Automatically applying bi-directional quality of service treatment to network data flows

• US 7,505,408 B1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mohaban, Shai, Parnafes, Itzhak
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US10/890,058
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for automatic reverse-direction or bi-directional quality of service treatment of network data flows. A network device located at the edge or border of a network, such as a router that is connected to another network, identifies a data flow originating within its network and directed outside the network, and having packets set with quality of service treatment values. Identified quality of service treatments may be IP precedence, DSCP marking of packets in the flow, an RSVP PATH message, etc. The network device creates and stores, in its local memory, values that uniquely identify the flow and that tell the device how to treat packets of the same flow that are transmitted in the opposite or inbound direction. Upon identifying a corresponding inbound flow with quality of service treatment, all packets of the flow are given a pre-configured quality of service treatment based upon the quality of service treatment of the originally identified flow.

Claims

1. A method of automatically applying a quality of service treatment to a bidirectional network data flow, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a first device the bidirectional network data flow comprising at least one outbound message element that is associated with a particular quality of service treatment value, wherein the first device is one of one or more devices;

creating and storing in a particular memory a particular quality of service value in association with information identifying the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the particular quality of service value is derived from the quality of service treatment value associated with the at least one outbound message element;

receiving a request for a quality of service value for an inbound message element from a second device of the one or more devices, wherein the inbound message element is associated with the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the second device is distinct from the first device; and

providing the particular quality of service value to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises receiving at least one outbound message element that is marked with a differentiated service code point (DSCP) value and wherein providing the particular quality of service value comprises providing the DSCP value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises receiving at least one outbound message element that is marked with a DSCP value, and wherein providing the particular quality of service value comprises retrieving the particular quality of service value based on the DSCP value from a mapping of DSCP values to associated quality of service values, and providing the retrieved quality of service value to the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating and storing step comprises creating and storing a hash entry in a hash table that uniquely identifies the bidirectional network data flow and that includes the particular quality of service value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises receiving an outbound message element that includes a first RSVP PATH message and wherein providing the particular quality of service value comprises providing a second RSVP PATH message, wherein the second RSVP PATH message is created based on the first RSVP PATH message.

6. A method of automatically applying a quality of service treatment to a bidirectional network data flow, comprising the steps of:

receiving one or more inbound message elements at a first device, where the one or more inbound message elements are part of the bidirectional network data flow, no outbound message elements that are part of the bidirectional network data flow have been received at the first device, and no quality of service value is specified in the one or more inbound message elements;

accessing a particular memory containing a particular quality of service value associated with the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the particular quality of service value was stored in the particular memory by a second device based on one or more outbound message elements associated with the bidirectional network data flow, and the first device is distinct from the second device;

determining that the particular quality of service value stored in the memory by the second device is associated with the same bidirectional network data flow as the one or more inbound message elements; and

applying the particular quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one outbound message element of the one or more outbound message elements is marked with a differentiated service code point (DSCP) value and wherein applying the particular quality of service value comprises marking the one or more inbound message elements with the DSCP value.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one outbound message element of the one or more outbound message elements is marked with a DSCP value, and wherein applying the particular quality of service value comprises retrieving the particular quality of service value based on the DSCP value from a mapping of DSCP values to associated quality of service values, and adding the retrieved quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein applying the particular quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements comprises automatically generating an inbound RSVP PATH message for the bidirectional network data flow when the one or more inbound message elements include an RSVP PATH message.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one outbound message elements of the one or more outbound message elements include a first RSVP PATH message and wherein applying the particular quality of service value comprises marking the one or more inbound message elements with a second RSVP PATH message.

11. A volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium embodied with one or more sequences of computer executable instructions for automatically applying a quality of service treatment to a bidirectional network data flow, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving at a first device the bidirectional network data flow comprising at least one outbound message element that is associated with a particular quality of service treatment value, wherein the first device is one of one or more devices;

creating and storing in a particular memory a particular quality of service value in association with information identifying the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the particular quality of service value is derived from the quality of service treatment value associated with the at least one outbound message element;

receiving a request for a quality of service value for an inbound message element from a second device of the one or more devices, wherein the inbound message element is associated with the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the second device is distinct from the first device; and

providing the particular quality of service value to the second device.

