TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT FOR FRAME RELAY SWITCHED DATA SERVICE

• US 20100157805A1
• Filed: 12/27/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: CHASE, CHRISTOPHER J., Medamana, John Babu, Saksena, Vikram R., Holmgren, Stephen L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4608 LAN interconnection over ATM networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5602 Bandwidth control in ATM Networks, e.g. leaky bucket
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5636 Monitoring or policing, e.g. compliance with allocated rate, corrective actions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5645 Connectionless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/567 Frame Relay over ATM
• 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 45/17 Shortcut routing, e.g. using next hop resolution protocol [NHRP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/105 ATM switching elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A new type of data transport service which uses a frame relay layer 2 data link connection identifier (DLCI) to select among various service types, feature sets, and/or closed user groups (CUGs). A layer 3 address may be extracted from a layer 2 frame, and the layer 3 address information may be used to route a data packet over a packet-switched network according to the service classes, feature sets, and/or CUGs selected. At the destination, the layer 3 data packet may again be enclosed in a layer 2 frame with a DLCI indicating the service classes, features sets, and/or CUGs. Because the use of conventional permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) is not required in aspects of the invention, new methods of measuring and managing network traffic are presented.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

managing according to a committed delivery rate at least one of a plurality of actual network transmission rates for at least one of a plurality of active sources, the committed delivery rate being associated with a destination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

averaging at least one of a plurality of offering rates of at least one of the plurality of active sources over a time window.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

defining a length of the time window to be variable.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a destination rate share to each of a first group of the active sources, the first group of active sources offering to send a plurality of data packets to the destination.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the assigning comprises assigning the destination rate share according to an identity of the destination.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the managing comprises managing according to the destination rate shares of the first group of active sources and an actual network transmission rate for at least one of the active sources in the first group of active sources.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reserving a first portion of network bandwidth for a first inactive source sufficient to allow the first inactive source to begin to send data packets through a network at a rate at least equal to a first reference rate.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining the first reference rate according to a total number of inactive sources.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining the first reference rate according to a first priority classification of the first inactive source.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the managing comprises notifying at least one of the active sources of network congestion by providing a backward congestion notification to the at least one active source when an offering rate of the at least one active source exceeds the actual network transmission rate for the at least one active source.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the notifying the at least one active source comprises providing a Layer 2 backward congestion notification to the at least one active source.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the notifying the at least one active source comprises providing a Layer 3 backward congestion notification to the at least one active source.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the notifying the at least one active source further comprises providing information representing an identity of the destination, the at least one active source offering to send a plurality of data packets to the destination.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

means for managing according to a committed delivery rate at least one of a plurality of actual network transmission rates for at least one of a plurality of active sources, the committed delivery rate being associated with a destination.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for averaging at least one of a plurality of offering rates of at least one of the plurality of active sources over a time window.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for defining a length of the time window to be variable.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for assigning a destination rate share to each of a first group of the active sources, the first group of active sources offering to send a plurality of data packets to the destination.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for assigning assigns the destination rate share according to an identity of the destination.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for managing manages according to the destination rate shares of the first group of active sources and an actual network transmission rate for at least one of the active sources in the first group of active sources.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for reserving a first portion of network bandwidth for a first inactive source sufficient to allow the first inactive source to begin to send data packets through a network at a rate at least equal to a first reference rate.