Method for policing-based adjustments to transmission window size

• US 20070076621A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Malhotra, Richa, Van Haalen, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 7,701,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/215 using token-bucket
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/27 Evaluation or update of window size, e.g. using information derived from acknowledged [ACK] packets

Abstract

The invention includes a method for determining a window size for a connection. One method according to the invention includes determining a peak information rate for the connection, determining a round trip time for the connection, and determining the window size using the peak information rate and the round trip time. Another method includes determining a token bucket size of a token bucket in response to detecting a condition associated with the token bucket and determining the window size using the token bucket size. Another method includes determining a plurality of connection window sizes for each of a plurality of connections. In this embodiment, the connection window sizes are determined by distributing a total window size across the plurality of connections. A determined window size may be communicated to at least one of a sender of the connection, a receiver of the connection, and a policing module.

Claims

1. A method for determining a window size for a connection, comprising:

determining a peak information rate for the connection;

determining a round trip time for the connection; and

determining the window size using the peak information rate and the round trip time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the window size comprises:

computing a first product of the peak information rate and the round trip time.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining an available bandwidth for the connection;

computing a second product of the available bandwidth and the peak round trip time; and

selecting the window size as a minimum of the first product and the second product.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the window size to at least one endpoint of the connection, the at least one endpoint comprising at least one of a sender of the connection and a receiver of the connection.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an acknowledgment message from the at least one endpoint of the connection; and

adjusting a token bucket size of a token bucket associated with the connection in response to the acknowledgment message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the round trip time is determined by a policing function associated with the connection, wherein the round trip time is determined using a token bucket.

7. A method for determining a window size for a connection, comprising:

receiving a token bucket size associated with a token bucket of the connection; and

determining the window size using the token bucket size.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining the window size using the token bucket size and at least one window parameter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one window parameter comprises at least one of a current window size, a peak information rate, and a round trip time.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the token bucket size is determined by:

determining a token bucket size in response to detecting a condition associated with the token bucket.

11. The method of claim 10, where the condition comprises one of a number of dropped packets for the connection being above a first threshold or a bandwidth utilization for the connection being below a second threshold.

12. A method for determining a window size for a connection, comprising:

determining a token bucket size of the token bucket in response to detecting a condition associated with the token bucket;

wherein the token bucket size is adapted for use in determining the window size.

13. The method of claim 12, where the condition comprises one of a number of dropped packets for the connection being above a first threshold or a bandwidth utilization for the connection being below a second threshold.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting the token bucket size towards a sender of the connection.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving the token bucket size at the sender of the connection; and

determining the window size for the connection using the token bucket size.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining the window size for the connection using the token bucket size and at least one window parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one window parameter comprises at least one of a current window size, a peak information rate, and a round trip time.

18. A method for determining a window size for a connection, comprising:

determining a token bucket size of the token bucket in response to detecting a condition associated with the token bucket; and

determining the window size using the token bucket size.

19. The method of claim 18, where the condition comprises one of a number of dropped packets for the connection being above a first threshold or a rate utilization for the connection being below a second threshold.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the window size is determined using the token bucket size and at least one window parameter.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one window parameter comprises at least one of a current window size, a peak information rate, and a round trip time.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting the window size to a sender of the connection;

receiving the window size at the sender of the connection; and

setting the window size at the sender of the connection.

23. A method for determining a plurality of connection window sizes for each of a respective plurality of connections, comprising:

determining a peak information rate for the plurality of connections;

determining a round trip time for the plurality of connections;

determining a total window size using the peak information rate and the round trip time; and

determining the plurality of connection window sizes by distributing the total window size across the plurality of connections.