12. The volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprising at least one outbound message element that is marked with a differentiated service code point (DSCP) value and wherein providing the particular quality of service value comprises providing the DSCP value.

13. The volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprising at least one outbound message element that is marked with a DSCP value, and wherein providing the particular quality of service value comprises retrieving the particular quality of service value based on the DSCP value from a mapping of DSCP values to associated quality of service values, and providing the retrieved quality of service value to the second device.

14. The volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the creating and storing step comprises creating and storing a hash entry in a hash table that uniquely identifies the bidirectional network data flow and that includes the particular quality of service value.

15. The volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprising an outbound message element that includes a first RSVP PATH message and wherein providing the particular quality of service value comprises providing a second RSVP PATH message, wherein the second RSVP PATH message is created based on the first RSVP PATH message.

16. A volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium embodied with one or more sequences of computer executable instructions for automatically applying a quality of service treatment to a bidirectional network data flow, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving one or more inbound message elements at a first device, where the one or more inbound message elements are part of the bidirectional network data flow, no outbound message elements that are part of the bidirectional network data flow have been received at the first device, and no quality of service value is specified in the one or more inbound message elements;

accessing a particular memory containing a particular quality of service value associated with the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the particular quality of service value was stored in the particular memory by a second device based on one or more outbound message elements associated with the bidirectional network data flow, and the first device is distinct from the second device;

determining that the particular quality of service value stored in the memory by the second device is associated with the same bidirectional network data flow as the one or more inbound message elements; and

applying the particular quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements.

17. The volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein at least one outbound message element of the one or more outbound message elements is marked with a differentiated service code point (DSCP) value and wherein applying the particular quality of service value comprises marking the one or more inbound message elements with the DSCP value.

18. The volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein at least one outbound message element of the one or more outbound message elements is marked with a DSCP value, and wherein applying the particular quality of service value comprises retrieving the particular quality of service value based on the DSCP value from a mapping of DSCP values to associated quality of service values, and adding the retrieved quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements.

19. The volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein applying the particular quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements comprises automatically generating an inbound RSVP PATH message for the bidirectional network data flow when the one or more inbound message elements include an RSVP PATH message.

20. The volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein at least one outbound message elements of the one or more outbound message elements include a first RSVP PATH message and wherein applying the particular quality of service value comprises marking the one or more inbound message elements with a second RSVP PATH message.

21. An apparatus for automatically applying a quality of service treatment to a bidirectional network data flow, comprising:

means for receiving at a first device the bidirectional network data flow comprising at least one outbound message element that is associated with a particular quality of service treatment value, wherein the first device is one of one or more devices;

means for creating and storing in a particular memory a particular quality of service value in association with information identifying the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the particular quality of service value is derived from the quality of service treatment value associated with the at least one outbound message element;

means for receiving a request for a quality of service value for an inbound message element from a second device of the one or more devices, wherein the inbound message element is associated with the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the second device is distinct from the first device; and

means for providing the particular quality of service value to the second device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises means for receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprising at least one outbound message element that is marked with a differentiated service code point (DSCP) value and wherein the means for providing the particular quality of service value comprises means for providing the DSCP value.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises means for receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprising at least one outbound message element that is marked with a DSCP value, and wherein the means for providing the particular quality of service value comprises means for retrieving the particular quality of service value based on the DSCP value from a mapping of DSCP values to associated quality of service values, and means for providing the retrieved quality of service value to the second device.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for creating and storing comprises means for creating and storing a hash entry in a hash table that uniquely identifies the bidirectional network data flow and that includes the particular quality of service value.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises means for receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprising an outbound message element that includes a first RSVP PATH message and wherein the means for providing the particular quality of service value comprises means for providing a second RSVP PATH message, wherein the second RSVP PATH message is created based on the first RSVP PATH message.

