COMMUNICATION PATH SELECTION

• US 20090052466A1
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Durazzo, Kenneth Alan, Akhter, Aamer Saeed, Khalid, Mohamed
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/121 by minimising delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/70 Routing based on monitoring results
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a method for selecting a communication path is provided. The method may comprise receiving data encapsulated in a transport protocol. In addition, a classification type and exit path information associated with the classification type may be received. The data is associated with the classification type and then is encapsulated in Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) based on the exit path information. This exit path information is associated with the classification type that is associated with the data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data that is encapsulated in a transport protocol;

receiving a classification type and exit path information associated with the classification type;

associating the data with the classification type; and

encapsulating the data in a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) based on the exit path information, the exit path information being associated with the classification type that is associated with the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating the data with the classification type comprises:

identifying a classification type of the data;

comparing the classification type of the data with the classification type received; and

locating the classification type received that matches the classification type of the data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a queue associated with the classification type from a plurality of queues; and

storing the data in the queue.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading the exit path information associated with the classification type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification type and the exit path information are stored in a data structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the exit path information is a network layer address, and wherein the encapsulating the data comprises:

inserting the network layer address in an SCTP header, the SCTP header being associated with an SCTP packet; and

encapsulating the data in an SCTP data chunk, the SCTP data chunk being associated with the SCTP packet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification type and the exit path information are defined based on a latency.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a determination of the latency comprises:

transmitting an SCTP heartbeat request, the SCTP heartbeat request including a time stamp;

receiving an SCTP heartbeat acknowledgement, the SCTP heartbeat acknowledgement including the time stamp; and

subtracting the time stamp from a current time to define a difference, the difference being the latency.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification type and the exit path information are defined based on a packet loss.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein an identification of a communication path associated with the packet loss comprises:

transmitting the data encapsulated in the SCTP by way of the communication path, the data being associated with a transmission sequence number; and

storing the transmission sequence number and an identifier associated with the communication path in a data structure.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identification of the communication path further comprises:

receiving a selective acknowledgement, the selective acknowledgement being configured to identify a gap in a sequence of a plurality of transmission sequence numbers, the transmission sequence number being associated with the gap; and

retrieving the identifier associated with the transmission sequence number from the data structure.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory comprising an instruction executable by the processor, when executed the processor being configured to,

receive data that is encapsulated in a transport protocol,

access a classification type and exit path information associated with the classification type,

associate the data with the classification type, and

encapsulate the data in a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) based on the exit path information, the exit path information being associated with the classification type that is associated with the data.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein when executed the processor is further configured to:

identify a classification type of the data;

compare the classification type of the data with the classification type accessed; and

locate the classification type accessed that matches the classification type of the data.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein when executed the processor is further configured to:

select a queue associated with the classification type from a plurality of queues; and

store the data in the queue after the data is encapsulated in the SCTP.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein when executed the processor is further configured to:

insert the IP address in an SCTP header, the SCTP header being associated with an SCTP packet; and

encapsulate the data in an SCTP data chunk, the SCTP data chunk being associated with the SCTP packet.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein when executed the processor is further configured to:

transmit an SCTP heartbeat request, the SCTP heartbeat request including a time stamp;

receive an SCTP heartbeat acknowledgement, the SCTP heartbeat acknowledgement including the time stamp; and

subtract the time stamp from a current time to define a difference, the difference being a latency.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein when executed the processor is further configured to:

transmit the data encapsulated in the SCTP by way of a communication path, the data being associated with a transmission sequence number;

store the transmission sequence number and an identifier associated with the communication path in a data structure;

receive a selective acknowledgement, the selective acknowledgement being configured to identify a gap in a sequence of a plurality of transmission sequence numbers, the transmission sequence number being associated with the gap; and

retrieve the identifier associated with the transmission sequence number from the data structure.

18. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

receive data that is encapsulated in a transport protocol;

access a plurality of classification types and a plurality of exit path information associated with the plurality of classification types;

associate the data with one of the plurality of classification types; and

encapsulate the data in a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) based on one of the plurality of exit path information that is associated with the one of the plurality of classification types.

19. The logic of claim 18, wherein the logic when executed further operable to:

identify a classification type of the data;

compare the classification type of the data with each of the plurality of classification types accessed; and

locate the one of the plurality of classification types that matches the classification type of the data.

20. The logic of claim 18, wherein the plurality of exit path information are configured to identify a plurality of communication paths, and wherein the logic when executed is further operable to:

select one of a plurality of queues associated with one of a plurality of communication paths; and

store the data in the one of the plurality of queues after the data is encapsulated in the SCTP.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a first means for receiving data that is encapsulated in a transport protocol;

a second means for receiving a classification type and exit path information associated with the classification type;

a third means for associating the data with the classification type; and

a fifth means for encapsulating the data in a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) based on the exit path information, the exit path information being associated with the classification type that is associated with the data.