Dynamic Traffic Rearrangement to Enforce Policy Change in MPLS Networks

• US 20110026398A1
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Hafid, Abdelhakim, Natarajan, Narayanan
• Application Number:
  US12/903,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20110026398A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/247 using M:N active or standby paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds

Abstract

A system and method of rearranging Label Switched Paths (LSPs) and rerouting traffic in a DiffServ-enabled Multi-Protocol Label Switched (MPLS) network is disclosed. The system periodically monitors network performance, and rearranges LSPs and reroutes traffic through existing or new Label Switched Paths (LSPs) based on network performance and network bandwidth utilized by various DiffServ classes.

Claims

1. A method of controlling traffic of data through a network, the network having a plurality of Label Switched Paths (LSPs) created with Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), the method comprising:

(a) monitoring network traffic through the plurality of LSPs and determining utilization of LSPs on a DiffServ class basis;

(b) if LSP utilization for one or more classes exceeds a predetermined threshold, issuing a rearrange request comprising;

(i) a new policy on fraction of network bandwidth to be allocated for each DiffServ class.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of monitoring LSP utilization includes calculating the bandwidth used on each of the plurality of LSPs by each of a plurality of differentiated services classes.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the bandwidth used by each of a plurality of differentiated services classes is compared to a predetermined threshold for each particular class.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(c) if LSP utilization for one or more DiffServ classes falls below a predetermined threshold, issuing a rearrange request comprising;

(i) a new policy on fraction of network bandwidth to be allocated for each DiffServ class.

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17. A system used for traffic engineering in a network, the network having a plurality of Label Switched Paths (LSPs) the system comprising:

(a) means for monitoring network performance data and sending a rearrange order if LSP utilization on a DiffServ class basis exceeds a predetermined level;

(b) means for responding to the rearrange order by evaluating which of a plurality of paths should be provisioned a different amount of bandwidth according to traffic currently flowing through the plurality of paths;

(c) means for determining whether new paths should be created to accommodate the rearrange order and creating those new paths,

(d) means for reallocating traffic between the plurality of paths and any new paths that have been created.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the means for monitoring sends a rearrange order if LSP utilization falls below a predetermined level.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising means for deleting one or more paths when LSP utilization falls below a predetermined level.

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