Methods and apparatus for controlling a data stream using a host agent acting on behalf of a host computer

• US 7,072,343 B1
• Filed: 09/27/1999
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Waclawsky, John G., Chawla, Hamesh
• Primary Examiner(s): SEFCHECK, GREGORY B
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEFCHECK, GREGORY B
• Application Number:
  US09/405,777
• Time in Patent Office: 2,472 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/236, 370/431, 370/432, 370/464, 709200-203, 709208-211, 709/223, 709225-232, 709/310, 709/313, 709/317
• US Class Current: 370/395.21
• 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 47/806 Broadcast or multicast traffic

Abstract

Techniques are provided for controlling a data stream without communicating with a host generating the data stream. A host agent (associated with the host generating the data stream) runs in a computerized data processing device and receives a request signal from a request signal source (e.g., a router seeking direction on how to handle the data stream). In response to the request signal, the host agent generates a control signal which includes the control information for controlling the manner in which the request signal source transfers the data stream.

Claims

1. A data communications device comprising:

multiple network ports;

memory that stores an application; and

a controller coupled to the multiple network ports and the memory, an agent process running on the controller when the controller operates in accordance with the application stored in the memory such that the agent;

intercepts a request signal transmitted from a request signal source to a host computer having a corresponding host destination address, the request signal including the host destination address of the host computer, the request signal originally destined for receipt by the host computer that would respond with control information for controlling a manner in which the request signal source transfers a data stream;

originates a control signal in response to receiving the request signal, the control signal including the control information for controlling the manner in which the request signal source transfers the data stream; and

provides the control signal to the request signal source to individually control the manner in which the request signal source transfers the data stream among multiple data streams transferred by the request signal source, wherein the request signal source is a routing mechanism operating within the data communications device.

2. The data communications device of claim 1 wherein the agent forms the control signal without communicating with the host computer in response to request signal when the agent generates the control signal.

3. The data communications device of claim 1 wherein the data stream is a ReSerVation Protocol session, and wherein the control information of the control signal includes ReSerVation Protocol instructions.

4. The data communications device of claim 1 wherein the data stream is a multicast session, and wherein the control information of the control signal includes Internet Group Management Protocol instructions.

5. The data communications device of claim 1 wherein the agent further performs an operation that decides whether to contact the host computer for assistance in response to the request signal, a result of the operation directing the data communications device not to contact the host computer in response to the request signal.

6. The data communications device of claim 1 wherein data within the data stream indicates that the host computer is an originator of the data stream.

7. The data communications device of claim 1 wherein data within the request signal indicates that the host computer is a destined recipient of the request signal.

8. The data communications device of claim 1 wherein the request signal is an interprocess communication signal, and wherein the host agent receives the request signal from the request signal source through an interprocess communication interface of the host agent when acting on behalf of the host computer.

9. A data communications device as in claim 1, wherein the request signal source is disposed at an intermediate node of the network and the request signal source routes the data stream from the host computer to a recipient computer.

10. A data communications device as in claim 1, wherein the controller running the agent process is disposed at an intermediate node of the network other than that of the request signal source.

11. A data communications device as in claim 10, wherein the request signal travels along a path from the request signal source to the controller exclusive of a path associated with the data stream.

12. A computer program product, operating within a data communications device, that includes a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for controlling a data stream, such that the instructions, when processed by a controller, cause the controller to perform the steps of:

intercepting a request signal transmitted from a request signal source to a host computer having a corresponding host destination address, the request signal including the host destination address to support transmission of the request signal to the host computer, the request signal originally destined for the host computer that would otherwise respond with control information for controlling a manner in which the request signal source transfers the data stream;

originating a control signal in response to intercepting the request signal, the control signal including the control information for controlling the manner in which the request signal source transfers the data stream; and

providing the control signal to the request signal source to individually control the manner in which the request signal source transfers the data stream among multiple data streams transferred by the request signal source, wherein the request signal source is a routing mechanism operating within the data communications device, and wherein the computer readable medium further includes instructions stored thereon for directing operation of the request signal source.

13. A method for controlling transmission of a data stream through a network, the method comprising:

at least partially supporting transmission of the data stream from a data stream source to a data stream recipient via a routing mechanism disposed at a network communications device between the data stream source and data stream recipient, the routing mechanism supporting transmission of the data stream based, at least in part, on received control information;

providing a software agent at the network communications device;

via the software agent, intercepting a request signal transmitted from the routing mechanism to a remote host computer that, if the request signal was otherwise received by the remote host computer, would respond with control information for controlling a manner in which the routing mechanism transfers the data stream;

from the software agent intercepting the request signal;

originating a control signal in response to intercepting the request signal, the control signal including the control information for controlling the manner in which the routing mechanism transfers the data stream; and

providing the control signal including control information to the routing mechanism to control a manner in which the routing mechanism transfers the data stream from the data stream source to the data stream recipient.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein intercepting a request signal includes:

intercepting the request signal originally destined for receipt by the remote host computer, the remote host computer being the data stream recipient that receives the data stream.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein intercepting a request signal includes:

intercepting the request signal originally destined for receipt by the remote host computer, the remote host computer being the data stream source that transmits the data stream.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein intercepting the request signal includes:

intercepting the request signal which includes a request for permission to drop data packets associated with the data stream, the software agent responding to the request for permission to drop data packets received from the routing mechanism on behalf of and instead of the data stream source.

17. A method as in claim 16 further comprising:

at the software agent, receiving configuration information from the remote host computer indicating when it is acceptable to drop data packets of the data stream; and

at the software agent, utilizing the received configuration information from the remote host computer to provide control information to the routing mechanism how to transfer the data stream.

18. A method as in claim 17 further comprising:

in response to the routing mechanism dropping data packets of the data stream, generating and transmitting a message from the software agent to the remote host computer indicating when data packets of the data stream have been dropped.