A Method and Apparatus of Adapting an Association of Physical Resources with a Summarized Resource

• US 20160234109A1
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Di Michele, Francesco, Oriolo, Gianpaolo, Iovanna, Paola
• Granted Patent: US 10,397,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/46 Cluster building
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/70 Routing based on monitoring results
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/41 by acting on aggregated flows or links

Abstract

A method of adapting an association of physical resources with a summarized resource in a hierarchical routed network. The method comprises monitoring at least one parameter of the physical resources. The method comprises adapting the association of physical resources with the summarized resource, based on the monitoring.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A method of operation in a hierarchical routed network that includes a domain, the method comprising:

allocating physical resources to a summarized resource in the domain, said summarized resource corresponding to a virtual topology of the domain for use in hierarchical routing of traffic through the domain;

monitoring demand for the allocated physical resources; and

adapting the allocation in dependence on the monitored demand.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein monitoring the demand comprises monitoring an amount of available physical resources among the allocated physical resources, and adapting the allocation comprises adapting the allocation responsive to detecting that the amount is at or below a predefined threshold.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein adapting the allocation responsive to detecting that the amount is at or below the predefined threshold comprises increasing the allocation, at least to the extent that allocable physical resources are available.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the domain includes a plurality of summarized resources, each summarized resource having corresponding allocated physical resources, and wherein monitoring the demand comprises monitoring the respective demands for the summarized resources and adapting the allocation comprises rebalancing the allocations in dependence on the respective demands, such that the allocations for summarized resources having higher demands are increased and the allocations for summarized resources having lower demands are decreased, at least when an amount of unallocated physical resources is insufficient for increasing the allocations to the summarized resources having the higher demands.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein monitoring the demand comprises, over a predetermined time interval, counting instances at which an amount of available physical resources among the allocated physical resources falls below a first predetermined threshold, and wherein adapting the allocation comprises increasing the allocation if the count exceeds a defined value.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the predetermined threshold is a first threshold, and wherein monitoring the demand further comprises detecting when the amount of physical resources among the allocated physical resources falls below a second predetermined threshold that is lower than the first predetermined threshold, and wherein adapting the allocation comprises increasing the allocation responsive to the detecting.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein monitoring the demand comprises determining that the demand is underserved by the allocated physical resources, and wherein adapting the allocation comprises increasing the allocation at least to meet the demand, in response to the determining.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the monitoring is independent of routing of traffic.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the physical resources are paths within the domain.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein the domain is one among a plurality of domains comprising the hierarchical routed network, and wherein the method includes performing said allocating, monitoring, and adapting on a per-domain basis, and further includes providing a traffic engineering end-to-end routing across the plurality of domains.

36. An apparatus configured for operation in a hierarchical routed network that includes a domain, the apparatus comprising processing and associated interface circuitry configured to:

allocate physical resources to a summarized resource in the domain, said summarized resource corresponding to a virtual topology of the domain for use in hierarchical routing of traffic through the domain;

monitor demand for the allocated physical resources; and

adapt the allocation in dependence on the monitored demand.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to monitor the demand by monitoring an amount of available physical resources among the allocated physical resources, and adapt the allocation by adapting the allocation responsive to detecting that the amount is at or below a predefined threshold.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to adapt the allocation responsive to detecting that the amount is at or below the predefined threshold by increasing the allocation, at least to the extent that allocable physical resources are available.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the domain includes a plurality of summarized resources, each summarized resource having corresponding allocated physical resources, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to monitor the demand by monitoring the respective demands for the summarized resources and adapt the allocation by rebalancing the allocations in dependence on the respective demands, such that the allocations for summarized resources having higher demands are increased and the allocations for summarized resources having lower demands are decreased, at least when an amount of unallocated physical resources is insufficient for increasing the allocations to the summarized resources having the higher demands.

40. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to monitor the demand by, over a predetermined time interval, counting instances at which an amount of available physical resources among the allocated physical resources falls below a first predetermined threshold, and adapt the allocation by increasing the allocation if the count exceeds a defined value.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the predetermined threshold is a first threshold, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to monitor the demand further by detecting when the amount of physical resources among the allocated physical resources falls below a second predetermined threshold that is lower than the first predetermined threshold, and adapt the allocation by increasing the allocation responsive to the detecting.

42. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to monitor the demand by determining that the demand is underserved by the allocated physical resources, and adapt the allocation by increasing the allocation at least to meet the demand, in response to the determining.

43. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to monitor the demand independent of routing of traffic.

44. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the physical resources are paths within the domain.

45. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the domain is one among a plurality of domains comprising the hierarchical routed network, and wherein the apparatus comprises part of an overall apparatus that is configured to perform said allocating, monitoring, and adapting on a per-domain basis, and further provide a traffic engineering end-to-end routing across the plurality of domains.