Electronic message delivery system including a network device

• US 20110141902A1
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dell Software, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Scott T., Trout, Paul, Wanser, Kelly A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,687,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/083 for increasing network speed
• 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 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

In a computer network system based on an open system interconnection model, where the computer network system includes at least a network layer (Layer 3) and an application layer (Layer 7), a system and a method for managing electronic message traffic into and out of the computer network system including defining a communication channel between Layer 3 and Layer 7 for exchanging data directly therebetween for use in enhancing flow of the electronic message traffic.

Claims

1. In a computer network system based on an open system interconnection model, said computer network system including at least a network layer (Layer 3) and an application layer (Layer 7), a method for managing an input flow and an output flow of electronic message traffic into and out of said computer network system, respectively, said method comprising:

exchanging information directly between Layer 3 and Layer 7; and

based on said information, enhancing at least one of said input flow and said output flow of said electronic message traffic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein Layer 7 is configured for handling software applications for producing said electronic message traffic, which electronic message traffic includes a plurality of data packets, and wherein Layer 3 is configured for processing the plurality of data packets, the method further comprising:

at Layer 3, receiving from Layer 7 information regarding the software applications being handled at Layer 7; and

at Layer 3, enhancing by modifying said processing of the plurality of data packets, in accordance with the information received from Layer 7.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said modifying at Layer 3 includes

identifying a selected group of data packets from said plurality of data packets, and

allocating a guaranteed bandwidth for said selected group of data packets, in accordance with the information received from Layer 7.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said modifying at Layer 3 includes prioritizing said plurality of data packets, in accordance with the information received from Layer 7.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said modifying at Layer 3 includes setting a limit on bandwidth available for said processing of the plurality of data packets, in accordance with the information received from Layer 7.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein Layer 7 is configured for handling software applications for producing said input flow and said output flow of electronic message traffic, which electronic message traffic includes a plurality of data packets, and

wherein Layer 3 is configured for monitoring a set of network conditions, and

said method further comprising:

at Layer 7, receiving from Layer 3 information regarding the set of network conditions; and

at Layer 7, enhancing by modifying said handling of software applications in accordance with the information received from Layer 3.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said modifying at Layer 7 includes prioritizing said plurality of data packets in said at least one of said input flow and said output flow of the electronic message traffic, in accordance with the information received from Layer 3.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said modifying at Layer 7 includes setting a limit on bandwidth available to the software applications at Layer 7, in accordance with the information received from Layer 3.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said setting the limit on bandwidth includes reducing the bandwidth of at least a selected one of the input flow and the output flow to zero in accordance with the information received from Layer 3.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein Layer 3 includes at least first and second network devices, and wherein said modifying at Layer 7 includes directing said plurality of data packets to a selected one of said first and second network devices, in accordance with the information received from Layer 3.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein Layer 7 is configured for handling software applications for producing said electronic message traffic, which electronic message traffic includes a plurality of data packets, and

wherein Layer 3 is configured for processing the plurality of data packets while monitoring a set of network conditions, and

the method further comprising:

at Layer 3, receiving from Layer 7 first information regarding the software applications being handled at Layer 7;

at Layer 3, modifying said processing of the plurality of data packets in accordance with the first information received from Layer 7;

at Layer 7, receiving from Layer 3 second information regarding the set of network conditions; and

at Layer 7, modifying said handling of software applications in accordance with the second information received from Layer 3 so as to enhance said at least one of said input flow and said output flow of the electronic message traffic.

12. A computer network system based on an open system interconnection model, said computer network system being configured to support an input flow and an output flow of electronic message traffic into and out of said computer network system, respectively, said computer network system comprising:

a network layer (Layer

     3);

an application layer (Layer

     7); and

a communication channel between Layer 3 and Layer 7 for exchanging information directly therebetween for use in enhancing at least a selected one of said input flow and said output flow of said electronic message traffic.

13. The computer network system of claim 12, wherein Layer 7 includes software applications for producing said electronic message traffic, which electronic message traffic includes a plurality of data packets, and Layer 3 includes

a receiving arrangement for receiving, from Layer 7 and through the communication channel, information regarding the software applications at Layer 7, and

a processing arrangement for processing, in accordance with the information received from Layer 7, the plurality of data packets so as to enhance the selected one of said flows.

14. The computer network system of claim 13, wherein the processing arrangement is further configured for:

identifying a selected group of data packets from said plurality of data packets, and

allocating a guaranteed bandwidth for said selected group of data packets, in accordance with the information received from Layer 7.

15. The computer network system of claim 12,

wherein Layer 3 includes a monitoring arrangement for monitoring a set of network conditions, and

wherein Layer 7 includes

a receiving arrangement for receiving, from Layer 3 and through the communication channel, information regarding the set of network conditions, and

at least one software application for producing the input flow and the output flow of electronic message traffic, in accordance with the information received from Layer 3, so as to enhance the selected one of said flows.

16. The computer network system of claim 15, wherein said software application is configured for prioritizing at least one of said input flow and said output flow of the electronic message traffic, in accordance with the information received from Layer 3.

17. The computer network system of claim 15, wherein Layer 7 further includes a limiting arrangement for setting a limit on bandwidth available to the software application, in accordance with the information received from Layer 3.

18. The computer network system of claim 15, wherein Layer 3 includes at least first and second network devices, and wherein the software application is configured for directing said output flow of the electronic message traffic to a selected one of said first and second network devices, in accordance with the information received from Layer 3.

19. The computer network system of claim 12, wherein Layer 7 includes software applications for producing said electronic message traffic, which electronic message traffic includes a plurality of data packets, and Layer 3 includes

a receiving arrangement for receiving, from Layer 7 and through the communication channel, information regarding the software applications at Layer 7,

a processing arrangement for processing, in accordance with the information received from Layer 7, the plurality of data packets, and

a monitoring arrangement for monitoring a set of network conditions,

and Layer 7 further includes

an additional receiving arrangement for receiving, from Layer 3 and through the communication channel, information regarding the set of network conditions, and

wherein the at least one software application is configured for modifying the producing of the input flow and the output flow of electronic message traffic, in accordance with the information received from Layer 3, so as to enhance said at least one of the input flow and the output flow of the electronic message traffic.

20. In a computer network system based on an open system interconnection model, said system including a network layer (Layer 3) and an application layer (Layer 7) and said computer network being configured to support an input flow and an output flow of electronic message traffic into and out of said computer network system, respectively, a configuration comprising:

a communication channel between Layer 3 and Layer 7 for exchanging information directly therebetween for use in enhancing at least one of said input flow and said output flow of said electronic message traffic.