Method and apparatus for providing guaranteed quality/class of service within and across networks using existing reservation protocols and frame formats

• US 6,563,793 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Enron Warpspeed Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Golden, Michael E., Rundquist, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US09/200,161
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/231, 370/235, 370/352, 370/355, 370/389, 370/396, 370/400, 370/401, 370/410, 370/428, 370/465, 370/466, 370/468, 370/477, 370/395.1, 370/395.2, 370/395.21, 370/236, 709/201, 709/203, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/230, 709/238, 709/242, 709/249
• US Class Current: 370/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/522 Dynamic queue service slot or variable bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/525 by redistribution of residual bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/785 among multiple network domains, e.g. multilateral agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/786 Mapping reservation between domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus provide reserved bandwidth and QOS/COS virtual circuit connections in a network using both conventional and novel reservation protocols and frame formats. An apparatus according to the invention includes an enterprise control point that communicates with switches via a reserved signaling channel. The switches have been upgraded or replaced to include enhanced functionality. The enhanced switches detect packets that include requests for reserved connections according to existing reservation protocols such as RSVP and IEEE 802.1P/Q. Such detected packets are forwarded to the enterprise control point for processing via a reserved signaling channel. The enterprise control point identifies a path within the network that can satisfy the requested QOS/COS and reserves the requested resources all along the path from beginning to end. A method according to the invention includes detecting packets that include requests for reserved connections according to existing reservation protocols such as RSVP and IEEE 802.1P/Q, forwarding detected packets to an enterprise control point for processing via a reserved signaling channel, identifying a path within the network that can satisfy the requested QOS/COS and reserving the requested resources all along the path from beginning to end.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing reserved connections between endstations, in a single network capable of providing best-effort and prioritized communications, comprising:

a switch in packet communication with the endstations that is adapted to detect and forward best-effort packets and packets that include requests for reserved connections according to a predetermined reservation protocol; and

an enterprise control point adapted to communicate with the switch via a signaling channel, wherein the enterprise control point receives requested information concerning reserved connections from the switch and is adapted to identify at least one path in the network and to reserve resources along the path that can satisfy the reserved connections between the endstations in response to the received information.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the network comprises one of a local area network and a wide area network.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined reservation protocol is Reservation Protocol (RSVP).

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the switch is adapted to detect RSVP packets having path messages, to buffer the path messages, and to transmit copies of the path messages to the enterprise control point.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined reservation protocol is an IEEE802.1P/Q protocol.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the enterprise control point further comprises:

a signaling interface adapted to communicate with the switch via the signaling channel;

a path/device discovery unit adapted to build and update a list of network elements and paths between the endstations; and

a connection controller coupled to the signaling interface and the path/device discovery, wherein the connection controller is adapted to initiate and terminate reserved connections between the endstations in response to the received information.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switch further comprises:

a reservation interface adapted to forward the information concerning reserved connections to the enterprise control point and to receive resource reservation information from the enterprise control point via the signaling channel; and

an enhanced switch engine coupled to the reservation interface, wherein the enhanced switch engine is adapted to extract the information concerning reserved connections from the detected packets and to perform packet forwarding decisions based on the received resource reservation information.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the endstations are capable of communicating via the predetermined reservation protocol.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the endstations comprise hosts and/or routers.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the hosts and/or routers are capable of communicating via the predetermined reservation protocol.

11. A method for providing reserved connections between endstations in a single network capable of providing best-effort and prioritized communications, the method comprising:

detecting best-effort packets and packets that include requests for reserved connections according to a predetermined reservation protocol;

forwarding best-effort packets;

forwarding detected request information to an enterprise control point;

identifying a path within at least a portion of the network between the endstations that can establish the requested reserved connections; and

reserving resources along the path so as to establish the requested reserved connections.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the network comprises one of a local area network and a wide area network.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined reservation protocol is Reservation Protocol (RSVP).

