Server, network device, client, and network system

• US 20110078237A1
• Filed: 09/03/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Nobuyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/923,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20110078237A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

A server in a network system generates packets including payload data and at least one capability field, and sends the packets on a traffic path in a communication network. The capability field may indicate the capability of the server to provide the payload data, as determined by the server itself, or the capability of the traffic path to transfer the packets. In the latter case, network devices that transfer the packets update the capability field, or add a new capability field reporting their individual packet transfer capability. A client device receiving the packets can use the information in the capability field(s) to isolate quality problems to the server or the communication network, or to specific network devices in the communication network, and take appropriate action such as canceling a service request or reducing the requested level of service.

Claims

1. A server connected to a communication network, comprising:

a service providing unit that generates payload data; and

a first network interface unit that receives the payload data from the service providing unit, generates a packet including the payload data and at least one of a first capability field and a second capability field, and sends the packet to the communication network to be transmitted on a traffic path toward a destination, the first capability field indicating a capability of the service providing unit to provide the payload data, the second capability field indicating a capability of the traffic path to transfer the packet.

2. The server of claim 1, further comprising a service providing capability measuring unit for measuring at least one of activity of a central processing unit (CPU) of the server, memory usage in the server, occupancy of the CPU by an active application program, amount of memory allocated to the active application program, a disk input/output interrupt rate, and usage of the first network interface unit and thereby determining a value indicating the capability of the service providing unit to provide the payload data, wherein the packet includes the first capability field and the first network interface unit places the value determined by the service providing capability measuring unit in the first capability field.

3. The server of claim 2, wherein the packet has a packet header and the first network interface unit calculates a checksum from at least the packet header, the payload data, and the first capability field and places the checksum in the packet header.

4. A network device connected to the server of claim 2 through the communication network, comprising:

a second network interface unit for receiving the packet sent from the server;

a transfer processing unit for determining a next destination of the packet on the traffic path; and

a transfer capability measuring unit for measuring at least one of a CPU load in the network device, an amount of data currently queued in a queue buffer in the network device, a mean packet transfer time, a packet transfer time variance, a load on the second network interface unit, a packet loss rate, and a packet propagation delay and thereby determining a value indicating a packet transfer capability of the network device;

wherein

if the packet, when received, lacks the second capability field, the second network interface unit adds the second capability field to the packet and places a prescribed initial value in the second capability field;

if the packet, when received, already has the second capability field, the second network interface unit updates the second capability field in the packet by subtracting the value determined by the transfer capability measuring unit from the value in the second capability field; and

the second network interface unit sends the packet with the added or updated second capability field to the next destination determined by the transfer processing unit.

5. The network device of claim 4, wherein the second network interface unit sends the packet to the next destination determined by the transfer processing unit without performing a checksum calculation.

6. A network system comprising:

the network device of claim 4; and

a client device connected to the network device through the communication network and functioning as the destination of the packet sent from the server, the client device including;

a third network interface unit for receiving the packet sent from the server;

an application unit for processing the payload data in the received packet, thereby receiving a service; and

a quality processing unit for processing at least the second capability field in the received packet and passing quality information to the application unit responsive to content of the second capability field;

wherein

when the quality information received from the quality processing unit indicates that a prescribed quality of service cannot be obtained, the application unit takes action including one of canceling the service and reducing a requested level of the service.

7. A network device connected to the server of claim 2 through the communication network, comprising:

a second network interface unit for receiving the packet sent from the server;

a transfer processing unit for determining a next destination of the packet on the traffic path; and

a transfer capability measuring unit for measuring at least one of a CPU load in the network device, an amount of data currently queued in a queue buffer in the network device, a mean packet transfer time, a packet transfer time variance, a load on the second network interface unit, a packet loss rate, and a packet propagation delay and thereby determining a value indicating a packet transfer capability of the network device;

wherein

the second network interface unit appends a new second capability field to the packet, places the value determined by the transfer capability measuring unit in the new second capability field, adds identifying information identifying the network device to the new second capability field, and sends the packet with the new second capability field to the next destination determined by the transfer processing unit.

8. The network device of claim 7, wherein the network interface unit sends the packet to the next destination determined by the transfer processing unit without performing a checksum calculation.

9. A client device connected to the network device of claim 7 through the communication network, comprising:

a network interface unit for receiving the packet sent from the server;

an application unit for processing the payload data in the received packet, thereby receiving a service; and

a quality processing unit for processing at least the new second capability field in the received packet and passing quality information to the application unit, the quality information including at least the value and identifying information placed in the new second capability field;

wherein

when the quality information received from the quality processing unit indicates that a prescribed quality of service cannot be obtained, the application unit uses the value and identifying information in the new second capability field to determine whether the network device that added the new second capability field is responsible for failure to obtain the prescribed quality of service.

