Method for selecting a resource to provide a requested service in a multicasting environment

• US 7,444,426 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2004
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catena Networks, Inc. (Ciena Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Jenkins, Tim, Patel, Sejal
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; David Y
• Application Number:
  US10/773,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20040221029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,728 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238, 709/223, 709/227, 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1877 Measures taken prior to transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5618 Bridges, gateways [GW] or interworking units [IWU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5632 Bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5642 Multicast/broadcast/point-multipoint, e.g. VOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64753 directed to the client

Abstract

A method is provided for selecting a resource from a plurality of potential resources in order to provide a service in response to a service request. The method comprises the following steps. Aging services are determined by estimating which of the resources are likely to become available. One of the aging services is disconnected from its resource. The resource is then used for providing the service in the service request. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, an oldest service is determined. The oldest service is defined as the service that is most likely to be disconnected from its resource. The oldest service is disconnected from its resource, which is then used for providing the service in the service request.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a resource from a plurality of potential resources for providing a service in response to a service request, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a poller for polling at least two of the plurality of potential resources;

providing a timer initiater for initiating a timer for each of the at least two of the plurality of potential resources at the time of said polling;

providing a timer reset for resetting the timer when said potential resource responds to said poller with a signal representing that the potential resource is still in use;

providing a time out disconnect for disconnecting a one of said at least two of the plurality of potential resources when the timer associated with said one potential resource reaches a predetermined time without being reset;

determining aging services by estimating which of the potential services having a timer running is likely to be disconnected;

disconnecting a one of the aging services from its associated resource prior to the expiration of the timer; and

using the disconnected resource for providing the service in the service request.

2. A method for aging limited resources, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of resources for broadcasting a service over each resource;

querying each of said plurality of resources to determine whether each of the resources is in use to broadcast a service;

categorizing each queried resource as an aging service;

initiating a timer for expiring each aging service if the aging service does not respond within a predetermined time period;

receiving a request to broadcast a requested service;

if one of said potential resources is broadcasting the requested service, terminating aging of the one of said plurality of resources;

if none of said potential resources is broadcasting the requested service, disconnecting the resource associated with an aging service from one of the aging services, and broadcasting the requested service over the disconnected resource.

3. The method claim 2, wherein said resource is a virtual circuit.

4. The method claim 2, wherein said resource is a virtual channel connected between a band carrier loop and a set top box.

5. The method claim 2, wherein said resource is a virtual channel connected across a POTS/DSL Loop between a band carrier loop and a set top box.

6. The method claim 2, wherein said resource is a media virtual channel and said service is a digital video broadcast.

7. The method claim 2, wherein said resource is a media virtual channel and said service is a digital video broadcast.

8. The method claim 2, wherein said aging is a time-out based disconnect.

9. The method claim 2, wherein said aging is a time-out based disconnect as described by IGMPv1.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the aging service selected to be disconnected is an oldest service for which the potential disconnect is most likely to occur.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the oldest service is determined by non-responsiveness to a transmitted query.