Dynamic traffic conditioning

• US 6,023,456 A
• Filed: 03/14/1997
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Kung, Hsiang-Tsung, Chapman, Alan Stanley John
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/818,612
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/235, 370/252, 370/253, 370/389, 370/400, 370/401, 370/412, 370/465, 370/468, 370/469, 395/200.53, 395/200.54, 395/200.56, 395/200.55, 395/200.7
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/856 Single tubular stent with a side portal passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/885 comprising a coil including a plurality of spiral or helical sections with alternate directions around a central axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9155 Adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0019 operated at only one temperature whilst inside or touching the human body, e.g. constrained in a non-operative shape during surgery, another temperature only occurring before the operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/006 modular
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5632 Bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5638 Services, e.g. multimedia, GOS, QOS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/564 Connection-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5645 Connectionless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5651 Priority, marking, classes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5667 IP over ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

Multi-media networks will require that a data flow be given certain quality-of-service (QOS) for a network connection but pre-negotiation of this sort is foreign to the current data networking model. The real time traffic flow in the data network requires distinct limits on the tolerance to delay, and the variations in that delay. Interactive voice and video demand that the total delay does not exceed the threshold beyond which human interaction is unacceptably impaired. The present invention allows the network to discover the nature of the service for each traffic flow, classifies it dynamically, and exercises traffic conditioning by means of such techniques as admission control and scheduling when delivering the traffic downstream to support the service appropriately.

Claims

1. In a packet data network for multimedia traffic having one or more nodes, a method of dynamically conditioning traffic comprising steps of:

continuously monitoring the traffic at a node as to its traffic characteristics;

classifying the traffic into one of a plurality of classes which includes two default classes, TCP interactive and UDP low latency, according to preset criteria of traffic characteristics which includes TCP protocol type, UDP protocol type, the length of packets in the traffic and the number of consecutive packets in the traffic, said plurality of classes specifying respective levels of the quality of service with which to condition the traffic; and

changing the TCP interactive class to one or the other of TCP bulk guaranteed and TCP bulk best effort, if the traffic contains a series of long packets without an intervening series of two or more short packets.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising a further step of:

changing the UDP low latency class to one or the other of UDP real time and UDP bulk best effort.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising a further step of:

delivering downstream the traffic according to the quality of service specified by said one of a plurality of classes.

4. The method according to claim 1 comprising a further step of:

determining a port number which the traffic uses, and

classifying the traffic into one of a plurality of classes which includes two default classes, TCP interactive and UDP low latency, according to the port number and preset criteria of traffic characteristics which includes TCP protocol type, UDP protocol type, the length of packets in the traffic and the number of consecutive packets in the traffic, said plurality of classes specifying respective levels of the quality of service with which to condition the traffic.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the quality of service is expressed by a plurality of parameters which include a priority level of delivery downstream of the traffic and a bandwidth assigned to the traffic.

6. The method according to claim 1 comprising a further step of:

informing one or more downstream nodes the results of monitoring and classifying.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the step of informing comprises a step of:

propagating information relevant to the results in a packet which is inserted into the traffic.

8. In a packet data network for multimedia traffic having one or more nodes, a method of dynamically conditioning traffic comprising steps of:

continuously monitoring the traffic as to its traffic characteristics at a source host from which the traffic is generated;

classifying, at the source host, the traffic into one of a plurality of classes which includes two default classes, TCP interactive and UDP low latency, according to preset criteria of traffic characteristics which includes TCP protocol type, UDP protocol type, the length of packets in the traffic and the number of consecutive packets in the traffic, said plurality of classes specifying respective levels of the quality of service with which to condition the traffic; and

changing the TCP interactive class to one or the other of TCP bulk guaranteed and TCP bulk best effort, if the traffic contains a series of long packets without an intervening series of two or more short packets.

9. The method according to claim 8 comprising a further step of:

changing the UDP low latency class to one or the other of UDP real time and UDP bulk best effort.

10. The method according to claim 9 comprising a further step of:

delivering downstream the traffic according to the quality of service specified by said one of a plurality of classes.

11. The method according to claim 8 comprising a further step of:

informing one or more downstream nodes the results of monitoring and classifying.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the step of informing comprises a step of:

propagating information relevant to the results in a packet which is inserted into the traffic.

13. The method according to claim 8 comprising a further step of:

determining a port number which the traffic uses, and

classifying the traffic into one of a plurality of classes which includes two default classes, TCP interactive and UDP low latency, according to the port number and preset criteria of traffic characteristics which includes TCP protocol type, UDP protocol type, the length of packets in the traffic and the number of consecutive packets in the traffic, said plurality of classes specifying respective levels of the quality of service with which to condition the traffic.