DYNAMIC NETWORK TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN RESPONSE TO NON-NETWORK CONDITIONS INPUT

• US 20140146672A1
• Filed: 11/28/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arteaga, Carlos M., Currie, B. Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/231
• 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 47/783 Distributed allocation of resources, e.g. bandwidth brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

An appropriate quality of service policy is automatically selected as a function of network and business conditions. A current loading condition of an internet protocol network of devices operating, a current condition of radio frequency communications between wireless devices, and a current business condition that indicates a cost or availability of a resource used in device operation remotely controlled via data packet communications, are each determined under current network control and routing rules. If the resource cost or availability exceeds a specified market condition constraint, a special resource control rule is automatically selected to preempt a current network or routing rule to cause one or more of the internet protocol devices to reduce an amount of the resource used or distributed by the first internet protocol device while operating within the current determined internet protocol network loading and radio frequency communications conditions.

Claims

1. A method for automatically selecting an appropriate quality of service policy as a function of network and business conditions, the method comprising:

determining a current loading condition of an internet protocol network that comprises a plurality of devices operating under a current network control rule and a current network routing rule;

determining a current condition of radio frequency communications between wireless devices of the plurality of devices under the current network control and network routing rules;

determining a current business condition that indicates a cost or availability of a resource used in operation of a first of the internet protocol network devices remotely controlled via IP data packet communications under the current network control and network routing rules; and

a processing unit automatically selecting a special resource control rule and preempting at least one of the current network control and the current routing rule within the internet protocol network by the selected special resource control rule, wherein the selected special resource control rule causes a first of the internet protocol devices to reduce an amount of the resource used or distributed by the first internet protocol device while operating within the current determined internet protocol network loading and RF communications conditions, if the resource cost or availability exceeds a specified market condition constraint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing unit automatically selects the special resource control rule to reduce the use, distribution or allocation of the resource among the plurality of internet protocol devices, while continuing to maintain a minimum system performance as reflected by determined internet protocol network loading and RF communications conditions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing unit automatically selects the special resource control rule to assure a required quality of service by the radio frequency devices in response to a determined reliability characteristic and communication protocol of the radio frequency devices that are different from a determined reliability characteristic and communication protocol of other internet protocol devices in the network.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

repeating in a feedback loop the steps of determining the current internet protocol network loading condition, the current radio frequency communications condition and the current business condition that indicates the cost or availability of the resource, and the processing unit automatically selecting the special resource control rule and preempting the at least one of the current network control and routing rules within the internet protocol network by the selected special resource control rule if the resource cost or availability exceeds the specified market condition constraint, in response to each of a plurality of iterations of determining the current internet protocol network loading condition, the radio frequency communications condition and the business condition that indicates the cost or availability of the resource.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, in a first of the iterations:

virtually mapping a new endpoint connection for data packet flow between second and third internet protocol devices of the plurality of internet protocol devices, and suppressing data packet flow through an existing endpoint connection between fourth and fifth internet protocol devices of the plurality of internet protocol devices, while the special resource control rule is preempting the at least one of the current network control and the current routing rule within the internet protocol network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, in response to the resource cost or availability no longer exceeding the specified market condition constraint during one of the iterations of determining the current internet protocol network loading condition, the radio frequency communications condition and the business condition that indicates the cost or availability of the resource:

the processing unit automatically ending the preempting of the at least one of the current network control and the current routing rule within the internet protocol network by the selected special resource control rule, the virtually mapping the new endpoint connection between the second and the third internet protocol devices, and the suppressing the data packet flow through an existing endpoint connection between the fourth and the fifth internet protocol devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the resource cost or availability is a utility pricing or generating capacity with respect to electrical energy, water, fuel, or a chemical commodity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining the current loading of the internet protocol network comprises determining a current latency of packets transmitted through the plurality of devices.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating computer-readable program code into a computer system comprising the processing unit, a computer readable memory and a computer readable tangible storage medium, wherein the computer readable program code is embodied on the computer readable tangible storage medium and comprises instructions that, when executed by the processing unit via the computer readable memory, cause the processing unit to automatically select the special resource control rule and preempt at least one of the current network control and the current routing rule within the internet protocol network by the selected special resource control rule, if the resource cost or availability exceeds the specified market condition constraint.

