SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING A LINE RATE UTILIZATION

• US 20100226253A1
• Filed: 05/13/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bugenhagen, Michael K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

A system and method for tracking a line rate utilization. An effective throughput is measured for a data stream during a time period. A number of frames in the data stream is counted during the time period. A line rate utilization is determined for the data stream utilizing the number of frames and a size of the frames in response to the time period ending. The line rate utilization is save for communication to one or more users. The line rate utilization is communicated to one or more users.

Claims

1. A method for tracking a line rate utilization, the method comprising:

measuring an effective throughput for a data stream during a time period;

counting a number of frames in the data stream during the time period;

determining a line rate utilization for the data stream utilizing the number of frames and a size of the frames in response to the time period ending;

saving the line rate utilization for communication to one or more users; and

communicating the line rate utilization to one or more users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining compliance with a service level agreement in response to comparing the line rate utilization and a maximum line rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring, counting, determining, saving, and communicating is performed by a port of a communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting the line rate utilization into a bits measurement from a bytes measurement associated with the size of the frames.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

resetting the time period in response to communicating the line rate utilization to one or more users.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically determining compliance with the SLA in response to thresholds associated with frame size;

reporting compliance with the SLA in a message, the message including network conditions at the time of the message.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

communicating SLA compliance in the message, the SLA including a throughput range associated with potential frame sizes communicated through a UNI.

8. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

rate limiting the packets communicated through the port in response to the line rate utilization.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the line rate utilization is performed by taking the number of frames communicated during the time period multiplied by frame overhead and adding it to the effective throughput.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the frame overhead is set based on a communications standard or protocol utilized for the data stream, wherein frame overhead is set as an attribute of a network element, wherein the line rate utilization is communicated to a plurality of network devices to adjust traffic to keep the data stream below a maximum line rate.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the line rate utilization includes communicating a message indicating a maximum line rate and the line rate utilization in response to determining there is loss.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the line rate utilization includes an alarm generated in response to violation of an SLA.

13. A system for tracking a line rate utilization, the system comprising:

a UNI operable to communicate with a plurality of UNIs;

a network operable to communicate packets between the UNI and the plurality of UNIs; and

wherein the UNI includes a port operable to;

measure an effective throughput for a data stream during a time period;

count a number of frames in the data stream during the time period;

determine a line rate utilization for the data stream utilizing the number of frames and a size of the frames in response to the time period ending;

save the line rate utilization for communication to one or more users; and

communicate the line rate utilization to one or more users.

14. The system according to claim 13, a rate limiter for shaping packet traffic, the rate limiter limiting the packets communicated in the network in response to a comparison of the line rate utilization and a maximum line rate.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the port dynamically determines compliance with an SLA utilizing one or more thresholds for throughput and the line rate utilization, wherein the line rate utilization is determined by taking the number of frames communicated during the time period multiplied by frame overhead and adding it to the effective throughput.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the frame overhead is set based on a communications standard or protocol utilized for the data stream, wherein frame overhead is set as an attribute of a network element, wherein the port is further operable to convert the line rate utilization into a bits measurement from a bytes measurement associated with the size of the frames for communication to the one or more users and reset the time period in response to communicating the line rate utilization to one or more users.

17. A port operable to track a line rate utilization, comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory operable to store the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are executed to;

measure an effective throughput for a data stream during a time period;

count a number of frames in the data stream during the time period;

determine a line rate utilization for the data stream utilizing the number of frames and a size of the frames in response to the time period ending;

save the line rate utilization for communication to one or more users; and

communicate the line rate utilization to one or more users.

18. The port according to claim 17, wherein the port is integrated with a network communications device, the port is operable to communicate the line rate utilization to one or more users through one or more network connections.

19. The UNI according to claim 17, further comprising:

dynamically determining compliance with a SLA or technical threshold in response to the line rate utilization, wherein the line rate utilization is determined by taking the number of frames communicated during the time period multiplied by frame overhead and adding it to the effective throughput.

20. The UNI according to claim 19, wherein the frame overhead is set based on a communications standard or protocol utilized for the data stream, wherein frame overhead is set as an attribute of a network element, wherein the set of instructions are further executed to convert the line rate utilization into a bits measurement from a bytes measurement associated with the size of the frames for communication to the one or more users and reset the time period in response to communicating the line rate utilization to one or more users.