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined reservation protocol is an IEEE802.1P/Q protocol.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein the endstations are adapted to communicate via the predetermined reservation protocol.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein the detecting step includes detecting packets having path messages, buffering the path messages, and

wherein the forwarding step includes transmitting copies of the path messages to the enterprise control point.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein the endstations comprise hosts and/or routers.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the hosts and/or routers are adapted to communicate via the predetermined reservation protocol.

19. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

maintaining a list of connections within the network;

building and updating lists of network elements and paths between the endstations; and

initiating and terminating the reserved connections within the network based on the list of connections and the lists of network elements and paths between the endstations.

20. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

extracting request information from the detected packets;

receiving resource reservation information from the enterprise control point; and

performing packet forwarding decisions based on the received resource reservation information.

21. An apparatus for reserving connections between endstations in a single network, capable of providing best-effort and prioritized communications comprising:

means for detecting best-effort packets and packets that include requests for reserved connections according to a predetermined reservation protocol;

means for forwarding best-effort packets;

means for forwarding detected request information to an enterprise control point;

means for identifying a path within at least a portion of the network between the endstations that can establish the requested reserved connections;

and means for reserving resources along the path so as to establish the requested reserved connections.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the endstations are within the same local area network.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the endstations are within the same wide area network.

24. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the enterprise control point further comprises:

means for communicating with a switch via a signaling channel;

means for maintaining a list of connections within the network;

means for building and updating lists of network elements and paths between the endstations; and

means for initiating and terminating the reserved connections within the network based on the list of connections and the lists of network elements and paths between the endstations.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the switch further comprises:

means for extracting request information from the detected packets;

means for forwarding the detected request information to the enterprise control point and for receiving resource reservation information from the enterprise control point via the signaling channel; and

means for performing packet forwarding decisions based on the received resource reservation information.

26. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the switch further comprises:

means for detecting RSVP packets having path messages;

means for buffering the path messages; and

means for transmitting copies of the path messages to the enterprise control point.

27. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the endstations are adapted to communicate via the predetermined reservation protocol.

28. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the endstations comprise hosts and/or routers.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the hosts and/or routers are adapted to request and reserve a specified bandwidth and/or latency using the predetermined reservation protocol.

30. An enterprise control point adapted to reserve connections between endstations in a network, wherein the enterprise control point is adapted to communicate with a switch via a first signaling channel, to receive request information concerning reserved connections from the switch, and to identify at least one path in the network and to reserve resources along the path that can establish the reserved connections between the endstations in response to the received request information, the enterprise control point comprising:

a signaling interface adapted to communicate with the switch via the first signaling channel;

a path/device discovery unit adapted to build and update a list of network elements and paths between the endstations; and

a connection controller coupled to the signaling interface and the path/device discovery unit, wherein the connection controller is adapted to initiate and terminate reserved connections between the endstations in response to the received request information based on the list of network elements and paths between the endstations.

31. An enterprise control point according to claim 30, further comprising a network interface adapted to communicate with a network control system server via a second signaling network, wherein the network interface is adapted to request reserved connections in a wide area network and/or broadband network.

32. An apparatus for providing reserved connections between endstations in a broadband network, comprising:

a switch in packet communication with a requesting one of the endstations that is adapted to detect packets that include requests for reserved connections according to a predetermined reservation protocol; and

an enterprise control point adapted to communicate with the switch via a signaling channel and to communicate with a broadband network control system server via a signaling network, wherein the enterprise control point receives request information concerning reserved connections from the switch and to forward the request information to the broadband network control system server; and

a premises switch in packet communication with the requesting endstation and the broadband network, the premises switch being adapted to communicate with the broadband network control system server via the signaling network and to forward packets belonging to reserved connections to a broadband network in response to reserved connection commands from the broadband network control system server.

33. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the premises switch comprises:

a packet switch adapted to perform packet forwarding decisions;

a network interface card adapted to transmit and/or receive packets to/from endstations via the packet switch; and

a bonder adapted to receive and/or transmit packets to/from the broadband network.