QoS control middleware in integrated network, QoS control method, and the program for the same

• US 7,212,491 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Personal Computers, Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Koga, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung; Min
• Application Number:
  US10/106,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20020141446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 370/468, 370/229, 370/252, 370/230, 370/230.1
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit
• 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 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/786 Mapping reservation between domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data

Abstract

An integrated QoS control system is provided that transmits, in real time, the stream data between a bandwidth-guaranteed network and a bandwidth-not-guaranteed network. The QoS manager 102 records the remaining bandwidth of the bandwidth-guaranteed network 2 captured by the remaining bandwidth table capturer 103 and the remaining bandwidth of the bandwidth-not-guaranteed network 1 calculated with traffic information notified by the network status monitor 107 on the use bandwidth registration table 104 (for comprehensively managing the bandwidth of an integrated network). The Qos manager 102 converts a QoS parameter received via the QoS request receiver 106 into a traffic parameter and controllably adapts the value of the traffic parameter to a service quality required by the application 109.

Claims

1. A QoS control middleware, said QoS control middleware stored on a computer readable medium, executable by a computer, in an integrated network including a bandwidth-guaranteed network, and a bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, said QoS control middleware comprising:

a use bandwidth registration table for recording a remaining bandwidth of said integrated network including remaining bandwidths for each of said bandwidth-guaranteed network and said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, and for comprehensively managing a bandwidth of said integrated network;

a remaining bandwidth table capturer for capturing data representing a usable remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network from a remaining bandwidth table on said bandwidth-guaranteed network;

a network status monitor for monitoring a traffic status of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network and issuing the traffic information; and

a QoS manager performing operations for;

recording the remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network captured by said remaining bandwidth table capturer and the remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network calculated with traffic information notified by said network status monitor to said use bandwidth registration table,

mathematically converting a QoS parameter received from an application via a QoS request receiver into a traffic parameter,

notifying said application of said traffic parameter,

controlling the value of said traffic parameter so as to adapt a service quality required by said application, and

controllably decreasing the value of the traffic parameter so as to obtain a necessary and minimum quality allowed by said application when the service quality required by said application cannot be provided in a current remaining bandwidth of said integrated network under control of the value of said traffic parameter.

2. The QoS control middleware defined in claim 1, further comprising, for when said application implements a step of providing notification about the beginning of transmission/reception of stream data, a step of continuing transmission/reception of stream data, a step of changing a QoS parameter, and a step of supplying a QoS parameter,

means for setting a first COUNT 0;

means for requesting a stream data transmission/reception;

means of receiving a QoS parameter;

means for computing a traffic parameter;

means for increasing a COUNT value;

means for referring to a remaining bandwidth of said integrated network;

means for comparing and deciding (a packet occurrence frequency×

a maximum packet length) and the remaining bandwidth of said integrated network;

means for notifying a traffic parameter;

means for determining reception of ACK;

means for subtracting a remaining bandwidth;

means for setting a second COUNT 0;

means for comparing and deciding a packet non-transmission rate and an allowable threshold value;

means for deciding the COUNT 2;

means for notifying a reduction of the quality of a QoS parameter; and

means for notifying about no transmission of stream data.

3. The QoS control middleware defined in claim 2, further comprising:

means for setting a use bandwidth default value of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network;

means for capturing an average packet occurrence frequency and an average packet length;

means for computing a current use bandwidth;

means for recording a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network and a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network;

means for comparing and deciding a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network and a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network;

means for recording, as a remaining bandwidth, the value of a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network on a use bandwidth registration table; and

means for recording, as a remaining bandwidth, the value of a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network on the use bandwidth registration table.

4. The QoS control middleware defined in claim 1, wherein said QoS control middleware is disconnected from a protocol stack.

5. The QoS control middleware defined in claim 1, wherein said QoS control middleware is disconnected from a resources reservation protocol.

6. A QoS control middleware, said QoS control middleware stored on a computer readable medium, executable by a computer, in an integrated network QoS control system including a bandwidth-guaranteed network, and a bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, said Qos control middleware comprising:

a use bandwidth registration table for recording a remaining bandwidth of said integrated network including remaining bandwidths for each of said bandwidth-guaranteed network and said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, and for comprehensively managing a bandwidth of said integrated network;

a remaining bandwidth table capturer for capturing data representing a usable remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network from a remaining bandwidth table on said bandwidth-guaranteed network; and

a network status monitor for monitoring a traffic status of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network and issuing the traffic information;

a traffic candidate table for recording a candidate value for a traffic parameter which is stepwise decreased; and

a QoS manager performing operations for;

recording the remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network captured by said remaining bandwidth table capturer and the remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network calculated with traffic information notified by said network status monitor said use bandwidth registration table,

mathematically converting a QoS parameter received from an application via a QoS request receiver into a traffic parameter,

notifying said application of said traffic parameter,

controlling the value of said traffic parameter so as to adapt a service quality required by said application, and

controllably stepwise decreasing the value of a traffic parameter, by referring to said traffic candidate table, when the service quality required by said application cannot be provided in a current remaining bandwidth of said integrated network under control of the value of said traffic parameter.

