METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING CONGESTION MANAGEMENT FOR A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20160234120A1
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Chen-Yui, Lee, Huang, Savoor, Raghvendra
• Granted Patent: US 9,699,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0609 based on severity or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/127 by using congestion prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/39 Credit based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a congestion management of a wireless communication network are disclosed. For example, the method projects dynamically a trend for a network element of the wireless communication network, using a functionality metric associated with the network element of the wireless communication network, and determines if there is a potential congestion in accordance with the trend. The method then provides a notification of the potential congestion, if there is a potential congestion for the network element of the wireless communication network.

Claims

1. A method for providing congestion management for a wireless communication network, comprising:

projecting, via a processor, dynamically a trend for a network element of the wireless communication network, using a functionality metric associated with the network element of the wireless communication network, wherein the projecting the trend comprises projecting the trend using the functionality metric of the network element as a function of a utilization level of the network element, wherein the functionality metric comprises a slow response functionality metric, wherein the utilization level comprises a ratio between a measured number of packets transmitted and a maximum number of packets the network component is designed to transmit;

determining, via the processor, if there is a potential congestion in accordance with the trend, wherein the potential congestion is detected when the trend of the functionality metric associated with the network element is approaching a cut-off point, wherein the network element is still performing at an acceptable level when the potential congestion is detected; and

providing, via the processor, a notification of the potential congestion, when there is a potential congestion for the network element of the wireless communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network element comprises an interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network element comprises a port.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network element comprises a virtual local area network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a trouble isolation to determine if the notification is due to an actual congestion condition.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying a cause for the actual congestion condition by performing a root-cause analysis by a service type and a traffic type, when the trouble isolation determined that the notification is due to the actual congestion condition.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the root-cause analysis determines if the actual congestion condition is due to an increase in usage.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

triggering a congestion control for the network element when the actual congestion condition is due to the increase in usage.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the triggering the congestion control comprises:

determining if a first virtual local area network is operating with a utilization level above a first pre-determined threshold;

determining if a second virtual local area network is operating above a second pre-determined threshold, when the first virtual local area network is operating with the utilization level above the first pre-determined threshold; and

directing newly arriving traffic to the second virtual local area network, when the second virtual local area network is not operating with a utilization level above the second pre-determined threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining if the utilization level of the first virtual local area network reached a third pre-determined threshold, wherein the third pre-determined threshold is a threshold for resuming directing of traffic back to the first virtual local area network; and

directing newly arriving traffic to the first virtual local area network, when the utilization level of the first virtual local area network has reached the third pre-determined threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the potential congestion is based on data gathered by a network service provider.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the functionality metric further comprises a packet delay functionality metric.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the functionality metric further comprises a latency functionality metric.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the triggering the congestion control comprises employing a priority handling congestion control.

15. A tangible computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for providing congestion management for a wireless communication network, the operations comprising:

projecting dynamically a trend for a network element of the wireless communication network, using a functionality metric associated with the network element of the wireless communication network, wherein the projecting the trend comprises projecting the trend using the functionality metric of the network element as a function of a utilization level of the network element, wherein the functionality metric comprises a slow response functionality metric, wherein the utilization level comprises a ratio between a measured number of packets transmitted and a maximum number of packets the network component is designed to transmit;

determining if there is a potential congestion in accordance with the trend, wherein the potential congestion is detected when the trend of the functionality metric associated with the network element is approaching a cut-off point, wherein the network element is still performing at an acceptable level when the potential congestion is detected; and

providing a notification of the potential congestion, when there is a potential congestion for the network element of the wireless communication network.

16. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

performing a trouble isolation to determine if the notification is due to an actual congestion condition.

17. An apparatus for providing congestion management for a wireless communication network, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

projecting dynamically a trend for a network element of the wireless communication network, using a functionality metric associated with the network element of the wireless communication network, wherein the projecting the trend comprises projecting the trend using the functionality metric of the network element as a function of a utilization level of the network element, wherein the functionality metric comprises a slow response functionality metric, wherein the utilization level comprises a ratio between a measured number of packets transmitted and a maximum number of packets the network component is designed to transmit;

determining if there is a potential congestion in accordance with the trend, wherein the potential congestion is detected when the trend of the functionality metric associated with the network element is approaching a cut-off point, wherein the network element is still performing at an acceptable level when the potential congestion is detected; and

providing a notification of the potential congestion, when there is a potential congestion for the network element of the wireless communication network.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

performing a trouble isolation to determine if the notification is due to an actual congestion condition.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

identifying a cause for the actual congestion condition by performing a root-cause analysis by a service type and a traffic type, when the trouble isolation determined that the notification is due to the actual congestion condition.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the root-cause analysis determines if the actual congestion condition is due to an increase in usage.