System and method for handling reservation requests with a connection admission control engine

• US 20080049747A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bugenhagen, Michael K., McNaughton, James L., Heinz, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,531,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority

Abstract

A system and method for handling reservation requests. Network performance information of a communications network is gathered using performance information packet data packets. Available bandwidth is determined based on the PIP data packets of a data stream. The available bandwidth is allocated for a number of customers based on reservations.

Claims

1. A method for handling reservation requests, said method comprising:

gathering network performance information of a communications network using performance information packet (PIP) data packets;

determining available bandwidth based on the PIP data packets of a data stream; and

allocating the available bandwidth for a plurality of customers based on reservations.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network performance information specifies any of total packet rate, real-time packet rate, non real-time packet rate, and average packet rate, packet count, packet delay, packet loss, total bandwidth, effective packet rate, jitter, latency, out-of-order packets, quality of service, and carrier identification.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the allocating further comprises:

storing historical network performance information; and

performing allocation based on the historical network performance information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

evaluating whether data in the data stream is legitimately requested.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether to allow a customer access to an access point and the data stream through a packet stream.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the determining whether to allow the customer is based on an acceptance measure using available packet rate and the real-time packet rate.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the determination is made based on the calculation of a real-time average network packet rate.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the allocating is performed based on external or internal factors affecting the communications network.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reservations are agreements, wherein the agreements are service level agreements or quality of service agreements with a customer.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the agreements specifies a guaranteed bandwidth for real-time data and a non real-time data.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the agreement specifies charges, rates, percentages, and guarantees.

12. The method according to claim 1, throttling down bandwidth available to a customer to meet the reservations of the plurality of users.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

shifting bandwidth of the data stream through a plurality of access nodes for the plurality of customers.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network performance information specifies how bandwidth is allocated based on customer identification, IP address, and packet type.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a network connection for a connecting customer based on the network performance information that provides the best quality of service.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the determining comprises:

comparing ratings of network connections to determine the best quality of service.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

switching a network connection for one or more of the plurality of customers from a first network connection to a second network connection in response to determining the second network connection offers better quality of service.

18. An access node for handling network reservations, said access node comprising:

a CAC engine configured to gather network performance information of a communications network using PIP data packets, determine available bandwidth based on the PIP data packets of a data stream, and allocate the available bandwidth to a plurality of customers based on reservations.

19. The access node according to claim 18, wherein the CAC engine performs bandwidth throttling by inserting commands in the PIP data packet.

20. The access node according to claim 18, wherein the CAC engine allocates the available bandwidth in-band or out-of-band.

21. A server for handling network reservations, said server comprising:

a processor for processing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions gathers network performance information of a communications network using PIP data packets, determines available bandwidth based on the PIP data packets of a data stream, and allocates the available bandwidth for a plurality of customers based on reservations.

22. The server according to claim 21, further comprising:

a database in communication with the processor, wherein the reservations are stored in the database, wherein the available bandwidth is shifted to each of the plurality of customers based on a service agreement.