Method and apparatus for provisioning and monitoring internet protocol quality of service

• US 6,973,033 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2004
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chiu, Angela L., Civanlar, Seyhan, Greenberg, Albert Gordon, Tang, Zhuangbo
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Van Kim T.
• Application Number:
  US10/806,742
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 370230-238, 370252-254, 370401-402, 370412-413, 370466-468, 370/474, 3703952-39543, 709/223, 709/229
• US Class Current: 370/230.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/123 Evaluation of link metrics techniques for monitoring network metrics H04L43/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/247 using M:N active or standby paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/30 Routing of multiclass traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/326 with random discard, e.g. random early discard [RED]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/521 Static queue service slot or fixed bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6225 Fixed service order, e.g. Round Robin
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6265 past bandwidth allocation
• 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 47/728 for backup paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/765 triggered by the end-points
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• 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 47/825 : Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS

Abstract

An architecture, design, and realization for providing Quality of Service (QoS) to Internet Protocol (IP) networks based on a three-class differentiated service scheme where the service provider uses a resource management system and a schedule optimizer to enable the optimal use of bandwidth and buffer resources at each node or router along the various links between the ingress and egress points in a network. The resource reservation system checks to determine if sufficient bandwidth resources are available along the path requested by the customer for a particular class. The schedule optimizer ensures that sufficient buffer resource allocations and parameter settings are made to optimally reach the predetermined QoS criteria for each of the three classes. The system also contains a mechanism supporting resource reservations providing additional resources along alternative paths if the selected path links fail in the network.

Claims

1. A method for use in a network that carries packet traffic under at least two classes of service, the method comprising determining individually for each of a plurality of links in the network whether a predetermined parameter associated with said each link meets a predetermined criterion, said parameter being a function of the amount of packet traffic over said each link that is entitled to one of the classes of service and being further a function of the amount of packet traffic over said each link that is entitled to the other of the classes of service,

wherein said parameter is the ratio of a) the amount of packet traffic over said each link that is entitled said one of the classes of service to b) the amount of packet traffic over said each link that is entitled to the other of the classes of service and wherein said criterion is that said ratio exceeds a predetermined threshold.