26. An apparatus for automatically applying a quality of service treatment to a bidirectional network data flow, comprising:

means for receiving one or more inbound message elements at a first device, where the one or more inbound message elements are part of the bidirectional network data flow, no outbound message elements that are part of the bidirectional network data flow have been received at the first device, and no quality of service value is specified in the one or more inbound message elements;

means for accessing a particular memory containing a particular quality of service value associated with the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the particular quality of service value was stored in the particular memory by a second device based on one or more outbound message elements associated with the bidirectional network data flow, and the first device is distinct from the second device;

means for determining that the particular quality of service value stored in the memory by the second device is associated with the same bidirectional network data flow as the one or more inbound message elements; and

means for applying the particular quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least one outbound message element of the one or more outbound message elements is marked with a differentiated service code point (DSCP) value and wherein the means for applying the particular quality of service value comprises means for marking the one or more inbound message elements with the DSCP value.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least one outbound message element of the one or more outbound message elements is marked with a DSCP value, and wherein the means for applying the particular quality of service value comprises means for retrieving the particular quality of service value based on the DSCP value from a mapping of DSCP values to associated quality of service values, and means for adding the retrieved quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for applying the particular quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements comprises means for automatically generating an inbound RSVP PATH message for the bidirectional network data flow when the one or more inbound message elements include an RSVP PATH message.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least one outbound message elements of the one or more outbound message elements include a first RSVP PATH message and wherein the means for applying the particular quality of service value comprises means for marking the one or more inbound message elements with a second RSVP PATH message.

31. An apparatus for automatically applying a quality of service treatment to a bidirectional network data flow, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom;

a processor;

a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium embodied with one or more stored sequences of computer executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving at a first device the bidirectional network data flow comprising at least one outbound message element that is associated with a particular quality of service treatment value, wherein the first device is one of one or more devices;

creating and storing in a particular memory a particular quality of service value in association with information identifying the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the particular quality of service value is derived from the quality of service treatment value associated with the at least one outbound message element;

receiving a request for a quality of service value for an inbound message element from a second device of the one or more devices, wherein the inbound message element is associated with the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the second device is distinct from the first device; and

providing the particular quality of service value to the second device.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprising at least one outbound message element that is marked with a differentiated service code point (DSCP) value and wherein providing the particular quality of service value comprises providing the DSCP value.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprising at least one outbound message element that is marked with a DSCP value, and wherein providing the particular quality of service value comprises retrieving the particular quality of service value based on the DSCP value from a mapping of DSCP values to associated quality of service values, and providing the retrieved quality of service value to the second device.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the creating and storing step comprises creating and storing a hash entry in a hash table that uniquely identifies the bidirectional network data flow and that includes the particular quality of service value.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprises receiving the bidirectional network data flow comprising an outbound message element that includes a first RSVP PATH message and wherein providing the particular quality of service value comprises providing a second RSVP PATH message, wherein the second RSVP PATH message is created based on the first RSVP PATH message.

36. An apparatus for automatically applying a quality of service treatment to a bidirectional network data flow, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom;

a processor;

a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium embodied with one or more stored sequences of computer executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving one or more inbound message elements at a first device, where the one or more inbound message elements are part of the bidirectional network data flow, no outbound message elements that are part of the bidirectional network data flow have been received at the first device, and no quality of service value is specified in the one or more inbound message elements;

accessing a particular memory containing a particular quality of service value associated with the bidirectional network data flow, wherein the particular quality of service value was stored in the particular memory by a second device based on one or more outbound message elements associated with the bidirectional network data flow, and the first device is distinct from the second device;

determining that the particular quality of service value stored in the memory by the second device is associated with the same bidirectional network data flow as the one or more inbound message elements; and

applying the particular quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein at least one outbound message element of the one or more outbound message elements is marked with a differentiated service code point (DSCP) value and wherein applying the particular quality of service value comprises marking the one or more inbound message elements with the DSCP value.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein at least one outbound message element of the one or more outbound message elements is marked with a DSCP value, and wherein applying the particular quality of service value comprises retrieving the particular quality of service value based on the DSCP value from a mapping of DSCP values to associated quality of service values, and adding the retrieved quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein applying the particular quality of service value to the one or more inbound message elements comprises automatically generating an inbound RSVP PATH message for the bidirectional network data flow when the one or more inbound message elements include an RSVP PATH message.

40. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein at least one outbound message elements of the one or more outbound message elements include a first RSVP PATH message and wherein applying the particular quality of service value comprises marking the one or more inbound message elements with a second RSVP PATH message.