METHOD FOR CALL ADMISSION CONTROL IN MPLS NETWORKS

• US 20130201829A1
• Filed: 02/06/2012
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Pacella, Dante J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,001,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/44 Distributed routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]

Abstract

A computing device collects network topology information for a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network that includes multiple data centers. The computing device receives, from a service layer operator, a request including a flow demand for services at a selected data center of the multiple data centers. Based on the collected network topology information, the computing device evaluates the flow demand for the selected data center to determine if the selected data center can support the flow demand and sends, to a network layer operator, a network soft-state to support the flow demand at the selected data center when it is determined that the selected data center can support the flow demand.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

collecting, by one or more computing devices, network topology information for a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network that includes multiple data centers;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices and from a service layer operator, a request including a flow demand for services at a selected data center of the multiple data centers;

evaluating, by the one or more computing devices and based on the collected network topology information, the flow demand for the selected data center to determine if the selected data center can support the flow demand; and

sending, by the one or more computing devices and to a network layer operator, a network soft-state to support the flow demand at the selected data center when it is determined that the selected data center can support the flow demand.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the evaluating of the selected data center, that the selected data center cannot support the flow demand;

identifying, based on the collected network topology information, an alternate data center of the multiple data centers;

evaluating the flow demand for the alternate data center to determine if the alternate data center can support the flow demand; and

sending, to the network layer operator, a network soft-state to support the flow demand at the alternate data center.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, to the service layer operator, an approval message for the flow demand request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reserving resources for the network soft-state to support the flow demand at the selected data center until a response is received from the network layer operator.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the network topology information; and

updating the network topology information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating includes modeling links to a discreet set of endpoints associated with the flow demand.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the discrete set of endpoints includes:

endpoints receiving ten percent or more of the total amount of the flow demand,

a particular number of the largest markets to be served by the flow demand, or

a particular number of the largest recipient endpoints to be served by the flow demand.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the evaluating includes modeling costing requirements for the links to the discreet set of endpoints.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating includes:

evaluating if the one or more computing devices has sufficient resources to support the specification in the flow demand;

examining local area network resources at either end of a link between the selected data center and a link endpoint; and

examining wide area network resources between the selected data center and the link endpoint.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request including a flow demand includes:

a flow size,

an average packet size,

quality of service (QoS) handling requirements,

an expected duration, and

a list of endpoint locations.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the evaluating of the selected data center, that the selected data center cannot support the flow demand; and

sending, to the service layer operator, an indication that the request including the flow demand has been denied.

12. A network device, comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute instructions in the memory to;

obtain network topology information for an Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network;

receive, from a services operator, a request with a flow demand for services at a selected data center in the MPLS network, where in the request includes a flow size, an average packet size, an expected duration, and a list of endpoint locations;

evaluate, based on the network topology information, the flow demand for the selected data center to determine if the selected data center can support the flow demand; and

send, to a network layer operator, a network soft-state to support the flow demand at the selected data center when it is determined that the selected data center can support the flow demand.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, based on evaluating of the selected data center, that the selected data center cannot support the flow demand;

identify, based on the collected network topology information, an alternate data center in the MPLS network;

evaluate, the flow demand for the alternate data center to determine if the alternate data center can support the flow demand; and

send, to the network layer operator, a network soft-state to support the flow demand at the alternate data center.

14. The network device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

hold the network soft-state to support the flow demand at the selected data center until a response is received from the network layer operator.

15. The network device of claim 12, wherein, when evaluating the flow demand for the selected data center, the processor is further configured to:

model flows, based on the flow demand, for link aggregation groups (LAGs) between the selected data center and multiple endpoints.

16. The network device of claim 15, wherein, when modeling the flows for the LAGs, the processor is further configured to:

evaluate if the data center has sufficient resources to support the flow demand;

examine local area network resources for the selected data center and a first endpoint of the multiple endpoints;

examine wide area network resources between the selected data center and the first endpoint of the multiple endpoints; and

determine that the selected data center can support the flow demand between the selected data center and the first endpoint of the multiple endpoints before examining local area network resources for the selected data center and a second endpoint of the multiple endpoints.

17. The network device of claim 12, wherein the selected data center is one of multiple data centers within:

a content delivery network, or

a cloud-based service system.

18. The network device of claim 12, wherein the network device comprises:

a router,

a network management station, or

a virtual machine.

19. A computer-readable medium, including instructions executable by at least one processor, the computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions for:

receiving, from a service layer operator, a request including a flow demand for services at a selected data center of a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network;

evaluating the flow demand for the selected data center to determine if the selected data center can support the flow demand;

determining, based on the evaluating of the selected data center, that the selected data center cannot support the flow demand;

identifying an alternate data center of the MPLS network;

evaluating, the flow demand against the alternate data center to determine if the alternate data center can support the flow demand; and

sending, to the network layer operator, a network soft-state to support the flow demand at the alternate data center when it is determined that the alternate data center can support the flow demand.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising one or more instructions for:

holding the network soft-state to support the flow demand at the alternate data center until a response is received from the network layer operator.