System and method for shaping traffic

• US 20070104208A1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Svensson, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/522 Dynamic queue service slot or variable bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/821 Prioritising resource allocation or reservation requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 : Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 : Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 : Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 : Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13336 : Store & forward, messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13348 : Channel/line reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for shaping traffic. These mechanisms and methods for shaping traffic can enable embodiments to control traffic flow at a network gatekeeper based upon policies implementing service level agreements dictating traffic characteristics permitted to applications and/or by network node. The ability of embodiments to provide service level agreement based control of network traffic can enable control of traffic flow by application and/or by network node.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a policy engine to assign a priority to each one of a plurality of service requests received from at least one application, the priority selected based upon a service level agreement (SLA);

a manager to schedule each one of the plurality of service requests between a plurality of sub-queues and at a priority level corresponding to the priority assigned to each service request; and

a dispatcher to randomly assign each one of a plurality of read operations between the plurality of sub-queues, weighted by bandwidth fraction of each priority level, to select a queue from which to de-queue.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the policy engine to assign a priority to each one of a plurality of service requests received from at least one application, the priority selected based upon a service level agreement (SLA) includes:

the policy engine assigning a priority to each one of a plurality of service requests received from at least one application, the priority selected according to a policy implementing a service level agreement (SLA).

3. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the manager to schedule each one of the plurality of service requests between a plurality of sub-queues and at a priority level corresponding to the priority assigned to each service request includes:

the manager rejecting a service request when the corresponding priority sub-queue is determined to be full.

4. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the dispatcher to randomly assign each one of a plurality of read operations between the plurality of sub-queues, weighted by bandwidth fraction of each priority level, to select a queue from which to de-queue includes:

the dispatcher attempting to de-queue from a highest priority queue first and then to queues of lesser priority when the selected queue is empty.

5. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising:

a resource element coupled to the dispatcher to provide a mechanism for moving information through the network to one or more end user services.

6. The telecommunications system of claim 5, wherein the resource element coupled to the dispatcher to provide a mechanism for moving information through the network to one or more end user services includes:

a resource element including at least one of;

a Parlay (protocol) gateway, an IMS (IP multi-media subsystem), an SMSCs (short-message-service-center) and an MMSCs (multi-media messaging service center).

7. A method for shaping traffic in a telecommunications environment, the method comprising:

assigning a priority to each one of a plurality of service requests received from at least one application, the priority selected based upon a service level agreement (SLA);

scheduling each one of the plurality of service requests between a plurality of sub-queues and at a priority level corresponding to the priority assigned to each service; and

assigning randomly each one of a plurality of read operations between the plurality of sub-queues, weighted by bandwidth fraction of each priority level, to select a queue from which to de-queue.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein assigning a priority to each one of a plurality of service requests received from at least one application, the priority selected based upon a service level agreement (SLA) includes:

assigning a priority to each one of a plurality of service requests received from at least one application, the priority selected according to a policy implementing a service level agreement (SLA).

9. The method of claim 7, wherein scheduling each one of the plurality of service requests between a plurality of sub-queues and at a priority level corresponding to the priority assigned to each service includes:

rejecting a service request when the corresponding priority sub-queue is determined to be full.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein assigning randomly each one of a plurality of read operations between the plurality of sub-queues, weighted by bandwidth fraction of each priority level, to select a queue from which to de-queue includes:

attempting to de-queue from a highest priority queue first and then to queues of lesser priority when the selected queue is empty.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

moving information through a network to one or more end user services after dequeue.

12. An apparatus for shaping traffic in a telecommunications system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

assigning a priority to each one of a plurality of service requests received from at least one application, the priority selected based upon a service level agreement (SLA);

scheduling each one of the plurality of service requests between a plurality of sub-queues and at a priority level corresponding to the priority assigned to each service; and

assigning randomly each one of a plurality of read operations between the plurality of sub-queues, weighted by bandwidth fraction of each priority level, to select a queue from which to de-queue.