Method and apparatus for pacing communications in a distributed heterogeneous network

• US 5,517,622 A
• Filed: 03/09/1994
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Galileo International LLC
• Original Assignee: Galileo International Partnership
• Inventors: Ivanoff, Mario J., Skaates, Mary Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US08/208,618
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 395/275, 395/200, 370/85.6, 370/85.13, 370/94.1, 370/94, 370/60, 370/85
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0095 Specification, development or application of network management software, e.g. software re-use

Abstract

A data communication method and apparatus is presented that allows communication in a distributed heterogeneous network. Communications managers reside in local processing environments and are responsible for interfacing local end users with the remainder of the heterogeneous network. Each communications manager receives distribution units from end users, the distribution units being assigned various priority levels and levels of assurance. Within each communications manager, an adjacent communications manager is determined in accordance with a communications path to a destination for the distribution unit. The distribution unit is then configured according to a network protocol stack existing between the communications manager and the adjacent communications manager, and the distribution units are transmitted according to priority. Each communications manager can have any number of adjacent communications managers each communicating through different network protocol stacks. Also described is load distribution among a complex of processors that share common functions, as well as control of information flow between adjacent communications managers.

Claims

1. An apparatus for pacing data communications transmitted between communications managers residing on a plurality of hardware platforms of a distributed heterogeneous communications network, comprising:

a plurality of adjacent communications managers including an origin communications manager residing on an origin hardware platform a destination communications manager residing on a destination hardware platform and at least one intermediate communications manager residing on an intermediate hardware platform between said origin and destination communications managers, at least one of said communications managers having a hardware operating platform different from hardware operating platforms of all other communications managers;

means, within each prior adjacent communications manager of said plurality of adjacent communications managers, for appending a pacing request to information packets being transmitted from said origin communications manager to said destination communications manager;

a network protocol stack interface, within each prior adjacent communications manager, for configuring each of said information packets according to a convention of a network protocol stack between said prior adjacent communications manager and said next adjacent communications manager, at least two of said network protocol stacks between adjacent communications managers being different from one another;

means for transmitting said information packets from said prior adjacent communications manager to said next adjacent communications manager;

means, within said next adjacent communications manager, for assessing availability of local resources;

means, within said next adjacent communications manager, for receiving said information packets from said prior adjacent communications manager;

means, within said next adjacent communications manager, for assessing pacing requests in each received information packet;

means, within said next adjacent communications manager and responsive to said pacing requests, for formulating pacing responses indicative of a desired increase or decrease of transmission of information packets from said prior adjacent communications manager to said next adjacent communications manager in accordance with said assessment of local resources within said next adjacent communications manager;

a network protocol stack interface, within each next adjacent communications manager, for configuring said pacing response in accordance with said convention of said network protocol stack between said prior adjacent communications manager and said next adjacent communications manager; and

means for transmitting said pacing responses from said next adjacent communications manager to said prior adjacent communications manager.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said means for assessing availability of local resources within said next adjacent communications manager, further comprising:

means for comparing an amount of available local resources within said next adjacent communications manager with at least one predetermined threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, said means for comparing further comprising means for comparing said amount of available of local resources with first and second predetermined thresholds.

4. A method of pacing data communications transmitted between adjacent communications managers residing on a plurality of hardware platforms of a distributed heterogeneous communications network, each communications manager being connected to a respective plurality of end users, comprising:

creating information units within an origin communications manager residing on an origin hardware platform, each information unit including indicia of a destination communications manager residing on a destination hardware platform, said origin communications manager, said destination communications manager and at least one intermediate communications manager residing on an intermediate hardware platform constituting a chain of adjacent communications managers;

within each prior adjacent communications manager of said chain of adjacent communications managers, appending a pacing request to each information unit indicative of an amount of information to be transmitted to a next adjacent communications manager of said chain of adjacent communications managers;

within each prior adjacent communications manager, configuring each of said information units according to a convention of a network protocol stack between said prior adjacent communications manager and said next adjacent communications manager, at least two of said network protocol stacks between adjacent communications managers being different from one another;

transmitting said information units from said prior adjacent communications manager to said next adjacent communications manager in accordance with said convention of said network protocol stack;

assessing availability of local resources within each said next adjacent communications manager;

receiving said information units from said prior adjacent communications manager in said next adjacent communications manager;

assessing, within said next adjacent communications manager, pacing requests appended to each received information unit;

within said next adjacent communications manager, forming pacing responses in accordance with said pacing requests, each pacing response being indicative of a required increase or decrease of transmission of information units from said prior adjacent communications manager to said adjacent communications manager, in accordance with said assessment of local resources within said next adjacent communications manager;

within said next adjacent communications manager, configuring said pacing responses according to said convention of said network protocol stack; and

transmitting said pacing responses from said next adjacent communications manager to said prior adjacent communications manager.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

assigning a priority designation to each information unit.

6. The method of claim 5, each said next adjacent communications manager forming said pacing response in accordance with said priority designation.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting pacing requests from said prior adjacent communications manager to said next adjacent communications manager without information units.

8. The method of claim 4, said step of assessing availability of local resources with each said next adjacent communications manager comprising:

comparing an amount of available local resources within said next adjacent communications manager with at least one predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, said comparing step comprising comparing said amount of available local resources with first and second predetermined thresholds.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

assessing, within each said next adjacent communications manager, an intensity of local resource use by other adjacent communications managers; and

forming and transmitting pacing response to said other adjacent communications managers according to an intensity of local resource usage.