Network quality of service management
First Claim
1. A packet network comprising:
- a set of packet-switching nodes interconnected by communication links;
a plurality of media switches (MSWs); and
at least first and second connection resource managers (CRMs) that overlay a logical circuit-switched network onto at least a subset of the set of packet-switching nodes and corresponding communication links, which logical circuit-switched network provides transport for quality-of-service (QoS)-sensitive demands within the packet network, wherein;
the logical circuit-switched network provides a guaranteed QoS to demands it carries;
the logical circuit-switched network comprises a plurality of input virtual trunk groups (VTGs) and a plurality of output VTGs;
each MSW is operatively coupled between two or more input VTGs and two or more output VTGs;
the first CRM manages resources associated with at least one input VTG;
the second CRM manages resources associated with at least one output VTG;
each MSW multiplexes demands from two or more input VTGs to one or more output VTGs; and
at least one MSW is operatively coupled to at least a first and a second input VTG and at least one output VTG and the at least one MSW multiplexes demands from the first and second input VTGs into the output VTG, wherein;
the first input VTG couples a first media gateway (MGW) to the MSW;
the second input VTG couples a second MGW to the MSW; and
the output VTG couples the MSW to one other MSW in the packet network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An architecture for quality-of-service (QoS) management creates a logical circuit-switched network within a packet network to support QoS-sensitive demands levied on the network. This QoS-managed network can serve to interwork, e.g., a PSTN with VoIP networks. The architecture can include a connection resource manager (CRM), which oversees bandwidth availability and demand admission/rejection on dynamically provisioned virtual trunk groups (VTGs) within the packet network, and a transport bandwidth controller (TBC). The VTGs serve to transport QoS-sensitive demands across the packet network. The TBC serves the CRM by providing an interface to routers and/or OAM systems of the packet network to size VTGs to meet QoS requirements. Media switches located at the packet network borders serve to mux/demux the demands into/from VTGs. CRMs and TBCs can be implemented as centralized, distributed, or hierarchical, and flat and aggregated variants of the architecture are supported. VTGs can be implemented using MPLS LSPs, VPNs, or source-based routing.
127 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A packet network comprising:
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a set of packet-switching nodes interconnected by communication links; a plurality of media switches (MSWs); and at least first and second connection resource managers (CRMs) that overlay a logical circuit-switched network onto at least a subset of the set of packet-switching nodes and corresponding communication links, which logical circuit-switched network provides transport for quality-of-service (QoS)-sensitive demands within the packet network, wherein; the logical circuit-switched network provides a guaranteed QoS to demands it carries; the logical circuit-switched network comprises a plurality of input virtual trunk groups (VTGs) and a plurality of output VTGs; each MSW is operatively coupled between two or more input VTGs and two or more output VTGs; the first CRM manages resources associated with at least one input VTG; the second CRM manages resources associated with at least one output VTG; each MSW multiplexes demands from two or more input VTGs to one or more output VTGs; and at least one MSW is operatively coupled to at least a first and a second input VTG and at least one output VTG and the at least one MSW multiplexes demands from the first and second input VTGs into the output VTG, wherein; the first input VTG couples a first media gateway (MGW) to the MSW; the second input VTG couples a second MGW to the MSW; and the output VTG couples the MSW to one other MSW in the packet network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A packet network comprising:
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a set of packet-switching nodes interconnected by communication links; at least one connection resource manager (CRM) adapted to overlay a logical circuit-switched network onto at least a subset of the set of packet-switching nodes and corresponding communication links, which logical circuit-switched network provides transport for quality-of-service (QoS)-sensitive demands within the packet network, wherein; the logical circuit-switched network provides a guaranteed QoS to demands it carries; and the logical circuit-switched network comprises one or more virtual trunk groups (VTGs); and a plurality of media switches (MSWs), each MSW operatively coupled between a plurality of input VTGs and a plurality of output VTGs and each MSW is adapted to multiplex demands from two or more of the plurality of input VTGs to one or more of the plurality of output VTGs, wherein; at least one MSW is operatively coupled to at least a first and a second input VTG and at least one output VTG and the at least one MSW is adapted to multiplex demands from the first and second input VTGs into the output VTG, wherein; the first input VTG couples a first media gateway (MGW) to the MSW; the second input VTG couples a second MGW to the MSW; and the output VTG couples the MSW to one other MSW in the packet network; the at least one CRM comprises a first CRM and a second CRM, wherein; the first CRM manages resources associated with at least the first input VTG; and the second CRM manages resources associated with at least the output VTG.
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28. A packet network comprising:
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a set of packet-switching nodes interconnected by communication links; at least one connection resource manager (CRM) adapted to overlay a logical circuit-switched network onto at least a subset of the set of packet-switching nodes and corresponding communication links, which logical circuit-switched network provides transport for quality-of-service (QoS)-sensitive demands within the packet network, wherein; the logical circuit-switched network provides a guaranteed QoS to demands it carries; and the logical circuit-switched network comprises one or more virtual trunk groups (VTGs); and a plurality of media switches (MSWs), each MSW operatively coupled between a plurality of input VTGs and a plurality of output VTGs and each MSW is adapted to multiplex demands from two or more of the plurality of input VTGs to one or more of the plurality of output VTGs, wherein; two or more of the MSWs are core MSWs (C-MSW), wherein C-MSWs can include all of the functionality of MSWs and at least one of the C-MSWs is operatively coupled to at least a first and a second input VTG and at least one output VTG is adapted to multiplex demands from at least the first and second input VTGs, wherein; the first input VTG couples a first MSW to the C-MSW; the second input VTG couples either a second MSW or a MGW to the C-MSW; and the output VTG couples the C-MSW to at least one other C-MSW in the packet network; and the at least one CRM comprises a first CRM and a second CRM, wherein; the first CRM manages resources associated with at least the first input VTG; and the second CRM manages resources associated with at least the output VTG.
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29. A packet network comprising:
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a set of packet-switching nodes interconnected by communication links; a plurality of media switches (MSWs); and at least first and second connection resource managers (CRMs) that overlay a logical circuit-switched network onto at least a subset of the set of packet-switching nodes and corresponding communication links, which logical circuit-switched network provides transport for quality-of-service (QoS)-sensitive demands within the packet network, wherein; the logical circuit-switched network provides a guaranteed QoS to demands it carries; the logical circuit-switched network comprises a plurality of input virtual trunk groups (VTGs) and a plurality of output VTGs; each MSW is operatively coupled between two or more input VTGs and two or more output VTGs; the first CRM manages resources associated with at least one input VTG; the second CRM manages resources associated with at least one output VTG; each MSW multiplexes demands from two or more input VTGs to one or more output VTGs; and two or more of the MSWs are core MSWs (C-MSW), wherein C-MSWs can include all of the functionality of MSWs and at least one of the C-MSWs is operatively coupled to at least a first and a second input VTG and at least one output VTG multiplexes demands from at least the first and second input VTGs, wherein; the first input VTG couples a first MSW to the C-MSW; the second input VTG couples either a second MSW or a MGW to the C-MSW; and the output VTG couples the C-MSW to at least one other C-MSW in the packet network.
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Specification