Method and system for providing a mobile IP network with non-path dependent intra domain quality of service

• US 7,269,657 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Thurman, Sally C., Kraus, Wayne A., Alexander, Jason A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US10/143,236
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-238, 370229-238
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/115 using a dedicated packet
• 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 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/746 Reaction triggered by a failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/786 Mapping reservation between domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals

Abstract

A system and method for providing quality of service (QoS) service over a mobile IP network with dynamic domains, multiple or distributed QoS managers per domain and/or with network congestion feedback being used to establish an estimated total domain bandwidth which is used for regulating access to a domain.

Claims

1. A network system comprising:

a network, comprising;

a plurality of routers;

said plurality of routers operating as a differentiated services domain;

where data packet markings are used by the plurality of routers to prioritize data forwarding within the differentiated services domain to any other of said plurality of routers and where data forwarding within said differentiated services domain is done without reserving a path through said differentiated services domain;

a quality of service managing computer coupled to said network and also being assigned to said domain;

wherein the quality of service managing computer is not co-extensive with any one of said plurality of routers;

said quality of service managing computer being configured to communicate with said plurality of routers and further configured to determine whether data to be transmitted within said domain can be granted access to all of said domain without reserving a path through said differentiated services domain and with an associated predetermined quality of service level of a quality of service scheme;

wherein said quality of service managing computer utilizes a congestion report issued by and sent from any of said plurality of routers only when network congestion occurs, to aid in adjusting a variable estimation of an actual domain capacity for said domain;

network congestion occurs when demand for access to a portion of the network exceeds an actual capacity of the portion of the network;

wherein said variable estimation of the actual domain capacity is used by said quality of service managing computer to make a determination on granting access to said domain;

wherein said quality of service scheme is a multi-level quality of service scheme;

said network is an internet protocol network;

said plurality of routers each monitors usage of an output link associated therewith; and

when each of said plurality of routers detects congestion, a congestion report indicating congestion is sent to said quality of service managing computer;

wherein said quality of service managing computer is configured to monitor an amount which represents a total reserved bandwidth for said domain;

wherein said variable estimation of an actual domain capacity is a variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth which comprises both used domain bandwidth and unused domain bandwidth; and

wherein said quality of service managing computer is configured to downwardly adjust said variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth when said total reserved bandwidth is less than said variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth and a first predetermined threshold of congestion has been exceeded.

2. A network system of claim 1 wherein said quality of service managing computer is configured to upwardly adjust said variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth when said total reserved bandwidth is at said variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth and where congestion on said network is below a second predetermined threshold.

3. A network system of claim 2 wherein said first predetermined threshold and said second predetermined threshold are equal.

4. A network system of claim 2 further comprising another quality of service managing computer assigned to said domain, where said quality of service managing computer and said another quality of service managing computer are not completely redundant and are configured to allocate therebetween the variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth for said domain.

5. A network system of claim 4 wherein said quality of service managing computer is configured to not grant access to said domain beyond an amount of said variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth which has been previously allocated thereto.

6. A network of claim 5 wherein said domain is a dynamic domain and said quality of service managing computer is a mobile computer.

7. A network of claim 6 wherein, when a bottleneck is indicated by a localized level of congestion within the domain exceeding a predetermined threshold, said domain is dynamically split into two separate domains.

8. A network system comprising:

a network;

a plurality of routers coupled to said network;

said plurality of routers being assigned to a differentiated services domain;

where data packet markings are used by the plurality of routers to prioritize data forwarding within the differentiated services domain to any other of said plurality of routers and where data forwarding within said differentiated services domain is done without reserving a path through said differentiated services domain;

a plurality of quality of service managing computers coupled to said network and also being assigned to said domain;

wherein the quality of service managing computer is not co-extensive with any one of said plurality of routers;

each of said quality of service managing computers being configured to communicate with at least one of said plurality of routers and further configured to determine whether data to be transmitted within said domain can be granted access to all of said domain without reserving a path through said domain and with an associated predetermined quality of service level of a quality of service scheme;

wherein said plurality of quality of service managing computers act as independent bandwidth brokers, and each of said plurality of quality of service managing computers being configured to grant access to said domain for only a portion of a total domain bandwidth which has been previously allocated to said each of said plurality of quality of service managing computers;

wherein said quality of service scheme is a multi-level quality of service scheme;

said network is an internet protocol network;

said plurality of quality of service managing computers are not configured to be fully redundant and are configured to exchange only a summary of information relating to activities of said plurality of quality of service managing computers;

wherein each of said plurality of quality of service managing computers is configured to request a transfer of allocated total domain bandwidth from another of said plurality of quality of service managing computers; and

wherein each of said plurality of quality of service managing computers is configured to utilize feedback of network congestion to make domain access grants.

9. A network system of claim 8 wherein said domain is a dynamic domain which bifurcates when a localized congestion within said domain exceeds a predetermined threshold.

