Fast dynamic measurement of connection bandwidth using at least a pair of non-compressible packets having measurable characteristics

• US 7,185,082 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2000
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: del Val, David, Batterberry, Troy D., Schiefelbein, William F., Brown, Thomas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US09/636,004
• Time in Patent Office: 2,393 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-224, 709230-236, 709/227, 341/87, 370/469, 370/252, 435/29, 714/712, 712/34, 375/240.11, 351/205
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity

Abstract

The fast dynamic measurement of connection bandwidth utilizes a single pair of packets to calculate bandwidth between two entities on a network (such as the Internet). This calculation is based upon the packet-pair technique. This bandwidth measurement is extremely quick. On its journey across a network, communication equipment and modems may compress a packet. This compression shrinks the size of the packet; thus, it can distort the bandwidth calculation using such a shrunken packet. To avoid this distortion, the fast dynamic measurement of connection bandwidth employs non-compressible packets. More specifically, it employs highly entropic packets. Therefore, a packet cannot be compressed during its journey. In addition, on its journey across a network, packets may be rerouted, delayed, misrouted, and the like. These momentary delays may result in a momentary bad bandwidth calculation. This problem is ameliorated by using a history list at the client that keeps track of recent measurements. The client returns the median of that list to the server. That median is the specified bandwidth.

Claims

1. A method for measuring bandwidth between two entities on a communications network, the method comprising:

via a communications network, receiving at least a pair of non-compressible packets having measurable characteristics;

calculating bandwidth based upon, measurable characteristics of at least the pair of non-compressible packets; and

determining if the calculated bandwidth is outside a given range of believability for calculated bandwidth, wherein the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth is 24.4 Kbps–

1 Mbps, a low-believability threshold is 24.4 Kbps and a high-believability threshold is 1 Mbps;

if the calculated bandwidth is determined to be outside the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth;

disregarding the calculated bandwidth; and

querying a modem of an entity about a bandwidth setting of the modem.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the queried modem is a modem of a receiving entity.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the queried modem is a modem of a sending entity.

4. A method for measuring bandwidth between two entities on a dynamic network, the method comprising:

via a dynamic network, sending at least a pair of non-compressible packets, the dynamic network being a communications network having no assurance that both packets of a pair of identical packets are handled in an identical manner while in transit on the communications network;

receiving a bandwidth value determined based upon measurements related to at least the pair of non-compressible packets, and consideration of a given range of believability related to calculated bandwidth, wherein the given range of believability related to calculated bandwidth is 24.4 Kbps–

1 Mbps, a low-believability threshold is 24.4 Kbps and a high-believability threshold is 1 Mbps;

selecting a file formatted for a given bandwidth that is equal to or less than the bandwidth value; and

sending the selected file via the dynamic network.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is approximately fragmentation-avoidance size.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is highly entropic.

7. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is formatted for TCP.

8. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is formatted for UDP.

9. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the packets of the pair are equivalent in size.

10. A method as recited in claim 4, before the sending, further comprising selecting one of the pair of non-compressible packets from a set of differing non-compressible packets.

11. A method as recited in claim 4, before the sending, further comprising generating the pair of non-compressible packets.

12. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the dynamic network is the Internet.

13. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the bandwidth value received is within the given range of believability related to calculated bandwidth.

14. A method, comprising:

via a communications network, receiving at least a pair of non-compressible packets having measurable characteristics;

calculating bandwidth based upon, measurable characteristics of at least the pair of non-compressible packets; and

determining if the calculated bandwidth is outside a given range of believability for calculated bandwidth,

if the calculated bandwidth is determined to be outside the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth;

setting a bandwidth to a low-believability threshold if the calculated bandwidth is below the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth; and

setting a bandwidth to a high-believability threshold if the calculated bandwidth is above the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth,

wherein the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth is 24.4 Kbps–

1 Mbps, the low-believability threshold is 24.4 Kbps and the high-believability threshold is 1 Mbps.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is highly entropic.

16. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is formatted for TCP.

17. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is formatted for TCP.

18. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the packets of the pair are equivalent in size.

19. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer processor, implement a method for measuring bandwidth between two entities on a communications network, the method comprising:

via a communications network, receiving at least a pair of non-compressible packets having measurable characteristics;

calculating bandwidth based upon, measurable characteristics of at least the pair of non-compressible packets; and

determining if the calculated bandwidth is outside a given range of believability for calculated bandwidth, wherein the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth is 24.4 Kbps–

1 Mbps, a low-believability threshold is 24.4 Kbps and a high-believability threshold is 1 Mbps;

if the calculated bandwidth is determined to be outside the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth;

disregarding the calculated bandwidth; and

querying a modem of an entity about a bandwidth setting of the modem.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the queried modem is a modem of receiving entity.

21. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the queried modem is a modem of sending entity.

22. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer processor, implement a method for measuring bandwidth between two entities on a communications network, the method comprising:

via a dynamic network, sending at least a pair of non-compressible packets, the dynamic network being a communications network having no assurance that both packets of a pair of identical packets are handled in an identical manner while in transit on the communications network;

receiving a bandwidth value determined based upon measurements related to at least the pair of non-compressible packets, and consideration of a given range of believability related to calculated bandwidth, wherein the given range of believability related to calculated bandwidth is 24.4 Kbps–

1 Mbps, a low-believability threshold is 24.4 Kbps and a high-believability threshold is 1 Mbps;

selecting a file formatted for a given bandwidth that is equal to or less than the bandwidth value; and

sending the selected file via the dynamic network.

23. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is approximately fragmentation-avoidance size.

24. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is highly entropic.

25. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is formatted for TCP.

26. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is formatted for UDP.

27. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the packets of the pair are equivalent in size.

28. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 22, further comprising, before the sending, selecting one of the pair of non-compressible packets from a set of differing non-compressible packets.

29. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 22, further comprising, before the sending, generating the pair of non-compressible packets.

30. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the dynamic network is the Internet.

31. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer processor, implement a method, comprising:

via a communications network, receiving at least a pair of non-compressible packets having measurable characteristics;

calculating bandwidth based upon, measurable characteristics of at least the pair of non-compressible packets; and

determining if the calculated bandwidth is outside a given range of believability for calculated bandwidth,

if the calculated bandwidth is determined to be outside the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth;

setting a bandwidth to a low-believability threshold if the calculated bandwidth is below the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth; and

setting a bandwidth to a high-believability threshold if the calculated bandwidth is above the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth,

wherein the given range of believability for calculated bandwidth is 24.4 Kbps–

1 Mbps, the low-believability threshold is 24.4 Kbps and the high-believability threshold is 1 Mbps.

32. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 31, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is highly entropic.

33. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 31, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is formatted for TCP.

34. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 31, wherein each of the pair of non-compressible packets is formatted for UDP.

35. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 31, wherein the packets of the pair are equivalent in size.