Method And Devices For Performing Traffic Control In Telecommunication Networks

• US 20110264821A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: De Schepper, Koen, Van Leekwijck, Josephine Adriaan Werner
• Granted Patent: US 8,688,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/235
• 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 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/31 by tagging of packets, e.g. using discard eligibility [DE] bits

Abstract

A method is disclosed for performing traffic control in a network, the network comprising at least one link, the method comprising: —measuring the data traffic rate, the data traffic comprising at least one data flow, at at least one link which carries the data traffic; —defining a first and a second threshold value, the second threshold value being larger than the first threshold value; —determining whether the measured data rate is larger than the first threshold value; and if so, starting congestion signaling of a first type, —determining whether the data rate is larger than the second threshold value; and if so, starting congestion signaling of a second type, wherein at least one of the first and the second threshold values are modified over time, based on data traffic information.

Claims

1. A method for performing traffic control in a network, the network comprising at least one link, the method comprising

a) measuring the data traffic rate, said data traffic comprising at least one data flow, at at least one link which carries said data traffic;

b) defining a first and a second threshold value, said second threshold value being larger than said first threshold value;

c) determining whether the measured data rate is larger than said first threshold value; and

if so, starting congestion signaling of a first type;

d) determining whether the data rate is larger than said second threshold value; and

if so, starting congestion signaling of a second type, wherein at least one of said first and said second threshold values are modified over time, based on data traffic information.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein both the first threshold value and the second threshold value are modified over time.

3. Method according to any of claim 1, wherein the modification of the threshold values is further based on a set of constraint rules.

4. Method according to any of claim 1, wherein said data traffic information comprises information relating to the evolution of data traffic rate in time.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said data traffic information comprises information relating to the minimum and/or maximum data traffic rate within a predetermined time interval.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein said predetermined time interval starts when said predetermined first threshold value is exceeded.

7. Method according to any of the previous claim 5, wherein the first threshold is increased if the maximum data traffic rate remains lower than a predetermined first threshold limit value.

8. Method according to any of the previous claim 5, wherein the first threshold is decreased if the data traffic rate is larger than said predetermined first threshold limit value.

9. Method according to any of the previous claim 5, wherein the second threshold is increased if the maximum data traffic rate is smaller than a predetermined second threshold limit value.

10. Method according to any of the previous claim 5, wherein the second threshold value is decreased if the maximum data traffic rate is larger than said predetermined second threshold limit value.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the modification of the first and/or second threshold values over time follows a predetermined pattern.

12. Method according to claim 1, wherein the modification over time is controlled in a node directly connected to said link.

13. Method according to claim 1, wherein the modification over time is controlled by a management unit which is located at a location different from a node directly connected to said link.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first threshold value is the Admissible Rate, and the second threshold value is the Supportable Rate.

15. A network element which is adapted for functioning as a node of a network, said network element comprising

a) means for communicating with a management system, to hereby receive initial (first and second) data traffic rate threshold values and optionally a set of constraint rules;

b) means for measuring the data traffic rate at at least one link;

c) means for analyzing the measured traffic rate in view of said (first and second) threshold values and optionally said set of constraint rules;

d) means for modifying the first and second threshold values based on said analysis.