System and process for allocating flow capacity in a network
First Claim
1. A method for allocating a flow capacity to a set of usage devices accessing a network, comprising:
- (a) defining a set of flow restrictions, wherein said set of defined flow restrictions comprising a restricted flow usage level that does not exceed a maximum flow usage level;
(b) defining a usage limit for a time period;
(c) transferring a set of flows through a set of restriction agents between the set of usage devices and the network;
(d) monitoring said set of transferred flows, said step for monitoring said transferred flows further comprises the steps of;
(i) measuring said transferred flows in an initial sampling period in said time period;
(ii) repeating said measuring step for a series of sampling periods following said initial sampling period;
(iii) summarizing historical information about said measured flows; and
incrementing said time period following each of said sampling periods as a sliding window with a window size equal to said time period and a sliding increment between said sampling period and said time period;
(e) selecting a set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions, said selected set of flow restrictions being determined by a processing agent, wherein said selecting step comprises;
(i) computing a flow usage level for each of the usage devices during said time period according to said monitored flows, (ii) comparing said flow usage level with said usage limit for each of the usage devices, (iii) identifying a subset of the usage devices having said flow usage level exceeding said usage limit, and (iv) associating said identified subset of usage devices with said restricted flow usage level in said selected set of flow restrictions; and
(f) allocating a portion of said maximum flow usage level to said transferred flows according to said selected set of flow restrictions, wherein said identified subset of usage devices are restricted to flows within said restricted flow usage level.
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Abstract
A flow allocation system includes a set of collection agents, a set of restriction agents, a processing agent and at least one usage limit selected from a volume limit set and a rate limit set. The flow allocation system is implemented between a set of usage devices and a service network. The collection agents monitor flows between the usage devices and the service network. The processing agent sums the flows for each of the usage devices, determines whether any of the summed flows reach the usage limit, and selects at least one flow restriction rule for the subset of usage devices reaching the usage limit. The set of restriction agents implement the flow restriction control rule for the subset of usage devices reaching the usage limit. The processing agent also uses exception handling techniques to shift usage quotas for the usage devices.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method for allocating a flow capacity to a set of usage devices accessing a network, comprising:
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(a) defining a set of flow restrictions, wherein said set of defined flow restrictions comprising a restricted flow usage level that does not exceed a maximum flow usage level;
(b) defining a usage limit for a time period;
(c) transferring a set of flows through a set of restriction agents between the set of usage devices and the network;
(d) monitoring said set of transferred flows, said step for monitoring said transferred flows further comprises the steps of;
(i) measuring said transferred flows in an initial sampling period in said time period;
(ii) repeating said measuring step for a series of sampling periods following said initial sampling period;
(iii) summarizing historical information about said measured flows; and
incrementing said time period following each of said sampling periods as asliding window with a window size equal to said time period and a sliding increment between said sampling period and said time period;
(e) selecting a set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions, said selected set of flow restrictions being determined by a processing agent, wherein said selecting step comprises;
(i) computing a flow usage level for each of the usage devices during said time period according to said monitored flows, (ii) comparing said flow usage level with said usage limit for each of the usage devices, (iii) identifying a subset of the usage devices having said flow usage level exceeding said usage limit, and (iv) associating said identified subset of usage devices with said restricted flow usage level in said selected set of flow restrictions; and
(f) allocating a portion of said maximum flow usage level to said transferred flows according to said selected set of flow restrictions, wherein said identified subset of usage devices are restricted to flows within said restricted flow usage level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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10. A method for allocating a flow capacity to a set of usage devices accessing a network, comprising:
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(a) defining a set of flow restrictions, wherein said set of defined flow restrictions comprises a restricted flow usage level that does not exceed a maximum flow usage level;
(b) defining a usage limit for a time period;
(c) transferring a set of flows through a set of restriction agents between the set of usage devices and the network;
(d) monitoring said set of transferred flows;
