Network measurement controlling system apparatus and method

• US 7,142,512 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Koizumi, Minoru, Kobayashi, Emiko, Ebata, Tomoichi, Kitahara, Chiho
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US09/571,003
• Time in Patent Office: 2,388 Days
• Field of Search: 370224-235, 370/395.21, 370/428.25, 370252-253, 370/473, 370/237, 370/359.21, 370/428, 370/395.2, 370/230.1, 709/104, 709/203, 709/224, 709/226, 709/225, 709/249, 709/223
• US Class Current: 370/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• 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 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data

Abstract

According to the invention, techniques for controlling the quality of each communication service in a network automatically according to measured information of network traffic are provided. In a representative embodiment, a network measurement controlling system is provided according to the present invention, which comprises a control server, a router, and a meter connected to a network. The meter receives packets from a network and measures the number of packets, and the like, according to preset measurement rules, and transfers measured data to a control server. The control server holds control rules including its control policy for assuring the quality of each communication service, analyzes measured data transferred from the meter, and transmits control commands. The router controls the QoS automatically in real time according to the status of the network by receiving control commands and controlling communication service quality.

Claims

1. A network measurement controlling method operable in a control server connectable to a network having at least two meters that receive packets from the network and transfer at least some of those packets, the method comprising:

storing a threshold that requires quality controlling for each measurement flow and an action to be carried out if said threshold is exceeded; and

receiving a measurement result from one meter,

receiving a measurement result from another meter;

comparing said measurement results with said threshold, and

instructing a router to carry out said action for controlling a communication quality according to said measurement result in accordance with rules administered by the control server.

2. A method for enforcing a quality of service in at least one of a plurality of flows in a network having at least two meters that receive packets and transfer at least some of those packets, the method comprising:

receiving information indicating a desired quality of service;

dynamically monitoring said network at a first meter for packets in said at least one of a plurality of flows to determine a measured quality of service;

dynamically monitoring said network at a second meter for packets in at least one of the plurality of flows to determine a measured quality of service;

comparing said measured qualities of service to said information indicating a desired quality of service; and

thereupon dynamically reallocating network resources to manage said at least one of a plurality of flows to maintain said desired quality of service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said measured quality of service is a parameter selected from:

a number of packets, a number of bytes, a throughput, a maximum amount of data to transfer per unit time, a delay time, a packet loss, a jitter, and a maximum data amount to transfer.

4. A computer program product for enforcing a quality of service in at least one of a plurality of flows in a network, the network including at least two meters which receive packets and transfer at least some of those packets, the computer program product comprising:

code for receiving information indicating a desired quality of service;

code for dynamically monitoring said network at a first point with a first meter for packets in said at least one of a plurality of flows to determine a first measured quality of service;

code for dynamically monitoring said network at a second point with a second meter for packets in said at least one of a plurality of flows to determine a second measured quality of service;

code for comparing said measured qualities of service to said information indicating the desired quality of service;

code for dynamically reallocating network resources to manage said at least one of a plurality of flows to maintain said desired quality of service; and

a computer readable storage medium for storing the code for receiving, the code for comparing and the code for dynamically reallocating.

5. A control system for a network comprising:

at least two meters connected to the network, each of which receives packets from the network and measures a flow of the packets according to a preset measuring rule to thereby provide a measurement result;

a control server connected to the network to receive the measurement result and output information for controlling communication quality; and

a router connected to the network to control the communication quality according to the information from the control server;

wherein the control server includes;

a storage device that contains a threshold for controlling a communication quality measurement regarding each flow from a certain source address measured by one meter to a certain destination address measured by another meter, at least one of a plurality of data types and an action to be carried out if the threshold is exceeded;

an analyzer that compares the measurement results from the meters with the threshold, and

a control command transmitter that instructs the router to carry out the action for controlling the communication quality according to the measurement results.

6. The control system as in claim 5 wherein the control server monitors a measurement load of the meter and transmits a measurement change command to the meter if an overload is detected.

7. The control system as in claim 5 wherein the control server stores an upper limit value to be measured by the meter and reduces the number of flows to be measured if the upper limit value is reached.

8. In a control system for a network having at least two meters connected to the network each to receive packets from the network and measure a flow of the packets to thereby provide a measurement result, and a router connected to the network to control communication quality according to information from a control server connected to the network to receive the measurement result and output information for controlling communication quality, the control server comprising:

a storage device that contains a threshold for controlling a communication quality measurement for each flow from a certain source address measured by a first meter to a certain destination address measured by a second meter, at least one of a plurality of data types and an action to be carried out if the threshold is exceeded;

an analyzer that compares the measurement results from the meters with the threshold, and

a control command transmitter that instructs the router to carry out the action for controlling the communication quality according to the measurement results.

9. A control server as in claim 8 comprising:

a storage device that stores a measured value of delay for a measurement flow, an upper limit value and a lower limit value for said measured value of delay; and

wherein the control server instructs a router to widen a bandwidth if said measured value of delay exceeds said upper limit value, and said control server instructs said router to narrow said bandwidth if said measured value of delay drops below said lower limit value.

