Method and apparatus for providing efficient management of resources in a multi-protocol over ATM (MPOA)

• US 6,747,951 B1
• Filed: 09/20/1999
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson AB (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Pitcher, Derek H., Kalkunte, Mohan V., Mangin, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RYMAN, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US09/399,548
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/235, 370/351, 370/389, 370/395.1, 370/396, 370/397, 370/395.2, 370/395.21, 370/395.3, 370/395.31, 370/395.32, 370/395.4, 370/395.5, 370/395.51, 370/395.54, 370/400, 370/401, 370/409, 370/410, 370/433
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4608 LAN interconnection over ATM networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5625 Operations, administration and maintenance [OAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5669 Multiprotocol over ATM [MPOA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing

Abstract

A technique for dynamically adjusting the aging time of a shortcut virtual circuit connection (VCC) in a Multi-protocol over ATM (MPOA) client based on one or more factors. In one embodiment, a method of dynamically adjusting aging time of a shortcut VCC includes detecting a packet flow between a source and a destination, establishing a shortcut VCC between the source and destination, and adjusting an aging time of the shortcut VCC in response to the number of VCCs available by the MPOA client. In other embodiment, the aging time is dynamically adjusted based on the VCC threshold level, the protocol of the flow, and/or the application type of the flow.

Claims

1. In a multiprotocol over ATM (MPOA) client, a method of dynamically adjusting aging time of a shortcut virtual circuit connection (VCC), comprising:

detecting a packet flow between a source and a destination;

establishing a shortcut VCC between the source and destination;

defining a first VCC threshold level as 0 to (X/N)−

1 unavailable VCCs, where X is the total number of VCCs that can be assigned by the MPOA client and N is the number of VCC threshold levels;

defining a second VCC threshold level as X/N to ((2*X/N)−

1 unavailable VCCS;

defining an Nth VCC threshold level as (((N−

1)*X)/N to X−

1 unavailable VCCs; and

adjusting an aging time for release of the shortcut VCC, the aging time being adjusted in response to a VCC threshold level chosen from one of the N defined VCC threshold levels.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein as the number of VCCs available decreases the aging time for a particular shortcut VCC also decreases.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the aging time of the shortcut VCC comprises adjusting the aging time of the shortcut VCC in response to the number of VCCs available by the MPOA client and a protocol of the packet flow.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the aging time of the shortcut VCC comprises adjusting the aging time of the shortcut VCC in response to the number of VCCs available by the MPOA client and art application of the packet flow.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the aging time of the shortcut VCC comprises adjusting the aging time of the shortcut VCC in response to the number of VCCs available by the MPOA client, and a protocol and an application of the packet flow.

6. An apparatus in a multi-protocol over ATM (MPOA) system, comprising:

a memory having one or more instructions contained therein; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to respond to the one or more instructions, and thereby to,

detect a packet flow between a source and a destination,

establish a shortcut virtual circuit connection (VCC) between the source and destination,

define a first VCC threshold level as 0 to X/N)−

1 unavailable VCCs, where X is the total number of VCCs that can be assigned by the MPOA client and N is the number of VCC threshold levels;

define a second VCC threshold level as X/N to ((2*X/N)−

1 unavailable VCCs;

define an Nth threshold level is defined as (((N−

1)*X)/N to X−

1 unavailable VCCs; and

adjust an aging time for release of the shortcut VCC, the aging time being adjusted in response to a VCC threshold level chosen from one of the N defined VCC threshold levels.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the processor further responds to the one or more instructions to adjust the aging time of the shortcut VCC in response to the number of VCCs available and a protocol of the packet flow.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the processor further responds to the one or more instructions to adjust the aging time of the shortcut VCC in response to the number of VCCs available, the protocol of the flow, and an application type of the packet flow.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the processor further responds to the one or more instructions to decrease the aging time of the shortcut VCC as the number of VCCs available decreases.

10. A program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer program code embodied therein to detect a packet flow between a source and a destination;

computer readable program code to cause establishment of a shortcut virtual circuit connection (VCC) between the source and destination if a number of VCCs used is below a predetermined maximum VCC value;

computer readable program code to define a first VCC threshold level as 0 to (X/N)−

1 unavailable VCCs, where X is the total number of VCCs that can be assigned by the MPOA client and N is the number of VCC threshold levels;

computer readable program code to define a second VCC threshold level as X/N to ((2*X)/N)−

1 unavailable VCCS;

computer readable program code to define an Nth threshold level is defined as ((N−

1)*X)/N to X−

1 unavailable VCCS, and

computer readable program code to dynamically set an aging time for release of the shortcut VCC, the aging time being adjusted in response to a VCC threshold level chosen from one of the N defined VCC threshold levels.

11. The program product of claim 10 wherein computer readable program code to dynamically set the aging time of the shortcut VCC comprises computer readable program code to dynamically adjust the aging time of the shortcut VCC in response to a protocol of the packet flow and the number of VCCs available.

12. The program product of claim 10 wherein computer readable program code to dynamically set the aging time of the shortcut VCC comprises computer readable program code to dynamically adjust the aging time of the shortcut VCC in response to a protocol of the packet flow, an application of the packet flow, and the number of VCCs available.

13. The program product of claim 10 further comprising computer readable program code to cause the shortcut VCC to be released if the packet flow is inactive for a time equal to the aging time.

14. A multiprotocol over ATM (MPOA) system, comprising:

a destination device;

an egress device coupled to the destination device;

a source device; and

an ingress device coupled to a source device, and to the egress device through a first network having at least a router, said ingress device to forward packets, originating from the source device, to the egress device through the first network, said ingress device to establish a shortcut virtual circuit connection (VCC) between the ingress and egress devices, and adjust an aging time for release of the shortcut VCC, the aging time being adjusted in response to one of N VCC threshold levels, wherein

a first VCC threshold level is defined as 0 to (X/N)−

1 unavailable VCCs, where X is the total number of VCCs that can be assigned by the MPOA client and N is the number of VCC threshold levels,

a second VCC threshold level is defined as X/N to ((2*X)/N)−

1 unavailable VCCs,

and an Nth threshold level is defined as (((N−

1)*X)/N to X−

1 unavailable VCCs.

15. The MPOA system of claim 14 wherein the aging time is adjusted further in response to one or more of the following:

a protocol of the packet flow, an application of the packet flow, and a number of VCCs available on the ingress device.

16. The MPOA system of claim 14 wherein said ingress device establishes the shortcut VCC between the ingress and egress devices when a number of packets received from the source device within a predetermined amount of time is greater than a predetermined value.

17. The MPOA system of claim 14 wherein the ingress device is coupled to the source device through a second network and the egress device is coupled to the destination device through a third network.