(e) selecting a set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions, said selected set of flow restrictions being determined by a processing agent, wherein said selecting step comprises;
(i) computing a flow usage level for each of the usage devices during said time period according to said monitored flows, (ii) comparing said flow usage level with said usage limit for each of the usage devices, (iii) identifying a subset of the usage devices having said flow usage level exceeding said usage limit, and (iv) associating said identified subset of usage devices with said restricted flow usage level in said selected set of flow restrictions;
(f) allocating a portion of said maximum flow usage level to said transferred flows according to said selected set of flow restrictions, wherein said identified subset of usage devices are restricted to flows within said restricted flow usage level;
connecting a set of measuring elements and a set of actuator elements with said set of restriction agents;
integrating a set of communication elements with said set of restriction agents through said measuring elements and actuator elements, wherein each one of said communication elements has a unique identity for said set of usage devices and wherein said measuring elements and said communication elements function as collection agents; and
controlling said portion of said maximum flow usage level allocated to said transferred flows in an out-of-band network, wherein said out-of-band network is comprised of said processing agent and said set of communication elements in a computer network and wherein said processing agent controls said restricting agents through said actuator elements. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for allocating a flow capacity to a set of usage devices accessing a network, comprising:
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(a) defining a set of flow restrictions, wherein said set of defined flow restrictions comprises a restricted flow usage level that does not exceed a maximum flow usage level;
(b) defining a usage limit for a time period;
(c) transferring a set of flows through a set of restriction agents between the set of usage devices and the network;
(d) monitoring said set of transferred flows;
(e) selecting a set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions, said selected set of flow restrictions being determined by a processing agent, wherein said selecting step comprises;
(i) computing a flow usage level for each of the usage devices during said time period according to said monitored flows, (ii) comparing said flow usage level with said usage limit for each of the usage devices, (iii) identifying a subset of the usage devices having said flow usage level exceeding said usage limit, and (iv) associating said identified subset of usage devices with said restricted flow usage level in said selected set of flow restrictions;
(f) allocating a portion of said maximum flow usage level to said transferred flows according to said selected set of flow restrictions, wherein said identified subset of usage devices are restricted to flows within said restricted flow usage level;
(g) communicating a set of data headers in said set of flows, wherein said set of flows is a set of data flows and wherein said set of usage devices is a set of communicating devices;
(h) controlling said maximum flow usage level through the network and a computer network, wherein said computer network is comprised of said processing agent and said communicating devices; and
(i) communicating said data flows within an electric power network, wherein said data flows are communicated with electric power flows. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for allocating a flow capacity to a set of usage devices accessing a network, comprising:
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(a) defining a set of flow restrictions, wherein said set of defined flow restrictions comprises a restricted flow usage level that does not exceed a maximum flow usage level;
(b) defining a usage limit for a time period;
(c) transferring a set of flows through a set of restriction agents between the set of usage devices and the network;
(d) monitoring said set of transferred flows;
(e) selecting a set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions, said selected set of flow restrictions being determined by a processing agent, wherein said selecting step comprises;
(i) computing a flow usage level for each of the usage devices during said time period according to said monitored flows, (ii) comparing said flow usage level with said usage limit for each of the usage devices, (iii) identifying a subset of the usage devices having said flow usage level exceeding said usage limit, and (iv) associating said identified subset of usage devices with said restricted flow usage level in said selected set of flow restrictions; and
(f) allocating a portion of said maximum flow usage level to said transferred flows according to said selected set of flow restrictions, wherein said identified subset of usage devices are restricted to flows within said restricted flow usage level (g) registering each one of said usage devices with a unique user in a corresponding set of users accessing said set of restriction devices;
(h) allocating said flows to said users according to said corresponding usage devices registered to said users;
(i) registering a single user to a plurality of usage devices; and
(j) grouping a plurality of monitored flows from said plurality of usage devices to said single user.