10. A network system comprising:

the network device of claim 7; and

a client device connected to the network device through the communication network and functioning as the destination of the packet sent from the server, the client device including;

a third network interface unit for receiving the packet sent from the server,

an application unit for processing the payload data in the received packet, thereby receiving a service, and

a quality processing unit for processing at least the new second capability field in the received packet and passing quality information to the application unit, the quality information including at least the value and identifying information placed in the new second capability field;

wherein

when the quality information received from the quality processing unit indicates that a prescribed quality of service cannot be obtained, the application unit uses the value and identifying information in the new second capability field to determine whether the network device that added the new second capability field is responsible for failure to obtain the prescribed quality of service.

11. The server of claim 1, wherein the packet includes the second capability field and the first network interface unit places a prescribed initial value in the second capability field.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the packet has a packet header and the first network interface unit calculates a checksum from at least the packet header and the service data, excluding the second capability field, and places the checksum in the packet header.

13. A network device connected to the server of claim 11 through the communication network, comprising:

a second network interface unit for receiving the packet sent from the server;

a transfer processing unit for determining a next destination of the packet on the traffic path; and

a transfer capability measuring unit for measuring at least one of a CPU load in the network device, an amount of data currently queued in a queue buffer in the network device, a mean packet transfer time, a packet transfer time variance, a load on the second network interface unit, a packet loss rate, and a packet propagation delay and thereby determining a value indicating a packet transfer capability of the network device;

wherein

the second network interface unit updates the second capability field in the packet by subtracting the value determined by the transfer capability measuring unit from the value in the second capability field, and sends the packet with the updated second capability field to the next destination determined by the transfer processing unit.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein the second network interface unit sends the packet to the next destination determined by the transfer processing unit without performing a checksum calculation.

15. A network system comprising:

the network device of claim 13; and

a client device connected to the network device through the communication network and functioning as the destination of the packet sent from the server, the client device including

a third network interface unit for receiving the packet sent from the server,

an application unit for processing the payload data in the received packet, thereby receiving a service, and

a quality processing unit for processing at least the second capability field in the received packet and passing quality information to the application unit responsive to content of the second capability field;

wherein

when the quality information received from the quality processing unit indicates that a prescribed quality of service cannot be obtained, the application unit takes action including one of canceling the service and reducing a requested level of the service.

16. The server of claim 1, wherein the payload data provides a service to a device connected to the communication network.

17. The server of claim 1, wherein the server generates the payload data in response to a probe packet received from a device connected to the communication network, the probe packet including a request for communication quality information.

18. A client device connected to the server of claim 1 through the communication network, comprising:

a third network interface unit for receiving the packet sent from the server;

an application unit for processing the payload data in the received packet, thereby receiving a service; and

a quality processing unit for processing the at least one of the first capability field and the second capability field in the received packet and passing quality information to the application unit responsive to content of the at least one of the first capability field and the second capability field;

wherein

when the quality information received from the quality processing unit indicates that a prescribed quality of service cannot be obtained, the application unit takes action including one of canceling the service and reducing a requested level of the service.

19. A network system comprising:

the server of claim 1; and

a client device connected to the network device through the communication network and functioning as the destination of the packet sent from the server, the client device including

a third network interface unit for receiving the packet sent from the server,

an application unit for processing the payload data in the received packet, thereby receiving a service, and

a quality processing unit for processing the at least one of the first capability field and the second capability field in the received packet and passing quality information to the application unit responsive to content of the at least one of the first capability field and the second capability field;

wherein

when the quality information received from the quality processing unit indicates that a prescribed quality of service cannot be obtained, the application unit takes action including one of canceling the service and reducing a requested level of the service.

20. The network system of claim 19, further comprising a network device connected to the server through the communication network, for transferring the packet sent from the server, the network device including:

a transfer processing unit for determining a next destination of the packet on the traffic path;

a transfer capability measuring unit for measuring at least one of a CPU load in the network device, an amount of data currently queued in a queue buffer in the network device, a mean packet transfer time, a packet transfer time variance, a load on the second network interface unit, a packet loss rate, and a packet propagation delay and thereby determining a value indicating a packet transfer capability of the network device; and

a second network interface unit for using the value determined by the transfer capability measuring unit to update the second capability field in the packet sent from the server or add a new second capability field to the packet sent from the server, and transferring the packet with the new or updated second capability field to the next destination determined by the transfer processing unit.