7. The QoS control middleware defined in claim 6, further comprising, for when said application starts transmission/reception of stream data and continues transmission/reception of stream data,

means for receiving a stream data transmission/reception request, a QoS parameter, and an allowable necessary and minimum bandwidth;

means for computing a traffic parameter;

means for referring to a remaining bandwidth of said integrated network;

means for comparing and deciding (a packet occurrence frequency×

a maximum packet length) and the remaining bandwidth of said integrated network;

means for notifying a traffic parameter;

means for determining reception of ACK;

means for subtracting a remaining bandwidth;

means for comparing and deciding a packet non-transmission rate and an allowable threshold value;

means for capturing a traffic parameter candidate value;

means for comparing and deciding (a packet occurrence frequency×

a maximum packet length) and an allowable necessary and minimum bandwidth;

means for notifying a traffic parameter; and

means for notifying about no transmission of stream data.

8. The QoS control middleware defined in claim 7, further comprising:

means for setting a use bandwidth default value of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network;

means for capturing an average packet occurrence frequency and an average packet length;

means for computing a current use bandwidth;

means for recording a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network and a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network;

means for comparing and deciding a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network and a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network;

means for recording, as a remaining bandwidth, the value of a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network on a use bandwidth registration table; and

means for recording, as a remaining bandwidth, the value of a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network on the use bandwidth registration table.

9. The QoS control middleware defined in claim 6, wherein said QoS control middleware is disconnected from a protocol stack.

10. The QoS control middleware defined in claim 6, wherein said QoS control middleware is disconnected from a resources reservation protocol.

11. A QoS control method in an integrated network including a bandwidth-guaranteed network and a bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, comprising the steps of:

capturing a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network;

obtaining a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network based on traffic information of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network;

managing and controlling the bandwidth and QoS of said integrated network based on a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network and the remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, using a use bandwidth registration table, said use bandwidth registration table being used to comprehensively manage the bandwidth of said integrated network; and

controlling the value of a traffic parameter so as to adapt a service quality required by an application.

12. The QoS control method defined in claim 11, wherein the step of controlling the value of said traffic parameter comprises controllably decreasing the value of said traffic parameter so as to obtain a necessary and minimum quality allowed by said application when the service quality required by said application cannot be provided in a current remaining bandwidth of said integrated network.

13. The QoS control method defined in claim 11, wherein the step of controlling the value of said traffic parameter comprises the step of controllably stepwise decreasing a candidate value for a predetermined traffic parameter when the service quality required by said application cannot be provided in a current remaining bandwidth of said integrated network.

14. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of computer readable instructions executable by a bandwidth-not-guaranteed network terminal, on an integrated network including a bandwidth-guaranteed network and a bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, to have the functions of:

a use bandwidth registration table for recording a remaining bandwidth of said integrated network including remaining bandwidths for each of said bandwidth-guaranteed network and said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, and for comprehensively managing a bandwidth of said integrated network;

a remaining bandwidth table capturer for capturing data representing a usable remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network from a remaining bandwidth table on said bandwidth-guaranteed network;

a network status monitor for monitoring a traffic status of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network and issuing the traffic information; and

a QoS manager performing operations for;

recording the remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network captured by said remaining bandwidth table capturer and the remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network calculated with traffic information notified by said network status monitor to said use bandwidth registration table,

mathematically converting a QoS parameter received from an application via a QoS request receiver into a traffic parameter,

notifying said application of said traffic parameter,

controlling the value of said traffic parameter so as to adapt a service quality required by said application, and

controllably decreasing the value of the traffic parameter so as to obtain a necessary and minimum quality allowed by said application when the service quality required by said application cannot be provided in a current remaining bandwidth of said integrated network under control of the value of said traffic parameter.

15. The program on the computer readable medium defined in claim 14, wherein said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network terminal comprises, for when said application implements a step of providing notification about the beginning of transmission/reception of stream data, a step of continuing transmission/reception of stream data, and a step of changing a QoS parameter, and a step of supplying a QoS parameter,

means for setting a first COUNT 0;

means for requesting a stream data transmission/reception;

means of receiving a QoS parameter;

means for computing a traffic parameter;

means for increasing a COUNT value;

means for referring to a remaining bandwidth of said integrated network;

means for comparing and deciding (a packet occurrence frequency×

a maximum packet length) and the remaining bandwidth of said integrated network;

means for notifying a traffic parameter;

means for determining reception of ACK;

means for subtracting a remaining bandwidth;

means for setting a second COUNT 0;

means for comparing and deciding a packet non-transmission rate and an allowable threshold value;

means for deciding the COUNT 2;

means for notifying a reduction of the quality of a QoS parameter; and

means for notifying about no transmission of stream data.