10. A network system comprising:

an internet protocol network;

a plurality of routers coupled to said network;

said plurality of routers being assigned to a differentiated services domain;

where data packet markings are used by the plurality of routers to prioritize data forwarding within the differentiated services domain to any other of said plurality of routers and where data forwarding within said differentiated services domain is done without reserving a path through said differentiated services domain;

a plurality of quality of service managing computers coupled to said network and also being assigned to said domain;

wherein none of the plurality of quality of service managing computers are co-extensive with any one of said plurality of routers;

said plurality of quality of service managing computers being configured to communicate with said plurality of routers and further configured to determine whether data to be transmitted within said domain can be granted access to all of said domain without reserving a path through said domain and with an associated predetermined quality of service level of a quality of service scheme;

wherein said plurality of quality of service managing computers are further configured to monitor a dynamic state within said domain and to recognize isolated areas of excessive levels of said dynamic state and in response to a determination of localized levels of said dynamic state in excess of a predetermined threshold, assist in a dynamic reconfiguration of said domain;

said dynamic state relates to network congestion;

network congestion occurs when demand for access to a portion of the internet protocol network exceeds an actual capacity of the portion of the internet protocol network;

wherein said quality of service scheme is a multi-level quality of service scheme;

said dynamic reconfiguration is one of a splitting of a domain and a merging of domains;

at least one of said plurality of quality of service managing computers utilizes network congestion feedback information to aid in adjusting a variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth for said domain; and

,

wherein said variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth is used by said at least one of said plurality of quality of service managing computers to make a determination on granting access to said domain.

11. A quality of service network comprising:

means for routing data to and from a predetermined destination;

means for granting access to all of said domain, without reserving a path through said domain, and for limiting access to an amount based upon a variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth;

means for making changes in said variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth based upon network congestion;

means for dynamically splitting said domain in response to localized congestion with said domain; and

where network congestion and localized congestion each exist only when a demand exceeds a capacity to meet the demand.

12. A method of providing quality of service levels on a network comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of non-fully redundant quality of service managing computers which are configured to limit access without reserving a path through said domain and to a differentiated services domain based upon;

a total reserved bandwidth in comparison to a variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth;

a congestion feedback mechanism for adjusting said variable estimation of a total domain bandwidth;

making a determination as to whether a localized area of congestion exists within said domain;

dynamically reconfiguring said domain in response to said determination; and

wherein congestion exists only when a demand exceeds a capacity to meet the demand.

13. A method of claim 12 wherein:

said step of dynamically reconfiguring said domain comprises a step of merging a first plurality of domains into a second plurality of domains which has fewer domains than said first plurality of domains; and

said plurality of non-fully redundant quality of service managing computers are configured to communicate using an internet protocol.

14. The network comprising:

a plurality of routers providing a routing mechanism and implementing a quality of service (QoS) mechanism on a differentiated services domain;

where data packet markings are used by the plurality of routers to prioritize data forwarding within the differentiated services domain to any other of said plurality of routers and where data forwarding within said differentiated services domain is done without reserving a path through said differentiated services domain;

wherein a first subset of said plurality of routers is designated as a plurality of QoS managers;

a second subset of said plurality of routers which specifically excludes the first subset, each router in said second subset sends reports to one of said plurality of QoS managers;

each of said plurality of QoS managers is configured to provide an admission control mechanism to regulate traffic admitted to the differentiated services domain;

wherein each of said plurality of QoS managers maintains its own estimate of a domain-wide capacity to carry traffic and receive reports;

wherein said reports are issued after an occurrence of a predetermined event;

wherein said estimate of a domain-wide capacity is made by a method comprising the steps of;

a QoS manager makes an initial estimate of a domain-wide collective capacity;

the initial estimate of the domain-wide collective capacity is

reduced when congestion reports are received;

the initial estimate of a domain-wide collective capacity is increased when reserved capacity nearly equals the initial estimate of domain-wide collective capacity and congestion reports are not being received; and

where congestion exists only when a demand exceeds a capacity to meet the demand.

15. The network of claim 14 wherein said admission control mechanism is a method of a request-grant protocol wherein:

a traffic originating router sends a request message through the network to a traffic terminating router; and

a QoS manager admits, denies, or partially denies the traffic resulting in respectively a grant, denial, or partial denial message being returned to the traffic originating router.

16. The network of claim 15 wherein said traffic originating router subsequently polices the grant to ensure that a requesting application does not exceed a granted capacity, by delaying, or destroying, or notifying a sending application of traffic in excess of the granted capacity.

17. The network of claim 16 in which the grant automatically expires after a predetermined period.

18. The network of claim 17 in which said traffic originating router automatically refreshes the grant by repeating the request-grant protocol.

19. The network of claim 14 wherein a QoS manager recognizes that another QoS manager is within a predetermined number of hops and then ceases to be a QoS manager.

20. The network of claim 14 wherein said plurality of routers comprises all of the routers in the network.