System and method for congestion control signaling

• US 20070036079A1
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chowdury, Kuntal, Senthilnathan, Janakiraman
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/17 Interaction among intermediate nodes, e.g. hop by hop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling congestion on a packet data network are provided. The congestion control may be implemented between any two network nodes where a regulation of a data flow is desired to prevent a device overload from occurring. In order to provide regulation of a data flow, congestion control states are used where each state regulates the data flow in a specified manner. State transitions may occur in response to messages that include congestion information detected at a network node.

Claims

1. A system for regulating congestion in a packet data network comprising:

a first node providing a data flow;

a second node coupled to the first node and receiving the data flow; and

the first node including a congestion control state,

wherein the congestion control state regulates the data flow from the first node to the second node.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the congestion control state is set by a control message.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the congestion control state is acknowledged by an A11-Control Acknowledgement message that includes at least one of a home address and an identification.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first node is a packet data serving node (PDSN) and the second node is a radio access network (RAN).

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a radio network controller (RNC) coupled to the PDSN, where the RNC detects a congestion level based on the data flow and the congestion control state is set based upon the level detected by the RNC.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising a packet control function (PCF) coupled to the PDSN, and implementing a timer to delay a switch from a congestion regulating state to an open-state.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first node is in a first-order-state of congestion control and the first node transitions to an open-state.

8. A method for regulating congestion in a packet data network comprising:

sending a congestion control message that includes congestion information to a first node;

transitioning to a congestion control state on the first node based on the congestion control message; and

regulating data flow from the first node to a second node based on the congestion control state.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a congestion level at the second node; and

transitioning to an open-state where the data flow is unregulated for congestion control.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising waiting an amount of time before transitioning to the open-state.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first node is a packet data serving node (PDSN) and the second node is a radio access network (RAN).

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the congestion control message is an A11-Control message.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending an acknowledgement message from the first node to the second node after the transition completes.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the congestion control state rejects new point-to-point protocol and mobile-IP sessions and blocks and discards new IP sessions.

15. A system for regulating congestion in a packet data network comprising:

a first means for providing a data flow;

a second means for receiving a data flow coupled to the first means; and

the first means including a congestion control state,

wherein the congestion control state regulates the data flow from the first means to the second means.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the congestion control state is set by a control message.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the congestion control state is acknowledged by an A11-Control Acknowledgement message that includes at least one of a home address and an identification.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a means for timing coupled to the first means, the timing means delaying a switch from a congestion regulating state to a open-state.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a means for detecting coupled to the first means, where the detecting means detects a congestion level based on the data flow and the congestion control state is set based upon the level detected by the detecting means.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the first means is in a first-order-state of congestion control and the first means transitions to an open-state.