SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC BANDWIDTH PROVISIONING

• US 20100192213A1
• Filed: 04/02/2010
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Eric
• Inventors: Ta, Tuan, Looney, Kelly, Clendinning, Kerry, Turley, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/765 triggered by the end-points
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein provide a control device and a method executing thereon for allocating network bandwidth to users accessing a controlled network. In response to a user connecting to the control device using a user device, the control device obtains a user bandwidth allocation profile for that user based on user credentials. The user bandwidth allocation profile may be stored local or remote to the control device. A provisioning module running on the control device can map attributes in the user bandwidth allocation profile to a traffic control rule and associate the traffic control rule with the user based on the user credentials and considering information identifying the user device used by the user to connect to the control device. A traffic conditioning module running on the control device can regulate the network bandwidth usage by the user utilizing the traffic control rule associated with the user.

Claims

1. A method for allocating network bandwidth to users in a system having an authentication database storing user profiles, an access control device having a plurality of network interfaces coupled to a plurality of user devices and a provisioning device coupled to the access control device, comprising:

configuring the access control device to operate in a first state, wherein operation in the first state comprises regulating network bandwidth usage for a set of users based on a first network bandwidth limit associated with each of the users, and each of the set of users is associated with one of the plurality of user devices;

receiving a first network communication from a first network application running on a first user device coupled to one of the plurality of network interfaces;

accessing a first user profile for a first user associated with the first user device from the authentication database, wherein the first user profile comprises one or more attributes associated with the first user and the first user profile was retrieved from the authentication database based on credentials associated with the first user;

determining a second network bandwidth limit for the first user based on the first network bandwidth limit associated with each of the users and the one or more attributes associated with the first user; and

dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits associated with the plurality of users based on the second network bandwidth limit including configuring the access control device to operate in a second state, wherein operation of the access control device in the second state comprises regulating network bandwidth usage for each of the plurality of users based on the first network bandwidth limits.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second network communication from a second network application on the first user device, including user credentials provided by a second user at the first user device;

retrieving a second user profile for the second user associated with first device from the authentication database;

determining a third network bandwidth limit for the second user based on the one or more attributes of the second user profile and the first user device; and

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user is one of the plurality of users and dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits based on the second network bandwidth limit comprises dynamically updating the first network bandwidth associated with the first user to the second network bandwidth.

4. A method for allocating network bandwidth to users in a system having an authentication database storing user profiles, an access control device having a plurality of network interfaces coupled to a plurality of user devices and a provisioning device coupled to the access control device, comprising:

retrieving a set of user profiles from the authentication database based on user credentials provided by each of a set of users, wherein each of the set of users is associated with one of the plurality of user devices, each user profile corresponds to a specific user in the set of users, each user profile comprises one or more attributes associated with the corresponding user and each user profile was retrieved from the authentication database based on credentials associated with the corresponding user;

determining a first network bandwidth limit for each user based on the at least one attribute of the user profile corresponding to the user and the user device associated with the user; and

regulating network bandwidth usage through the access control device for each of the set of users at each of the plurality of user devices based on the first network bandwidth limit associated with each of the users.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of users includes a first user, and the first network bandwidth was determined based on the at least one attribute of the corresponding user profile and a first user device associated with the first user and the method further comprises:

receiving a network communication from a network application on the first user device, including user credentials provided by a second user at the first user device;

retrieving a second user profile for the second user associated with first device from the authentication database;

determining a second network bandwidth limit for the second user based on the one or more attributes of the second user profile and the first user device; and

dynamically update one or more of the first network bandwidths for each user to account for the second user at the first device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a network communication from a network application running on a first user device coupled to one of the plurality of network interfaces;

accessing a first user profile for a first user associated with the first user device from the authentication database, wherein the first user profile comprises one or more attributes associated with the first user and the first user profile was retrieved from the authentication database based on credentials associated with the first user;

determining a second network bandwidth limit for the first user based on the first network bandwidth limits associated with each of the users and the one or more attributes associated with the first user; and

dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits associated with the plurality of users based on the second network bandwidth limit, including configuring the access control device to operate in a second state, wherein operation of the access control device in the second state comprises regulating network bandwidth usage for each the plurality of users based on the first network bandwidth limits.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first user is one of the plurality of users and dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits based on the second network bandwidth limit comprises dynamically updating the first network bandwidth associated with the first user to the second network bandwidth.

