Method and apparatus for characterizing network traffic

• US 6,690,647 B1
• Filed: 02/06/1998
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Tai, Tsung-Yuan C., Tang, Puqi P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYUN, SOON D
• Application Number:
  US09/020,207
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/231, 370/235, 370/252, 370/443, 370/465, 370/477, 370/253, 370/241, 370/401, 370/395.21, 370/395.43, 370/395.52, 370/234, 370/236, 709/224, 709/228-230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/233
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• 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]

Abstract

A method and apparatus are presented that may dynamically characterize network traffic so that a user application can reserve appropriate network resources for submitting traffic to a network. According to one embodiment, at least one value characterizing the traffic is generated and transmitted to the network. This value can be dynamically updated to ensure that an appropriate amount of network resources is reserved. Using this method and apparatus, the risk of either over-subscribing network resources or failing to reserve enough resources to provide necessary quality of service (QoS) may be eliminated.

Claims

1. A method for characterizing network traffic generated by a traffic source at a host device, comprising:

recording at said host device a network traffic pattern for said network traffic generated by said traffic source;

generating at said host device at least one value characterizing said network traffic;

reporting at said host device said at least one value characterizing said network traffic to a network; and

receiving at said host device a response from said network indicating whether network resources corresponding to the reported at least one value have been reserved.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said network is the Internet.

2. A method for characterizing network traffic generated by a traffic source, comprising:

recording a network traffic pattern for said network traffic generated by said traffic source;

generating at least one value characterizing said network traffic;

updating said at least one value characterizing said network traffic; and

selectively reporting said updated value to the network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating said at least one value characterizing said network traffic further includes:

determining a lower bound for a token bucket rate;

determining an upper bound for a token bucket rate;

determining a lower bound for a token bucket size;

determining an upper bound for a token bucket size;

determining a relationship between a token bucket rate and a minimum token bucket size to accommodate said network traffic; and

determining an optimum token bucket rate and a corresponding optimum token bucket size corresponding to said network traffic pattern using the determined relationship between the token bucket rate and the minimum token bucket size.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein reporting said at least one value characterizing said network traffic pattern to said network further includes triggering a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) service provider, the RSVP service provider being coupled to said network.

6. An apparatus for characterizing network traffic generated by a traffic source, comprising:

a host device including a collector, an engine, a reporting mechanism, and said traffic source;

said collector to store a network traffic pattern for the network traffic generated by said traffic source;

said engine coupled to said collector and adapted to generate at least one value characterizing said network traffic; and

said reporting mechanism coupled to said engine and adapted to receive said value characterizing said network traffic and adapted to report said value characterizing said network traffic to a network;

said apparatus further adapted to receive a response from said network that indicates whether network resources corresponding to said value have been reserved.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said network traffic generated by said traffic source includes a plurality of packets and said collector is adapted to transmit packet size values and time of receipt values to said engine.

8. An apparatus for characterizing network traffic generated by a traffic source, comprising:

a collector adapted to store a network traffic pattern for the network traffic generated by said traffic source wherein said network traffic generated by said traffic source includes a plurality of packets and said collector is adapted to transmit packet size values and time of receipt values to said engine and wherein said network traffic is represented as a token bucket model and said engine is adapted to generate an optimal token bucket rate and an optimal token bucket size based on said packet size values and time of receipt values from said collector; and

an engine coupled to said collector and adapted to generate at least one value characterizing said network traffic.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) service provider coupled between said reporting mechanism and said network and wherein said reporting mechanism is adapted to trigger said RSVP service provider to transmit said optimal token bucket size and optimal token bucket rate to said network.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said network is the Internet.

11. A set of instructions residing in a storage medium said set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor to implement a method for characterizing network traffic generated by a traffic source in a host device, the method comprising:

recording at said host device a network traffic pattern for said network traffic generated by said traffic source;

generating at said host device at least one value characterizing said network traffic;

reporting at said host device said at least one value characterizing said network traffic to a network;

receiving at said host device a response from said network indicating whether network resources corresponding to the transmitted at least one value have been reserved.

15. The set of instructions according to claim 11, wherein said network is an Internet.

12. A set of instructions residing in a storage medium said set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor to implement a method for characterizing network traffic generated by a traffic source, the method comprising:

recording a network traffic pattern for said network traffic generated by said traffic source; and

generating at least one value characterizing said network traffic;

updating said at least one value characterizing said network traffic; and

selectively reporting said updated value to the network.

13. The set of instructions of claim 12, wherein generating said at least one value characterizing said network traffic further includes:

determining a lower bound for a token bucket rate;

determining an upper bound for a token bucket rate;

determining a lower bound for a token bucket size;

determining an upper bound for a token bucket size;

determining a relationship between a token bucket rate and a minimum token bucket size to accommodate said network traffic; and

determining an optimum token bucket rate and a corresponding optimum token bucket size corresponding to said network traffic pattern using the determined relationship between the token bucket rate and the minimum token bucket size.

14. The set of instructions of claim 13, wherein reporting said at least one value characterizing said network traffic pattern to said network further includes triggering a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) service provider, the RSVP service provider being coupled to said network.