Traffic Allocation

• US 20100149987A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Wiley, Marshall D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 Network testing or monitoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

A method may include storing rules associated with processing calls. Each of the rules may include a maximum number of calls per unit of time. The method may also include determining whether the maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with a first one of the rules is greater than a threshold. The method may further include allocating by a first node, when the maximum number of calls per unit of time is greater than the threshold, a number of calls per unit of time to the first node based on the number of calls satisfying the first rule that were received by the first node and a total number of calls satisfying the first rule that were received by all of the nodes.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a number of calls, associated with a first rule, that were received by a first one of a plurality of nodes over a first period of time;

receiving information identifying a number of calls, associated with the first rule, that were received by other ones of the plurality of nodes over the first period of time;

identifying a maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with the first rule, the maximum number being greater than a threshold value;

allocating, by the first node, a portion of the maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with the first rule to the first node, based on the number of calls associated with the first rule that were received by the plurality of nodes over the first period of time;

determining, by the first node, whether a maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with a second rule is less than the threshold value; and

forwarding, by the first node when the maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with the second rule is less than the threshold value, call requests associated with calls received by the first node that satisfy the second rule to a second device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing, by the first node, calls satisfying the second rule received over the first period of time;

determining a portion or percentage of a total number of calls that satisfied the second rule during the first period of time that were received by the first node;

calculating a first number of calls per unit of time based on the determined portion or percentage; and

increasing the first number to identify a second number of call requests to forward to the second device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the forwarding call requests associated with calls received by the first node that satisfy the second rule comprises:

forwarding, by the first node, the second number of call requests to the second device during the first period of time.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

discarding or dropping, by the first node, calls satisfying the second rule that were received during the first period of time after the second number of call requests have been forwarded.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein increasing the first number comprises one of adding a constant value to the first number or adding a value based on the first number.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

forwarding, by the first node, the second number of call requests to the second device during the first period of time;

receiving, by the second device, the second number of call requests from the first node;

receiving, by the second device, call requests from other ones of the plurality of nodes; and

determining, by the second device, whether to allow calls satisfying the second rule to be forwarded by the first node based on a time in which the call requests were received by the second device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating comprises:

determining a portion or percentage of a total number of calls that satisfied the first rule during the first period of time that were received by the first node, and

calculating a number of calls per unit of time based on the determined portion or percentage.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a portion or percentage of a total number of calls that satisfied the first rule during the first period of time that were received by each of the other ones of plurality of nodes; and

allocating, by each of the other ones of the plurality of nodes, a number of calls per unit of time based on its respective determined portion or percentage.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding, by the first node, to each of the other ones of the plurality of nodes, information identifying the number of calls received by the first node that satisfied the first rule during the first period of time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first period of time comprises a plurality of intervals, the method further comprising:

forwarding at each interval, by the first node, the information identifying the number of calls that satisfied the first rule to each of the other ones of the plurality of nodes; and

receiving at each interval, by the first node, from the other ones of the plurality of nodes, information identifying the number of calls satisfying the first rule that were received by the other ones of the plurality of nodes.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the determining a number of calls and receiving information identifying a number of calls at predetermined intervals for subsequent periods of time; and

modifying the allocation of the portion of the maximum number of calls to the first node for each subsequent period of time based on the determined number of calls that were received by the first node and the other ones of the plurality of nodes during each of the subsequent periods of time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, by the first node, a database storing a plurality of rules;

searching, by the first node, all of the rules in the database to identify each rule that applies to a received call; and

calculating a number of calls received by the first node that satisfy each rule stored in the database for each interval of time, where at least some calls may be counted for two or more rules.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented using a computer-readable medium.

14. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

access a plurality of rules associated with processing calls, each of the plurality of rules including a maximum number of calls per unit of time;

determine whether the maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with a first one of the plurality of rules is greater than a threshold; and

allocating, when the maximum number of calls per unit of time is greater than the threshold, a number of calls per unit of time to a first node, based on a total number of calls satisfying the first rule that were received by the first node and a total number of calls satisfying the first rule that were received by a plurality of other nodes.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further including instructions for causing the at least one processor to:

forward, when the maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with the first rule is less than the threshold value, call requests associated with calls received by the first node that satisfy the first rule to a second device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further including instructions for causing the at least one processor to:

determine, when the maximum number of calls per unit of time is less than the threshold, a portion or percentage of a total number of calls that satisfied the first rule during a first period of time that were received by the first node;

calculating a number of calls per unit of time based on the determined portion or percentage; and

adding a first value to the calculated number of calls per unit of time to determine a first number of call requests to forward to a second device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further including instructions for causing the at least one processor to:

forward, by the first node, the first number of call requests to the second device during the first period of time; and

discard or drop calls satisfying the first rule that were received during the first period of time after the first number of call requests have been forwarded.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein when allocating, the instructions cause the at least one processor to:

determine a portion or percentage of a total number of calls that satisfied the first rule during a first period of time that were received by the first node, and

allocate a number of calls per unit of time based on the determined portion or percentage.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further including instructions for causing the at least one processor to:

forward, by the first node to each of the plurality of other nodes, information identifying the number of calls received during a first period of time that satisfied the first rule; and

receive, by the first node from the plurality of other nodes, information identifying the number of calls satisfying the first rule that were received by the plurality of other nodes during the first period of time.

20. A device, comprising:

logic configured to;

determine a number of calls received by the device over a first period of time that satisfied a first rule, the first rule defining a maximum number of calls per unit of time,

determine whether the maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with the first rule is greater than a threshold,

receive, from a plurality of other devices, information identifying a number of calls received by the plurality of other devices over the first period of time that satisfied the first rule, and

allocate, when the maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with the first rule is greater than the threshold, a portion of the maximum number of calls per unit of time to the device, based on the number of calls that satisfied the first rule that were received by the device over the first period of time and the number of calls that satisfied the first rule that were received by the plurality of other devices over the first period of time.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein when allocating, the logic is configured to:

determine a proportion or percentage of a total number of calls satisfying the first rule that were received by the device over the first period of time, and

allocate a number of calls per unit of time based on the determined proportion or percentage.

22. The device of claim 20, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to;

forward, to the plurality of other devices, information identifying the number of calls received by the device over the first period of time that satisfied the first rule.

23. The device of claim 20, wherein the logic is further configured to:

dynamically reallocate the portion of the maximum number of calls per unit of time to the device for subsequent periods of time based on the number of calls received by the device that satisfy the first rule and the number of calls received by the plurality of other devices that satisfy the first rule during subsequent periods of time.

24. A method, comprising:

storing a plurality of rules associated with processing calls, each of the plurality of rules including a maximum number of calls per unit of time;

determining whether the maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with a first one of the plurality of rules is greater than a threshold; and

allocating by a first one of a plurality of nodes, when the maximum number of calls per unit of time is greater than the threshold, a number of calls per unit of time to the first node based on a number of calls satisfying the first rule that were received by the first node and a total number of calls satisfying the first rule that were received by all of the plurality of nodes.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

forwarding, by the first node when the maximum number of calls per unit of time associated with the first rule is less than the threshold, call requests associated with calls received by the first node that satisfy the first rule to a second device; and

receiving, from the second device, information indicating whether to forward calls satisfying the first rule or drop calls satisfying the first rule.