Communication system with content-based data compression

• US 7,069,342 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Biederman, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Strange, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US09/798,816
• Time in Patent Office: 1,944 Days
• Field of Search: 370/477, 709/232, 709/233, 709/235, 709/247
• US Class Current: 709/247
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for dynamically adapting the degree of compression used in compressing data based upon the type of contents contained within a packet are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus that forwards data across a digital communications network includes a compression switch, a compression system, and an output interface. The compression switch receives the data, determines a content type associated with the data by examining the data, and assigns a compression level to the data in response to the determined content type. The compression system is arranged to compress the data based upon the compression level, while the output interface forwards the compressed data across the network. In one embodiment, the apparatus also includes a network congestion estimator that determines a level of network congestion.

Claims

1. A method for forwarding data across a communications network, the method comprising:

associating a first data compression method of a plurality of data compression methods with a first data content type, the first data compression method having an associated first amount of compression;

associating a second data compression method of a plurality of data compression methods with a second data content type, the second data compression method having an associated second amount of compression;

determining when a level of congestion associated with the communications network has increased;

raising the first amount of compression when it is determined that the first amount of compression is not at a maximum level associated with the first data compression method;

determining whether the second amount of compression is at a maximum level associated with the second data compression method when it is determined that the first amount of compression is at the maximum level associated with the first data compression method; and

raising the second amount of compression when it is determined that the second amount of compression is not at the maximum level associated with the second data compression method.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

raising an exception if it is determined that the second amount of compression is at the maximum level associated with the second data compression method.

3. The method of claim 1 further including:

associating a third data compression method of a plurality of data compression methods with a third data content type, the third data compression method having an associated third amount of compression;

determining whether the third amount of compression is at a maximum level associated with the third data compression method when it is determined that the second amount of compression is at the maximum level associated with the second data compression method; and

raising the third amount of compression if it is determined that the third amount of compression is not at the maximum level associated with the third data compression method.

4. A computer program product for forwarding data across a communications network, the computer program product comprising:

code devices that cause a first data compression method of a plurality of data compression methods to be associated with a first data content type, the first data compression method having an associated first amount of compression;

code devices that cause a second data compression method of a plurality of data compression methods to be associated with a second data content type, the second data compression method having an associated second amount of compression;

code devices that cause a determination of when a level of congestion associated with the communications network has increased;

code devices that cause the first amount of compression to be raised when it is determined that the first amount of compression is not at a maximum level associated with the first data compression method;

code devices that cause a determination of whether the second amount of compression is at a maximum level associated with the second data compression method when it is determined that the first amount of compression is at the maximum level associated with the first data compression method;

code devices that cause the second amount of compression to be raised when it is determined that the second amount of compression is not at the maximum level associated with the second data compression method; and

a computer-readable medium that stores the code devices.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 further including:

code devices that cause an exception to be raise if it is determined that the second amount of compression is at the maximum level associated with the second data compression method.

6. The computer program product of claim 4 further including:

code devices that cause a third data compression method of a plurality of data compression methods to be associated with a third data content type, the third data compression method having an associated third amount of compression;

code devices that cause a determination of whether the third amount of compression is at a maximum level associated with the third data compression method when it is determined that the second amount of compression is at the maximum level associated with the second data compression method; and

code devices that cause the third amount of compression to be raised if it is determined that the third amount of compression is not at the maximum level associated with the third data compression method.

7. An apparatus for forwarding data across a communications network, the apparatus comprising:

means for associating a first data compression method of a plurality of data compression methods with a first data content type, the first data compression method having an associated first amount of compression;

means for associating a second data compression method of a plurality of data compression methods with a second data content type, the second data compression method having an associated second amount of compression;

means for determining when a level of congestion associated with the communications network has increased;

means for raising the first amount of compression when it is determined that the first amount of compression is not at a maximum level associated with the first data compression method;

means for determining whether the second amount of compression is at a maximum level associated with the second data compression method when it is determined that the first amount of compression is at the maximum level associated with the first data compression method; and

means for raising the second amount of compression when it is determined that the second amount of compression is not at the maximum level associated with the second data compression method.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further including:

means for raising an exception if it is determined that the second amount of compression is at the maximum level associated with the second data compression method.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 further including:

means for associating a third data compression method of a plurality of data compression methods with a third data content type, the third data compression method having an associated third amount of compression;

means for determining whether the third amount of compression is at a maximum level associated with the third data compression method when it is determined that the second amount of compression is at the maximum level associated with the second data compression method; and

means for raising the third amount of compression if it is determined that the third amount of compression is not at the maximum level associated with the third data compression method.