10. A server as in claim 8 comprising:

a storage device that stores a measured value of throughput for a measurement flow, an upper limit value and a lower limit value for said measured value of throughput; and

a control server that instructs a router to narrow a bandwidth if said measured value of throughput exceeds said upper limit value, and said control server instructs said router to widen said bandwidth if said measured value of throughput drops below said lower limit value.

11. A server as in claim 8 comprising:

a storage device that stores a measured value of delay for a measurement flow, an upper limit value and a lower limit value for said measured value of delay; and

a control server that instructs a router to raise a priority if said measured value of delay exceeds said upper limit value, and said control server instructs said router to lower said priority if said measured value of delay drops below said lower limit value.

12. A server as in claim 8 comprising:

a storage device that stores a measured value of throughput for a measurement flow, an upper limit value and a lower limit value for said measured value of throughput; and

a control server for instructing a router to lower a priority if said measured value of throughput exceeds said upper limit value, and said control server instructs said router to raise said priority if said measured value of throughput drops below said lower limit value.

13. A server as in claim 8 comprising:

a storage device that stores a measured value of delay for a measurement flow, an upper limit value and a lower limit value for said measured value of delay; and

a control server that outputs a command for switching to an alternative path if said measured value of delay exceeds said upper limit value.

14. A network measurement control system comprising:

at least two meters that receive packets from a network and transfer at least some of those packets with time received information assigned to them;

a control server coupled to the network which receives packets provided with the time received information from the at least two meters, compares contents of those packets, and thereby confirms identification of each of the packets to measure a time delay for the packets to pass through the network; and

using the control server coupled to the network, instructs a router coupled to the network to carry out control of communication quality according to the time delay;

wherein the network measurement control system continuously monitors the network, detects a newly generated flow of packets, transmits the flow information to the control server, and starts a measurement when the server instructs the meter that can detect the flow of packets to start the measurement, and

wherein the system continuously monitors the network, detects a newly vanished flow of packets, transmits the flow information to the control server, and ends the measurement when the server that has received the vanished flow information and instructs a meter that has detected the newly vanished flow of packets to stop processing.

15. The network measurement controlling system according to claim 14 wherein the system, when measuring another delay time of the network on the basis of a measured network delay time, notifies the control server of both measurement start time and measurement end time according to the delay time.

16. The meter employed in the network measurement control system according to claim 14 wherein the meter intercepts a hardware interrupt to retrieve packets from network hardware and thereby obtain an accurate arrival time of each retrieved packet, except during a minimum unit of time for which measuring time accuracy is required.

17. A network measurement control system comprising:

at least two meters that receive packets from a network and transfer at least some of those packets with time received information assigned to them;

a control server coupled to the network and to the at least two meters, which control server receives packets provided with the time received information, compares contents of those packets, and thereby confirms identification of each of the packets to determine a time delay for the packets to pass through the network; and

wherein the control server instructs a router coupled to the network to implement control of communication quality according to the time delay;

wherein the network measurement control system continuously monitors the network, detects a newly generated flow of packets, transmits the flow information to the control server, and starts a measurement when the control server indicates at least one of the meters can detect the flow of packets to start the measurement; and

wherein the network measurement control system continuously monitors the network, detects a recently vanished flow of packets, transmits the flow information to the control server, and ends the measurement when the control server that has received the vanished flow information, instructs the meter that has detected the newly vanished flow of packets to stop processing.

18. A network measurement control system according to claim 17, wherein the network measurement control system, when measuring another delay time of said network on the basis of a measured network delay time, notifies the control server of both measurement start time and measurement end time according to said delay time.

19. A meter employed in said network measurement control system according to claim 17, wherein said meter intercepts a hardware interrupt in order to retrieve packets from network hardware to obtain an arrival time of each retrieved packet except during a minimum unit of time for which a measuring time accuracy is required, thereby obtaining an accurate arrival time of each packet.

20. A method for enforcing a quality of service in at least one of a plurality of flows in a network, the network having at least two meters which receive packets from the network and transfer at least some of those packets, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding the quality of service desired;

dynamically monitoring the network at a first location with a first meter for packets in the at least one of the plurality of flows;

dynamically monitoring the network at a second location with a second meter for packets in the at least one of the plurality of flows;

computing, based upon information from monitoring the network at the first location and the second location, a measured value of quality of service;

comparing the measured value of the quality of service with the quality of service desired; and

thereupon dynamically reallocating network resources to manage the at least one of the plurality of flows to maintain the desired quality of service.

21. A computer program product for enforcing a quality of service in at least one of a plurality of flows in a network, the network having at least two meters which receive packets from the network and transfer at least some of those packets, the computer program product comprising:

code for receiving information regarding the quality of service desired;

code for dynamically monitoring the network at a first location with a first meter for packets in the at least one of the plurality of flows;

code for dynamically monitoring the network at a second location with a second meter for packets in the at least one of the plurality of flows;

code for computing, based upon information from monitoring the network at the first location and second location, measured values of quality of service;

code for comparing the measured values of quality of service with the information indicating a desired quality of service; and

thereupon dynamically reallocating network resources to manage the at least one of a plurality of flows to maintain the desired quality of service.