NETWORK-AWARE ADAPTER FOR APPLICATIONS

• US 20090279547A1
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: DING, Wayne, MISTRY, Nalin, YAO, Zhonghui
• Granted Patent: US 7,920,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

Streams of data traffic from various applications may be handled by a network-aware adapter module as part of a greater platform for filtering communicating the streams to intelligent network components. A distinguishing factor associated with a given data stream may be determined and used as a basis for selecting a QoS policy setting for the given data stream. The selected QoS policy setting may then be signaled to a media access control layer to take advantage of the QoS function of the embedded underlying active media type that is active and optimal (both from technical and business perspective) to carry out the communication for the application.

Claims

1. A method of adapting a data stream before said data stream proceeds to a media access control (MAC) layer, said MAC layer having been adapted to receive QoS Policy setting, said method comprising:

receiving a packet, where said packet is associated with a data stream;

determining a distinguishing factor associated with said data stream;

selecting, based on said distinguishing factor, a QoS Policy setting for said data stream; and

signaling said QoS Policy setting to said MAC layer in association with said packet.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said QoS Policy setting includes a quality of service setting.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said QoS Policy setting includes a user experience setting.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said data stream is a stream of a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) packets and said determining said distinguishing factor comprises inspecting a header field in a given packet among said plurality of IP packets.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said header field holds an indication of a source address for said given packet.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said header field holds an indication of a destination address for said given packet.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said header field holds an indication of a source port for said given packet.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein said header field holds an indication of a destination port for said given packet.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said distinguishing factor comprises an identification of an application associated with said data stream.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said application is associated with a priority level and said selecting said QoS Policy setting for said data stream comprises basing said selecting on an association between said priority level and said QoS Policy setting.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said application comprises a video application.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said application comprises a voice application.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said application comprises a gaming application.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said application comprises a collaboration application.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein said application comprises an instant messaging application.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said distinguishing factor comprises an identification of a subscriber associated with said data stream.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said distinguishing factor comprises an identification of a media type associated with said data stream.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said media type comprises a wired networking technology based on a IEEE 802.3 standard.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said media type comprises a wireless networking technology based on a IEEE 802.11 standard.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said media type comprises a wired networking technology based on a IEEE 802.16 standard.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein said media type comprises a wireless networking technology based on a standard emerging from the 3GPP Long Term Evolution project.

22. A computing device comprising:

a processor adapted to execute a filtering platform having a module adapted to;

receive a packet, where said packet is associated with a data stream;

determine a distinguishing factor associated with said data stream;

select, based on said distinguishing factor, a QoS Policy setting for said data stream; and

signal said QoS Policy setting to a media access control layer in association with said packet.

23. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when performed by a processor, cause said processor to:

receive a packet, where said packet is associated with a data stream;

determine a distinguishing factor associated with said data stream;

select, based on said distinguishing factor, a QoS Policy setting for said data stream; and

signal said QoS Policy setting to a media access control layer in association with said packet.