Method for assigning a priority to a data transfer in a network, and network node using the method

• US 20060153201A1
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Klausberger, Wolfgang, Li, Hui, Kubsch, Stefan, Blawat, Meinolf, Hepper, Dietmar
• Application Number:
  US11/329,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20060153201A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.420
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/821 Prioritising resource allocation or reservation requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

A data transfer in a network comprises a first node sending out a request for a particular data unit, a second node receiving and analysing the request, detecting that it may provide the requested data unit and sending to the first node a message indicating that it may provide the requested data unit, the first node receiving and selecting the message and sending a second request to the second node to request transfer of the particular data unit, and the second node transferring the particular data unit upon reception of the second request. A method for assigning a priority to such data transfer in a network comprises the first node assigning an identifier corresponding to a first priority to the request, the second node evaluating the identifier and, based on the identifier, calculating a second priority and assigning the calculated second priority to said transfer.

Claims

1. A method for assigning a priority to a data transfer in a network, the data transfer comprising

a first node sending out a first request, the first request containing an indication of a particular data unit or type of data units, the indication referring to a mark associated with the data unit or data units;

at least a second node receiving and analysing the first request;

the second node detecting that it may provide the requested data unit, and sending to the first node a first message indicating that it may provide the requested data unit;

the first node receiving and selecting the first message;

the first node sending a second request at least to the second node, requesting transfer of the particular data unit, wherein the first node assigns an identifier to the first request and/or the second request, the identifier corresponding to a first priority;

the second node evaluating the identifier corresponding to the first priority and, based on the identifier, calculating a second priority, wherein said calculated second priority contains a first-layer and a second-layer partial priority, the first-layer partial priority depending on the requested type of data transfer and being defined automatically, and the second-layer partial priority being user or application defined, wherein the type of requested data transfer comprises at least recording, playback, real-time streaming and non-real-time transfer; and

the second node transmitting the particular data unit in a first transfer upon reception of the second request, wherein the calculated second priority is assigned to said first transfer.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein evaluating said identifier corresponding to a priority assigned to requests and/or data transfers in the network comprises first comparing the first-layer partial priorities, and comparing the second-layer partial priorities if the first-layer partial priorities are equal.

3. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of

the first node assigning a timestamp to the first request;

and

the second node evaluating the timestamp for calculating the second priority.

4. Method according to claim 2, wherein the second node performs the further steps of

calculating, upon receipt of the second request, the difference between the timestamp time and the current time;

comparing said difference with a predefined value;

selecting a first algorithm if said difference is below the predefined value and a different second algorithm otherwise; and

calculating according to the selected algorithm the value for the second priority.

5. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of

the second node receiving and scheduling a further request from another node and/or directed to another node and detecting the priority assigned to the further request, wherein said further request results in a further transfer on said network;

the second node starting said first transfer either before, during or after said further transfer, depending on said detected priority and on said calculated priority.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein not enough resources are available for simultaneously performing said first transfer and said further transfer, further comprising the steps of

comparing the first-layer priorities of the two transfers;

starting the first transfer if its first-layer priority is higher than the first-layer priority of the further transfer, or if both first-layer priorities are equal and its second-layer priority is higher than the second-layer priority of the further transfer; and

otherwise delaying the first transfer if it is a real-time transfer, or starting said first transfer if it is a non-real-time transfer and may use the remaining resources.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein a user or an application may modify said second-layer priority, but not the first-layer priority.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein a running transfer may not be interrupted.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein the second node may receive a plurality of first requests, and responds to said requests with a plurality of first messages, the first messages being sequentially ordered according to the timestamps of their individual corresponding first request.

10. Network node comprising

means for receiving and analysing a first request, the first request indicating a first node being the sender and a particular data unit;

means for detecting that the requested data unit is available to the network node;

means for sending to the first node a first message indicating that the network node may provide the requested data unit;

means for receiving a second request, the second request requesting transfer of the particular data unit;

means for evaluating a first priority associated with the first request;

means for calculating a second priority based on the first priority, the second priority containing a first-layer and a second-layer partial priority, the first-layer partial priority depending on the type of request or data transfer and being defined automatically, and the second-layer partial priority being user or application defined, wherein the type of request or data transfer comprises at least recording, playback, real-time streaming and non-real-time transfer;

means for assigning the second priority to the transfer of the particular data unit; and

means for transmitting the particular data unit upon reception of the second request.

11. Network node according to claim 10, further comprising means for evaluating the priority assigned to requests and/or data transfers, wherein said evaluating comprises first comparing the first-layer partial priorities, and comparing the second-layer partial priorities if the first-layer partial priorities are equal.

12. Network node according to claim 10, further comprising

means for evaluating the timestamp for calculating the second priority, wherein the second priority is the higher the older the timestamp is;

means for calculating, upon receipt of the second request, the difference between the timestamp time and the current time;

means for comparing said difference with a predefined value;

means for selecting a first algorithm if said difference is below the predefined value, or a different second algorithm otherwise; and

means for calculating according to the selected algorithm the value for the second priority.

13. Network node according to claim 10, further comprising

means for receiving a request from a user, an application or another network node;

and

means for modifying the calculated second priority upon said request.