System And Method For Global Traffic Optimization In A Network

• US 20080159159A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weinman, Joseph B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,719,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for providing global traffic optimization for a mix of applications running at multiple locations connected by a WAN Various means are provided via WAN accelerator, edge shapers, and WAN bandwidth, route, QoS, and packet control to maximize application performance while minimizing cost, in accordance with customer policy.

Claims

1. A system for optimizing global data traffic in a network environment, the system comprising:

a plurality of applications connected by a telecommunication network (WAN), wherein said applications residing at a plurality of environments and said WAN being capable of managing one or more control groups;

at least one edge processor coupled to the environment for conducting one or more functions to reduce load of the global data traffic to fulfill performance objectives of the application;

at least one shaper coupled to the edge processor to prioritize the global data traffic at ingress points to the network to fulfill the performance objectives of the application;

a network control coupled to the WAN to activate and direct the control groups of the WAN.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a monitoring and management control module for receiving real time data from the edge processor, shaper and the WAN via the network control;

said module determining actual performance of the application performance objectives.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a policy engine coupled to the module for specifying the performance objectives of the applications.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a cost model coupled to the module and the policy engine for providing pricing information on at least one of the data traffic, the edge processor, the shaper, the WAN, and the costs of processing or transporting the data traffic for each said application

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said applications comprise Voice over IP, Video over IP, desktop word processor, graphics, spreadsheet, customer relationship management, or high definition video conferencing, or combinations thereof.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said environment comprise thin client, thick client running a browser, a scale out server, mainframe, or codec for video conferencing, or combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said application comprise a storage application and said environment comprise a storage subsystem.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said control group comprise bandwidth control, QoS control, packet control, route control, or combinations thereof.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said functions comprise caching, protocol spoofing, predictive caching, or TCP/IP offloading, or combinations thereof.

10. A method for optimizing global data traffic in a network environment, the method comprising:

(a) receiving instructions to determine performance objectives of at least one application;

(b) determining whether performance objectives of said at least one application are being met;

(c) edge processing to reduce the load of the data traffic if the performance objectives of said at least one application are not being met;

(d) repeating step (b);

(e) increasing available bandwidth on existing routes of the data traffic if the performance objectives of said at least one application are not being met;

(f) repeating step (b);

(g) rerouting data traffic along alternate routes if there is no additional bandwidth available on said existing routes and if the performance objectives of said at least one application are not being met;

(h) repeating step (b);

(i) edge shaping to prioritize data traffic at ingress points to the network if there is no bandwidth available on both said existing and said alternate routes and if the performance objectives of said at least one application are not being met;

(j) repeating step (b);

(k) using QoS control and packet control to handle packet data traffic if the performance objectives of said at least one application are not being met;

(l) repeating step (b);

(m) generating an alert signal if the performance objectives of said at least one application are not being met.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising repeating step (b) if the performance objectives of said at least one application are not being met.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising specifying the performance objectives of each said application.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing pricing information on data traffic for each said application.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said functions comprise caching, predictive caching, protocol spoofing or TCP/IP offloading, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein said functions are conducted based on a pricing information of the for each said application.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein said functions are conducted without any constraints.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein said using the QoS control comprise prioritizing packets of the data traffic.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein said using the packet control comprise filtering packets of the data traffic based on the characteristics of the packet.