Oversubscribing network resources

• US 6,775,701 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2000
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Edwards, Eric, Villarica, Al, Pan, Yin
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MESFIN, YEMANE
• Application Number:
  US09/639,216
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 709/104, 709/105, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 709/205, 709/229, 709/201
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5014 Reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• 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 47/808 User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/828 Allocation of resources per group of connections, e.g. per group of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/829 Topology based

Abstract

A network resource, such as bandwidth, is reserved by obtaining historical usage data relating to usage of the network resource over a period of time, and determining an amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed based on the historical usage data. Current usage data relating to current usage of the network resource may also be determined. The amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed may be determined based additionally on the current usage data.

Claims

1. A method for use in reserving a network resource, comprising:

obtaining historical usage data relating to usage of the network resource over a period of time;

determining an amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed based on the historical usage data; and

reserving a maximum amount of the network resource available from a device plus the amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining current usage data relating to current usage of the network resource;

wherein the amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed is determined based additionally on the current usage data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the historical usage data comprises determining an average difference between an amount of the network resource that was reserved over the period of time and an amount of the network resource that was used over the period of time.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the current usage data comprises determining a difference between an amount of the network resource that is reserved at a current time and an amount of the network resource that is in use at the current time.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein determining is performed based on a selected risk parameter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the risk parameter is selected using one or more fuzzy logic rules.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the fuzzy logic rules are based on the historical usage data and current usage data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein (i) the risk parameter is set relatively high if the historical usage data indicates that usage of reserved network resource over the period of time is relatively low and the current usage data indicates that current usage of the reserved network resource is relatively low;

and (ii) the risk parameter is set relatively low if the historical usage data indicates that usage of the reserved network resource over the period of time is relatively high and the current usage data indicates that current usage of the reserved network resource is relatively high.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resource comprises bandwidth of the device.

10. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium for use in reserving a network resource, the computer program comprising instructions that cause a computer to:

obtain historical usage data relating to usage of the network resource over a period of time;

determine an amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed based on the historical usage data; and

reserve a maximum amount of the network resource available from a device plus the amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed.

11. The computer program of claim 10, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to:

obtain current usage data relating to current usage of the network resource;

wherein the amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed is determined based additionally on the current usage data.

12. The computer program of claim 10, wherein obtaining the historical usage data comprises determining an average difference between an amount of the network resource that was reserved over the period of time and an amount of the network resource that was used over the period of time.

13. The computer program of claim 11, wherein obtaining the current usage data comprises determining a difference between an amount of the network resource that is reserved at a current time and an amount of the network resource that is in use at the current time.

14. The computer program of claim 11, wherein determining is performed based on a selected risk parameter.

15. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the risk parameter is selected using one or more fuzzy logic rules.

16. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the fuzzy logic rules are based on the historical usage data and current usage data.

17. The computer program of claim 16, wherein (i) the risk parameter is set relatively high if the historical usage data indicates that usage of reserved network resource over the period of time is relatively low and the current usage data indicates that current usage of the reserved network resource is relatively low;

and (ii) the risk parameter is set relatively low if the historical usage data indicates that usage of the reserved network resource over the period of time is relatively high and the current usage data indicates that current usage of the reserved network resource is relatively high.

18. The computer program of claim 10, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to reserve an amount of the network resource based on the amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed.

19. An apparatus for use in reserving a network resource, comprising:

a memory which stores executable instructions; and

a processor which executes the instructions to;

obtain historical usage data relating to usage of the network resource over a period of time;

determine an amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed based on the historical usage data; and

reserve a maximum amount of the network resource available from a device plus the amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the processor executes instructions to obtain current usage data relating to current usage of the network resource; and

the amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed is determined based additionally on the current usage data.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein obtaining the historical usage data comprises determining an average difference between an amount of the network resource that was reserved over the period of time and an amount of the network resource that was used over the period of time.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein obtaining the current usage data comprises determining a difference between an amount of the network resource that is reserved at a current time and an amount of the network resource that is in use at the current time.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein determining is performed based on a selected risk parameter.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the risk parameter is selected using one or more fuzzy logic rules.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the fuzzy logic rules are based on the historical usage data and current usage data.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein (i) the risk parameter is set relatively high if the historical usage data indicates that usage of reserved network resource over the period of time is relatively low and the current usage data indicates that current usage of the reserved network resource is relatively low;

and (ii) the risk parameter is set relatively low if the historical usage data indicates that usage of the reserved network resource over the period of time is relatively high and the current usage data indicates that current usage of the reserved network resource is relatively high.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor executes instructions to reserve an amount of the network resource based on the amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed.

28. An apparatus for use in reserving a network resource, comprising:

means for obtaining historical usage data relating to usage of the network resource over a period of time;

means for determining an amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed based on the historical usage data; and

means for reserving a maximum amount of the network resource available from a device plus the amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

means for obtaining current usage data relating to current usage of the network resource;

wherein the amount by which the network resource can be oversubscribed is determined based additionally on the current usage data.