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26. A flow allocation system for a set of usage devices accessing a network through a portal, comprising:
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a set of restriction agents in-line with the portal and responsive to a set of restriction rules to restrict a set of flows transferred between the accessed network and the usage devices;
a set of collection agents monitoring said set of transferred flows during a time period for each of said usage devices;
a processing agent receiving said monitored set of said transferred flows from said set of collection agents and communicating said set of flow restriction rules to said restriction agents, wherein said processing agent has a flow allocation module to select a subset of the usage devices with said transferred flows exceeding a usage limit and to create said set of flow restriction rules for said subset of usage device;
a set of measuring elements in communication with said set of communication elements and connected to said set of restriction elements; and
a set of actuator elements in communication with said set of communication elements and connected to said set of restriction elements;
wherein said processing agent is within a control network that is out-of-band from the accessed network;
wherein said out-of-band control network further comprises a set of communication elements in communication with said processing agent, wherein each one of said communication elements has a unique identity for said set of usage devices. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for allocating a flow capacity to a set of usage devices accessing a service network, comprising:
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(a) defining a set of flow restrictions, wherein said set of defined flow restrictions comprises a range of flow rates less than a maximum flow rate;
(b) defining a set of volume limits corresponding with the set of usage devices and corresponding with a time period in which the set of usage devices access the service network;
(c) associating said set of volume limits with said range of flow rates in said set of flow restrictions for each usage device in the set of usage devices;
(d) transferring a set of flows through a set of restriction agents between the set of usage devices and the service network;
(e) monitoring said set of flows in a control network, wherein each of said usage devices in the service network has a unique identity in said control network;
(f) selecting a set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions, said selected set of flow restrictions being determined by a processor according to said volume limits and according to said monitored set of flows, wherein said selecting step comprises;
(i) computing a flow volume for each of the usage devices during said time period according to said monitored flows, (ii) comparing said flow volume with said set of volume limits as applied to each of the usage devices, (iii) identifying a subset of the usage devices having said flow volume exceeding said corresponding set of applied volume limits, (iv) shifting a set of volume quotas for the set of usage devices according to a set of exception policies for the set of usage devices, and (v) selecting said set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions for each of the usage devices according to said association between said set of volume limits and said range of flow rates; and
(g) allocating a portion of said maximum flow rate to said transferred flows according to said selected set of flow restrictions, wherein said identified subset of usage devices are restricted to flows within said range of restricted flow rates wherein computing said flow volume during said time period further comprises the steps of;
measuring said transferred flows in an initial sampling period during said time period;
repeating said measuring step for a series of sampling periods following said initial sampling period;
incrementing said time period as a sliding window through a series of sequential time periods;
repeating said computing, comparing, identifying, shifting, and selecting steps for said series of sequential time periods; and
summarizing historical information about said measured flows. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method for allocating a flow capacity to a set of usage devices accessing a service network, comprising:
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(a) defining a set of flow restrictions, wherein said set of defined flow restrictions comprises a range of flow rates less than a maximum flow rate;
(b) defining a set of volume limits corresponding with the set of usage devices and corresponding with a time period in which the set of usage devices access the service network;
(c) associating said set of volume limits with said range of flow rates in said set of flow restrictions for each usage device in the set of usage devices;
(d) transferring a set of flows through a set of restriction agents between the set of usage devices and the service network;
(e) monitoring said set of flows in a control network, wherein each of said usage devices in the service network has a unique identity in said control network;
(f) selecting a set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions, said selected set of flow restrictions being determined by a processor according to said volume limits and according to said monitored set of flows, wherein said selecting step comprises;
(i) computing a flow volume for each of the usage devices during said time period according to said monitored flows, (ii) comparing said flow volume with said set of volume limits as applied to each of the usage devices, (iii) identifying a subset of the usage devices having said flow volume exceeding said corresponding set of applied volume limits, (iv) shifting a set of volume quotas for the set of usage devices according to a set of exception policies for the set of usage devices, and (v) selecting said set of flow restrictions from said set of defined flow restrictions for each of the usage devices according to said association between said set of volume limits and said range of flow rates;
(g) allocating a portion of said maximum flow rate to said transferred flows according to said selected set of flow restrictions, wherein said identified subset of usage devices are restricted to flows within said range of restricted flow rates connecting a set of measuring agents with said set of restriction agents;
integrating a set of communication elements with said set of measuring agents and said corresponding set of restriction agents, wherein each one of said communication elements has a unique identity for said set of usage devices;
integrating a set of actuator elements with said set of restriction elements, wherein said actuator elements are controlled by said out-of-band network through said set of communication elements; and
controlling the flow capacity in an out-of-band network, wherein said out-of-band network is comprised of said processor and said set of communication elements in a computer network and the network further comprises said set of usage devices connected through said set of restriction agents in a service network controlled by said out-of-band network, wherein said set of restriction agents corresponds with said set of measuring agents according to said set of communication elements. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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Specification