16. The program on the computer readable medium defined in claim 15, wherein said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network terminal comprises:

means for setting a use bandwidth default value of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network;

means for capturing an average packet occurrence frequency and an average packet length;

means for computing a current use bandwidth;

means for recording a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network and a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network;

means for comparing and deciding a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network and a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network;

means for recording, as a remaining bandwidth, the value of a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network on a use bandwidth registration table; and

means for recording, as a remaining bandwidth, the value of a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network on the use bandwidth registration table.

17. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of computer readable instructions executable for brin in a bandwidth-not-guaranteed network terminal, on an integrated network including a bandwidth-guaranteed network and a bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, to have the functions of:

a use bandwidth registration table for recording a remaining bandwidth of each of said bandwidth-guaranteed network, said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, and said integrated network and comprehensively managing a bandwidth of said integrated network;

a remaining bandwidth table capturer for capturing data representing a usable remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network from a remaining bandwidth table on said bandwidth-guaranteed network; and

a network status monitor for monitoring a traffic status of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network and issuing the traffic information;

a traffic candidate table for recording a candidate value for a traffic parameter which is stepwise decreased; and

a QoS manager performing operations for;

recording the remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network captured by said remaining bandwidth table capturer and the remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network calculated with traffic information notified by said network status monitor to said use bandwidth registration table mathematically converting a QoS parameter received from an application via a QoS request receiver into a traffic parameter,

notifying said application of said traffic parameter,

controlling the value of said traffic parameter so as to adapt a service quality required by said application, and

controllably stepwise decreasing the value of the traffic parameter, by referring to said traffic candidate table, when the service quality required by said application cannot be provided in a current remaining bandwidth of said integrated network under control of the value of said traffic parameter.

18. The program on the computer readable medium defined in claim 17, wherein said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network terminal functions, when said application starts transmission/reception of stream data and continues transmission/reception of stream data, as

means for receiving a stream data transmission/reception request, a QoS parameter, and an allowable necessary and minimum bandwidth;

means for computing a traffic parameter;

means for referring to a remaining bandwidth of said integrated network;

means for comparing and deciding (a packet occurrence frequency×

a maximum packet length) and the remaining bandwidth of said integrated network;

means for notifying a traffic parameter;

means for determining reception of ACK;

means for subtracting a remaining bandwidth;

means for comparing and deciding a packet non-transmission rate and an allowable threshold value;

means for capturing a traffic parameter candidate value;

means for comparing and deciding (a packet occurrence frequency×

a maximum packet length) and an allowable necessary and minimum bandwidth;

means for notifying a traffic parameter; and

means for notifying about no transmission of stream data.

19. The program on the computer readable medium defined in claim 18, wherein said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network terminal comprises:

means for setting a use bandwidth default value of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network;

means for capturing an average packet occurrence frequency and an average packet length;

means for computing a current use bandwidth;

means for recording a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network and a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network;

means for comparing and deciding a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network and a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network;

means for recording, as a remaining bandwidth, the value of a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network on a use bandwidth registration table; and

means for recording, as a remaining bandwidth, the value of a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network on the use bandwidth registration table.

20. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of computer readable instructions executable for bringing a bandwidth-not-guaranteed network terminal, in an integrated network including a bandwidth-guaranteed network and a bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, to have the function of a QoS control middleware including:

capturing a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network;

computing a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network based on traffic information of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network;

managing and controlling the bandwidth and QoS of said integrated network based on a remaining bandwidth of said bandwidth-guaranteed network and the bandwidth of said bandwidth-not-guaranteed network, using a use bandwidth registration table, said use bandwidth registration table being used to comprehensively manage the bandwidth of said integrated network; and

controlling the value of a traffic parameter so as to adapt a service quality required by an application.

21. The program on the computer readable medium defined in claim 20, wherein the step of controlling the value of said traffic parameter comprises the step controllably decreasing so as to obtain a necessary and minimum quality allowed by said application when the service quality required by said application cannot be provided in a current remaining bandwidth of said integrated network, the value of the traffic parameter.

22. The program on the computer readable medium defined in claim 20, wherein the step of controlling the value of said traffic parameter comprises the step of controllably stepwise decreasing the value of the traffic parameter based on a candidate value for a predetermined traffic parameter when the service quality required by said application cannot be provided in a current remaining bandwidth of said integrated network.