10. A system that automatically selects an appropriate quality of service policy as a function of network and business conditions, the system comprising:

a processing unit in communication with a computer readable memory and a tangible computer-readable storage medium;

wherein the processing unit, when executing program instructions stored on the tangible computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory;

determines a current loading condition of an internet protocol network that comprises a plurality of devices operating under a current network control rule and a current network routing rule;

determines a current condition of radio frequency communications between wireless devices of the plurality of devices under the current network control and network routing rules;

determines a current business condition that indicates a cost or availability of a resource used in operation of a first of the internet protocol network devices remotely controlled via IP data packet communications under the current network control and network routing rules; and

automatically selects a special resource control rule and preempts at least one of the current network control and the current routing rule within the internet protocol network by the selected special resource control rule, wherein the selected special resource control rule causes a first of the internet protocol devices to reduce an amount of the resource used or distributed by the first internet protocol device while operating within the current determined internet protocol network loading and RF communications conditions, if the resource cost or availability exceeds a specified market condition constraint.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further automatically selects the special resource control rule to reduce the use, distribution or allocation of the resource among the plurality of internet protocol devices, while continuing to maintain a minimum system performance as reflected by determined internet protocol network loading and RF communications conditions.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further selects the special resource control rule to assure a required quality of service by the radio frequency devices in response to a determined reliability characteristic and communication protocol of the radio frequency devices that are different from a determined reliability characteristic and communication protocol of other internet protocol devices in the network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further repeats in a feedback loop steps of determining the current internet protocol network loading condition, determining the current radio frequency communications condition, determining the current business condition that indicates the cost or availability of the resource, and automatically selecting the special resource control rule and preempting the at least one of the current network control and routing rules within the internet protocol network by the selected special resource control rule if the resource cost or availability exceeds the specified market condition constraint, in response to each of a plurality of iterations of determining the current internet protocol network loading condition, the radio frequency communications condition and the business condition that indicates the cost or availability of the resource.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further, in a first of the iterations, while the special resource control rule is preempting the at least one of the current network control and the current routing rule within the internet protocol network:

virtually maps a new endpoint connection for data packet flow between second and third internet protocol devices of the plurality of internet protocol devices; and

suppresses data packet flow through an existing endpoint connection between fourth and fifth internet protocol devices of the plurality of internet protocol devices.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further determines the current loading of the internet protocol network by determining a current latency of packets transmitted through the plurality of devices.

16. A computer program product for automatically selecting an appropriate quality of service policy as a function of network and business conditions, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable tangible storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer processing unit, cause the computer processing unit to;

determine a current loading condition of an internet protocol network that comprises a plurality of devices operating under a current network control rule and a current network routing rule;

determine a current condition of radio frequency communications between wireless devices of the plurality of devices under the current network control and network routing rules;

determine a current business condition that indicates a cost or availability of a resource used in operation of a first of the internet protocol network devices remotely controlled via IP data packet communications under the current network control and network routing rules; and

automatically select a special resource control rule and preempt at least one of the current network control and the current routing rule within the internet protocol network by the selected special resource control rule, wherein the selected special resource control rule causes a first of the internet protocol devices to reduce an amount of the resource used or distributed by the first internet protocol device while operating within the current determined internet protocol network loading and RF communications conditions, if the resource cost or availability exceeds a specified market condition constraint.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to select the special resource control rule to reduce the use, distribution or allocation of the resource among the plurality of internet protocol devices, while continuing to maintain a minimum system performance as reflected by determined internet protocol network loading and RF communications conditions.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to select the special resource control rule to assure a required quality of service by the radio frequency devices in response to a determined reliability characteristic and communication protocol of the radio frequency devices that are different from a determined reliability characteristic and communication protocol of other internet protocol devices in the network.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to repeat in a feedback loop steps of determining the current internet protocol network loading condition, determining the current radio frequency communications condition, determining the current business condition that indicates the cost or availability of the resource, and automatically selecting the special resource control rule and preempting the at least one of the current network control and routing rules within the internet protocol network by the selected special resource control rule if the resource cost or availability exceeds the specified market condition constraint, in response to each of a plurality of iterations of determining the current internet protocol network loading condition, the radio frequency communications condition and the business condition that indicates the cost or availability of the resource.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the resource cost or availability is a utility pricing or generating capacity with respect to electrical energy, water, fuel, or a chemical commodity.