8. A system, comprising:

an authentication database storing user profiles;

an access control device having a plurality of network interfaces coupled to a plurality of user devices; and

a provisioning device coupled to the access control device and comprising a computer readable medium comprising instructions for;

configuring the access control device to operate in a first state, wherein operation in the first state comprises regulating network bandwidth usage for a set of users based on a first network bandwidth limit associated with each of the users, and each of the set of users is associated with one of the plurality of user devices;

receiving a first network communication from a first network application running on a first user device coupled to one of the plurality of network interfaces;

accessing a first user profile for a first user associated with the first user device from the authentication database, wherein the first user profile comprises one or more attributes associated with the first user and the first user profile was retrieved from the authentication database based on credentials associated with the first user;

determining a second network bandwidth limit for the first user based on the first network bandwidth limit associated with each of the users and the one or more attributes associated with the first user; and

dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits associated with the plurality of users based on the second network bandwidth limit including configuring the access control device to operate in a second state, wherein operation of the access control device in the second state comprises regulating network bandwidth usage for each of the plurality of users based on the first network bandwidth limits.

9. The system of claim 8, the instructions further for:

receiving a second network communication from a second network application on the first user device, including user credentials provided by a second user at the first user device;

retrieving a second user profile for the second user associated with first device from the authentication database;

determining a third network bandwidth limit for the second user based on the one or more attributes of the second user profile and the first user device; and

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first user is one of the plurality of users and dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits based on the second network bandwidth limit comprises dynamically updating the first network bandwidth associated with the first user to the second network bandwidth.

11. A system, comprising:

an authentication database storing user profiles;

an access control device having a plurality of network interfaces coupled to a plurality of user devices; and

a provisioning device coupled to the access control device and comprising a computer readable medium comprising instructions for;

retrieving a set of user profiles from the authentication database based on user credentials provided by each of a set of users, wherein each of the set of users is associated with one of the plurality of user devices, each user profile corresponds to a specific user in the set of users, each user profile comprises one or more attributes associated with the corresponding user and each user profile was retrieved from the authentication database based on credentials associated with the corresponding user;

determining a first network bandwidth limit for each user based on the at least one attribute of the user profile corresponding to the user and the user device associated with the user; and

regulating network bandwidth usage through the access control device for each of the set of users at each of the plurality of user devices based on the first network bandwidth limit associated with each of the users.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of users includes a first user, and the first network bandwidth was determined based on the at least one attribute of the corresponding user profile and a first user device associated with the first user and the method further comprises

receiving a network communication from a network application on the first user device, including user credentials provided by a second user at the first user device;

retrieving a second user profile for the second user associated with first device from the authentication database;

determining a second network bandwidth limit for the second user based on the one or more attributes of the second user profile and the first user device; and

dynamically update one or more of the first network bandwidths for each user to account for the second user at the first device.

13. The system of claim 11, the instructions further for:

receiving a network communication from a network application running on a first user device coupled to one of the plurality of network interfaces;

accessing a first user profile for a first user associated with the first user device from the authentication database, wherein the first user profile comprises one or more attributes associated with the first user and the first user profile was retrieved from the authentication database based on credentials associated with the first user;

determining a second network bandwidth limit for the first user based on the first network bandwidth limits associated with each of the users and the one or more attributes associated with the first user; and

dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits associated with the plurality of users based on the second network bandwidth limit, including configuring the access control device to operate in a second state, wherein operation of the access control device in the second state comprises regulating network bandwidth usage for each the plurality of users based on the first network bandwidth limits.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first user is one of the plurality of users and dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits based on the second network bandwidth limit comprises dynamically updating the first network bandwidth associated with the first user to the second network bandwidth.

15. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for allocating network bandwidth to users in a system having an authentication database storing user profiles, an access control device having a plurality of network interfaces coupled to a plurality of user devices and a provisioning device coupled to the access control device, the instructions further for:

configuring the access control device to operate in a first state, wherein operation in the first state comprises regulating network bandwidth usage for a set of users based on a first network bandwidth limit associated with each of the users, and each of the set of users is associated with one of the plurality of user devices;

receiving a first network communication from a first network application running on a first user device coupled to one of the plurality of network interfaces;

accessing a first user profile for a first user associated with the first user device from the authentication database, wherein the first user profile comprises one or more attributes associated with the first user and the first user profile was retrieved from the authentication database based on credentials associated with the first user;

determining a second network bandwidth limit for the first user based on the first network bandwidth limit associated with each of the users and the one or more attributes associated with the first user; and

dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits associated with the plurality of users based on the second network bandwidth limit including configuring the access control device to operate in a second state, wherein operation of the access control device in the second state comprises regulating network bandwidth usage for each of the plurality of users based on the first network bandwidth limits.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a second network communication from a second network application on the first user device, including user credentials provided by a second user at the first user device;

retrieving a second user profile for the second user associated with first device from the authentication database;

determining a third network bandwidth limit for the second user based on the one or more attributes of the second user profile and the first user device; and

17. The computer readable storage of claim 15, wherein the first user is one of the plurality of users and dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits based on the second network bandwidth limit comprises dynamically updating the first network bandwidth associated with the first user to the second network bandwidth.

18. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for allocating network bandwidth to users in a system having an authentication database storing user profiles, an access control device having a plurality of network interfaces coupled to a plurality of user devices and a provisioning device coupled to the access control device, the instructions further for:

retrieving a set of user profiles from the authentication database based on user credentials provided by each of a set of users, wherein each of the set of users is associated with one of the plurality of user devices, each user profile corresponds to a specific user in the set of users, each user profile comprises one or more attributes associated with the corresponding user and each user profile was retrieved from the authentication database based on credentials associated with the corresponding user;

determining a first network bandwidth limit for each user based on the at least one attribute of the user profile corresponding to the user and the user device associated with the user; and

regulating network bandwidth usage through the access control device for each of the set of users at each of the plurality of user devices based on the first network bandwidth limit associated with each of the users.

20. The computer readable storage of claim 18, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a network communication from a network application running on a first user device coupled to one of the plurality of network interfaces;

accessing a first user profile for a first user associated with the first user device from the authentication database, wherein the first user profile comprises one or more attributes associated with the first user and the first user profile was retrieved from the authentication database based on credentials associated with the first user;

determining a second network bandwidth limit for the first user based on the first network bandwidth limits associated with each of the users and the one or more attributes associated with the first user; and

dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits associated with the plurality of users based on the second network bandwidth limit, including configuring the access control device to operate in a second state, wherein operation of the access control device in the second state comprises regulating network bandwidth usage for each the plurality of users based on the first network bandwidth limits.

21. The computer readable storage of claim 20, wherein the first user is one of the plurality of users and dynamically updating at least one of the first network bandwidth limits based on the second network bandwidth limit comprises dynamically updating the first network bandwidth associated with the first user to the second network bandwidth.

19. The computer readable storage of claim wherein the set of users includes a first user, and the first network bandwidth was determined based on the at least one attribute of the corresponding user profile and a first user device associated with the first user and the instructions are further for:

receiving a network communication from a network application on the first user device, including user credentials provided by a second user at the first user device;

retrieving a second user profile for the second user associated with first device from the authentication database;

determining a second network bandwidth limit for the second user based on the one or more attributes of the second user profile and the first user device; and

dynamically update one or more of the first network bandwidths for each user to account for the second user at the first device.