Methods and Apparatus for Providing Dynamic Data Flow Queues

• US 20100278189A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tellabs Operations Incorporated (Infinera Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tellabs Operations Incorporated (Infinera Corp.)
• Inventors: Soon, Yee Ming
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/412
• 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 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2483 involving identification of individual flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/52 by attributing bandwidth to queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/00 Packet switching elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3027 Output queuing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9057 Arrangements for supporting packet reassembly or resequencing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9094 Arrangements for simultaneous transmit and receive, e.g. simultaneous reading/writing from/to the storage element

Abstract

A network system and method capable of creating separate output queues on demand to improve overall network routing performance are disclosed. The network system, in one embodiment, includes a classifier, an egress queuing device and a processor. The classifier provides a result of classification for an incoming data flow in accordance with a set of predefined application policies. The egress queuing device is an egress per flow queue (“PFQ”) wherein a separately dedicated queue can be dynamically allocated within the egress PFQ in accordance with the result of classification. The processor is configured to establish a temporary circuit connection between the classifier and the egress queuing device for facilitating routing process.

Claims

1. A network system, comprising:

a classifier capable of providing a first result of classification for a first data flow in accordance with a plurality of predefined application policies;

an egress per flow queue (“

PFQ”

) coupled to the classifier and configured to dynamically allocate a first dedicated queue in accordance with the first result of classification, and FIB lookup; and

a processor coupled to the classifier and configured to establish a temporary backchannel between the classifier and the egress PFQ for managing routing process.

2. The network system of claim 1, further comprising a control plane coupled to the processor and configured to receive the plurality of predefined application policies from a user.

3. The network system of claim 2, further comprising a forwarding information base (“

FIB”

) coupled to the classification engine and configured to store the plurality of forwarding entries containing matching egress port with information patterns from incoming packets.

4. The network system of claim 1,

wherein the classifier is capable of providing a second result of classification for a second data flow in accordance with the plurality of predefined application policies;

wherein the egress PFQ is configured to dynamically allocate a second dedicated queue in accordance with the second result of classification; and

wherein the processor is capable of establishing a second temporary backchannel between the classification engine and the egress PFQ for managing forwarding process.

5. The network system of claim 1, wherein the classifier is a circuit capable of classifying and transmitting connectionless Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) queuing packets.

6. The network system of claim 5, wherein the classifier is capable of providing a notification of detecting a flow with predefined priority to the processor via the temporary backchannel.

7. The network system of claim 1, wherein the temporary backchannel is a connection facilitating a point-to-point circuit between the classifier and the egress PFQ.

8. A method for network communication, comprising:

receiving a first data flow having at least one data packet;

providing a first flow classification associated with the first data flow in accordance with a predefined application policies;

establishing a first temporary circuit connection between a classification engine and an egress queuing device in accordance with the first flow classification; and

allocating a first dedicated queue in the egress queuing device for transmitting the first data flow.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising populating information stored in the plurality of forwarding entries containing matching egress ports with information patterns from incoming packets.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising classifying the first data flow in response to classification information stored in the FIB.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a second data flow having at least one data packet;

providing a second flow classification associated with the second data flow in accordance with a predefined application policies;

establishing a second temporary circuit connection between a classification engine and an egress queuing device in accordance with the second flow classification; and

allocating a second dedicated queue in the egress queuing device for transmitting the second data flow.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving a first data flow having at least one data packet further includes obtaining a connectionless data flow.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein providing a first flow classification associated with the first data flow further includes identifying Quality of Service (“

QoS”

) and application policies in accordance with information the first flow classification.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing a first temporary circuit connection further includes creating a point-to-point circuit between the classification engine and an egress queuing device to facilitate transmitting for the first data flow.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein allocating a first dedicated queue in the egress queuing device further includes dynamically adjusting capacity of the first dedicated queue in accordance with information provided by the classification engine via a temporary backchannel.

16. A method for a data flow in a communications network, comprising:

obtaining classification policies associated with predefined identifiable flows via a control plane mechanism;

populating information stored in the plurality of forwarding entries containing matching egress ports with information patterns from incoming packets;

receiving a first data flow having at least one data packet;

issuing a first notification of detecting a flow with the predefined identifiable flows when the first data flow matches with one of the predefined identifiable flows; and

establishing a first temporary circuit connection between a classification engine and an egress queuing device in accordance with the first notification.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a first result of classification associated with the first data flow in accordance with predefined application policies.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising allocating a first dedicated outgoing queue in an egress queuing device for outgoing transmitting process.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a second data flow having at least one data packet;

issuing a second notification of detecting a flow with the predefined identifiable flows when the second data flow matches with one of the predefined identifiable flows; and

establishing a second temporary circuit connection between a classification engine and an egress queuing device in accordance with the second notification.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein obtaining classification policies associated with predefined identifiable flows further includes receiving a plurality of application policies applicable to a plurality of predefined identifiable flows from a network administrator.