link assigned to the highest priority WAN link is not available.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining WAN link characteristics of WAN links operable to transmit the subflows comprises:

measuring the WAN link characteristics of the WAN links operable to transmit the subflows.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

demultiplexing the application flow into the subflows.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying at least two sets of WAN links operable to transmit the subflows to a piconet;

estimating a throughput of each set of WAN links; and

selecting the set of WAN links having a greater throughput to transmit the subflows.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein estimating a throughput of each set of WAN links comprises:

estimating throughput based on at least one of round-trip time, bandwidth, loss probabilities, and packet lengths.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein estimating a throughput of each set of WAN links comprises:

estimating throughput based on at least one of transmission delay for each link and remultiplexing delay.

12. A method of striping application flows across a plurality of WAN links, the method comprising:

prioritizing the application flows;

demultiplexing a highest priority application flow into subflows;

determining WAN link preferences for each of the subflows;

determining WAN link characteristics for the plurality of WAN links;

comparing the WAN link preferences to the WAN link characteristics; and

assigning the subflows to the plurality of WAN links based on the comparison.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising

selecting a next highest priority application flow of the prioritized application flows;

demultiplexing a next highest priority application flow into subflows;

determining WAN link preferences for each of the subflows of the next highest priority application flow;

comparing the WAN link preferences for each of the subflows of the next highest priority application flow to the WAN link characteristics; and

assigning the subflows of the next highest application flow to the plurality of WAN links based on the comparison.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising:

transmitting each subflow on the assigned WAN link.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein determining WAN link preferences for each of the subflows comprises:

identifying an application associated with the highest priority application flow; and

determining WAN link preferences for each of the subflows based on the identified application.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

prioritizing the subflows based on the application; and

assigning the subflows to the plurality of WAN links comprises assigning a highest priority subflow to a WAN link having determined characteristics that best match the WAN link preferences for a highest priority subflow.

17. An apparatus comprising:

processor means for determining WAN link preferences for subflows of an application flow and for determining WAN link characteristics of a set of WAN links operable to transmit the subflows;

inverse multiplexing means for demultiplexing the application flow into the subflows such that at least one of the subflows is assigned to a WAN link of the set of WAN links having WAN link characteristics that best match the WAN link preferences of the at least one subflow; and

means for transmitting the at least one of the subflows on the assigned WAN link.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, comprising:

application preference storage means for storing WAN link preferences associated with a plurality of applications, such that the processor means is operable to retrieve the WAN link preferences for the application flow from the application storage means.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, comprising:

link characteristic storage means for storing WAN link characteristics for the set of WAN links, such that the processor means is operable to retrieve the WAN link characteristics from the link characteristic storage means.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, comprising:

sensor means for measuring at least one of the WAN link characteristics.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the WAN link preferences are associated with an application of the application flow.

22. Computer software embedded on a computer readable medium, the computer software comprising instructions performing:

determining WAN link preferences for subflows of an application flow;

determining WAN link characteristics of WAN links operable to transmit the subflows;

comparing the WAN link preferences to the WAN link characteristics; and

assigning the subflows to the WAN links based on the comparison.

23. The computer software of claim 22, wherein the instructions including determining WAN link preferences comprise instructions performing:

identifying an application associated with the application flow; and

determining WAN link preferences based on the identified application.

24. The computer software of claim 22, comprising instructions performing:

prioritizing the subflows based on the application; and

assigning a highest priority subflow to a WAN link having determined characteristics that best match the WAN link preferences for the highest priority subflow.

25. The computer software of claim 22, comprising instructions performing:

identifying at least two sets of WAN links operable to transmit the subflows to a piconet;

estimating a throughput of each set of WAN links; and

selecting the set of WAN links having a greater throughput to transmit the subflows.

26. The computer software of claim 22, wherein the WAN link preferences are associated with an application of the application flow.

27. A method of transmitting an application flow across a WAN, the method comprising:

receiving an application flow;

demultiplexing the application flow into subflows;

assigning the subflows to WAN links based on WAN link preferences for the subflows and based on characteristics of the WAN links;

encapsulating packets generated from the subflows with a general routing encapsulation (GRE) header; and

transmitting the packets on the assigned WAN links.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein assigning the subflows comprises:

determining WAN link preferences for the subflows based on an application associated with the subflow.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein assigning the subflows comprises:

prioritizing the subflows; and

assigning the subflows to the WAN links based on the priorities of the subflows.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein transmitting the packets on the assigned WAN links comprises:

transmitting the packets to a piconet via GRE tunnels, the GRE tunnels including the WAN links.

31. An apparatus comprising:

an inverse multiplexer operable to demultiplex an application flow into subflows; and

a processor operable to assign the subflows to WAN links based on WAN link preferences for the subflows and based on characteristics of the WAN links.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, comprising:

a transmitter transmitting the subflows on the assigned WAN links.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, comprising:

a packet generator generating packets for the subflows and encapsulating the packets with a GRE header for transmission on the WAN links.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the processor is operable to retrieve at least one of the WAN link preferences and the WAN link characteristics from a database.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the apparatus is located at one of a content provider, an Internet service provider, and a third-party service provider.