Method and apparatus for adaptive bandwidth control with defined priorities for different networks

• US 20080240156A1
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lazzaro, Christopher Victor, Elliot, Steven, Tran, Thanh K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,094,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/27 Evaluation or update of window size, e.g. using information derived from acknowledged [ACK] packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/821 Prioritising resource allocation or reservation requests

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code to receive data from a source at a plurality of gateways for distribution using a selected priority. The data is transmitted from the plurality of gateways to a plurality of receivers using the selected priority. Every gateway in the plurality of gateways has an adaptive bandwidth control process and a respective set of parameters for controlling the adaptive bandwidth control process for sending the data at the selected priority. Transmission of the data from each gateway for the selected priority has a different impact on other traffic at different gateways in the plurality gateways for the selected priority when different values are set for the set of parameters for the different gateways.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for adaptively controlling transmission of data, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving data from a source at a plurality of gateways for distribution using a selected priority; and

transmitting the data from the plurality of gateways to a plurality of receivers using the selected priority, wherein every gateway in the plurality of gateways has an adaptive bandwidth control process and a respective set of parameters for controlling the adaptive bandwidth control process for sending the data at the selected priority and wherein transmission of the data from each gateway for the selected priority has a different impact on other traffic at different gateways in the plurality gateways for the selected priority when different values are set for the set of parameters for the different gateways.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of parameters comprise a threshold, beta, and a maximum wait time.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring a set of parameters for a particular gateway in the plurality of gateways, wherein the set of parameters for the particular gateway are different from the set of parameters for another gateway in the plurality of gateways.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the adaptive bandwidth control process takes into account congestion along a path from a gateway in the plurality of gateways to a receiver of the distribution.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the respective set of parameters is different for different gateways in the plurality of gateways.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises one of a data file, an application update, and a virus patch.

7. A computer program product comprising:

A computer usable medium having computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code for receiving data from a source at a plurality of gateways for distribution using a selected priority; and

computer usable program code for transmitting the data from the plurality of gateways to a plurality of receivers using the selected priority, wherein every gateway in the plurality of gateways has an adaptive bandwidth control process and a respective set of parameters for controlling the adaptive bandwidth control process for sending the data at the selected priority and wherein transmission of the data from each gateway for the selected priority has a different impact on other traffic at different gateways in the plurality gateways for the selected priority when different values are set for the set of parameters for the different gateways.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the set of parameters comprise a threshold, beta, and a maximum wait time.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising:

computer usable program code for configuring a set of parameters for a particular gateway in the plurality of gateways, wherein the set of parameters for the particular gateway are different from the set of parameters for another gateway in the plurality of gateways.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the adaptive bandwidth control process takes into account congestion along a path from a gateway in the plurality of gateways to a receiver of the distribution.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the respective set of parameters is different for different gateways in the plurality of gateways.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the data comprises one of a data file, an application update, and a virus patch.

13. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a memory connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes a set of computer usable program code; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the set of computer usable program code to receive data from a source at a plurality of gateways for distribution using a selected priority; and

transmit the data from the plurality of gateways to a plurality of receivers using the selected priority, wherein every gateway in the plurality of gateways has an adaptive bandwidth control process and a respective set of parameters for controlling the adaptive bandwidth control process for sending the data at the selected priority and wherein transmission of the data from each gateway for the selected priority has a different impact on other traffic at different gateways in the plurality gateways for the selected priority when different values are set for the set of parameters for the different gateways.

14. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the set of parameters comprise a threshold, beta, and a maximum wait time.

15. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to configure a set of parameters for a particular gateway in the plurality of gateways, wherein the set of parameters for the particular gateway are different from the set of parameters for another gateway in the plurality of gateways.

16. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the adaptive bandwidth control process takes into account congestion along a path from a gateway in the plurality of gateways to a receiver of the distribution.

17. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the respective set of parameters is different for different gateways in the plurality of gateways.

18. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the data comprises one of a data file, an application update, and a virus patch.

19. A data processing system for adaptively controlling transmission of data, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving data from a source at a plurality of gateways for distribution using a selected priority; and

transmitting means for transmitting the data from the plurality of gateways to a plurality of receivers using the selected priority, wherein every gateway in the plurality of gateways has an adaptive bandwidth control process and a respective set of parameters for controlling the adaptive bandwidth control process for sending the data at the selected priority and wherein transmission of the data from each gateway for the selected priority has a different impact on other traffic at different gateways in the plurality gateways for the selected priority when different values are set for the set of parameters for the different gateways.

20. A method for providing customized data transfer to a client, the method comprising:

receiving a request for customized data transfer form the client, wherein the request includes network characteristics and gateway identifications;

generating custom sets of parameters, wherein each set of parameters is assigned to a gateway based on the gateway identifications and the network characteristics;

sending to the client the custom sets of parameters for use with computer usable program code for receiving data from a source at a plurality of gateways for distribution using a selected priority and transmitting the data from the plurality of gateways to a plurality of receivers using the selected priority, wherein every gateway in the plurality of gateways has an adaptive bandwidth control process and a respective set of parameters for controlling the adaptive bandwidth control process for sending the data at the selected priority and wherein transmission of the data from each gateway for the selected priority has a different impact on other traffic at different gateways in the plurality gateways for the selected priority when different values are set for the of parameters for in the different gateways.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the sending step further comprises sending the computer usable program code with the custom sets of parameters.