Method, system and computer program product for providing Ethernet VLAN capacity requirement estimation

• US 7,624,187 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2003
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wright, Steven Allan, Gilmartin, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin; Kenny S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang; Hieu T
• Application Number:
  US10/667,009
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA

Abstract

A method for providing Ethernet VLAN capacity requirement estimation. The method includes receiving a VLAN that contains VLAN access ports, VLAN switches and VLAN trunks. The VLAN access ports include VLAN bandwidth requirements and VLAN class of service. The VLAN trunks include VLAN capacity counters and VLAN threshold parameters. A target access port is received from a requestor, the target access port includes a target class of service and a target bandwidth requirement. A target trunk and target switch corresponding to the target access port are determined. The target trunk corresponds to one of the VLAN trunks and the target switch corresponds to one of the VLAN switches. A bandwidth contribution of the target access port to the VLAN is calculated. The calculating is responsive to the VLAN trunks, the VLAN switches, the VLAN access ports and the target access port. The bandwidth contribution is then transmitted to the requester.

Claims

1. A method for providing Ethernet VLAN capacity requirement estimation, said method comprising:

receiving a VLAN including VLAN access ports, VLAN switches and VLAN trunks, wherein said VLAN access ports include VLAN bandwidth requirements and VLAN class of service and said VLAN trunks include VLAN capacity counters and VLAN threshold parameters;

receiving a target access port, said target access port including a target class of service and a target bandwidth requirement from a requester;

determining a target trunk and target switch corresponding to said target access port, wherein said target trunk corresponds to one of said VLAN trunks and said target switch corresponds to one of said VLAN switches;

calculating a bandwidth contribution of said target access port to said VLAN, said calculating responsive to said VLAN trunks, said VLAN switches, said VLAN access ports, and said target access port; and

transmitting said bandwidth contribution to said requester;

wherein said calculating a bandwidth contribution of said target access port to said VLAN includes;

splitting said VLAN into two portions based on the location of said VLAN switches relative to said target trunk, wherein one portion includes said target access port and is an access port side and the other portion is a non-access port side;

calculating a current access port side bandwidth requirement responsive to said VLAN;

calculating a potential access port side bandwidth requirement responsive to said VLAN and to said target access port;

calculating a current non-access port bandwidth requirement responsive to said VLAN; and

determining said bandwidth contribution of said target access port by subtracting the minimum of said current access port side bandwidth requirement compared to said current non-access port bandwidth requirement from the minimum of said potential access port side bandwidth requirement compared to said current non-access port bandwidth requirement.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding said bandwidth contribution to a target capacity counter corresponding to said target trunk resulting in a target capacity;

transmitting an alert in response to said target capacity exceeding a target threshold corresponding to said target trunk.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said target threshold is an alarm threshold.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said target threshold is a cut-off threshold.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising updating said target capacity counter with said target capacity and adding said target access port to said VLAN in response to said target capacity not exceeding said target threshold.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said target threshold varies based on said target class of service.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said target capacity varies based on said target class of service.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said target class of service is best effort.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said target class of service is committed bandwidth.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said target class of service is priority plus.

11. A system for providing Ethernet VLAN capacity requirement estimation, the system comprising:

a storage device storing a VLAN database;

a host system in communication with said storage device; and

said host system in communication with a user system via a network, said host system including application software to implement a method comprising;

receiving a VLAN stored in said VLAN database, said VLAN including VLAN access ports, VLAN switches and VLAN trunks, wherein said VLAN access ports include VLAN bandwidth requirements and VLAN class of service and said VLAN trunks include VLAN capacity counters and VLAN threshold parameters;

receiving a target access port via said network, said target access port including a target class of service and a target bandwidth requirement from a requestor using said user system;

determining a target trunk and target switch corresponding to said target access port, wherein said target trunk corresponds to one of said VLAN trunks and said target switch corresponds to one of said VLAN switches;

calculating a bandwidth contribution of said target access port to said VLAN, said calculating responsive to said VLAN trunks, said VLAN switches, said VLAN access ports, and said target access port; and

transmitting said bandwidth contribution via said network to said requestor;

wherein said calculating the bandwidth contribution of said target access port to said VLAN includes;

splitting said VLAN into two portions based on the location of said VLAN switches relative to said target trunk, wherein one portion includes said target access port and is an access port side and the other portion is a non-access port side;

calculating a current access port side bandwidth requirement responsive to said VLAN;

calculating a potential access port side bandwidth requirement responsive to said VLAN and to said target access port;

calculating a current non-access port bandwidth requirement responsive to said VLAN; and

determining said bandwidth contribution of said target access port by subtracting the minimum of said current access port side bandwidth requirement compared to said current non-access port bandwidth requirement from the minimum of said potential access port side bandwidth requirement compared to said current non-access port bandwidth requirement.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said network is the Internet.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said network in an intranet.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein said VLAN database is a relational database.

15. A computer program product for providing Ethernet VLAN capacity requirement estimation, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising;

receiving a VLAN including VLAN access ports, VLAN switches and VLAN trunks, wherein said VLAN access ports include VLAN bandwidth requirements and VLAN class of service and said VLAN trunks include VLAN capacity counters and VLAN threshold parameters;

receiving a target access port, said target access port including a target class of service and a target bandwidth requirement from a requester;

determining a target trunk and target switch corresponding to said target access port, wherein said target trunk corresponds to one of said VLAN trunks and said target switch corresponds to one of said VLAN switches;

calculating a bandwidth contribution of said target access port to said VLAN, said calculating responsive to said VLAN trunks, said VLAN switches, said VLAN access ports, and said target access port; and

transmitting said bandwidth contribution to said requester;

wherein said calculating the bandwidth contribution of said target access port to said VLAN includes;

splitting said VLAN into two portions based on the location of said VLAN switches relative to said target trunk, wherein one portion includes said target access port and is an access port side and the other portion is a non-access port side;

calculating a current access port side bandwidth requirement responsive to said VLAN;

calculating a potential access port side bandwidth requirement responsive to said VLAN and to said target access port;

calculating a current non-access port bandwidth requirement responsive to said VLAN; and

determining said bandwidth contribution of said target access port by subtracting the minimum of said current access port side bandwidth requirement compared to said current non-access port bandwidth requirement from the minimum of said potential access port side bandwidth requirement compared to said current non-access port bandwidth requirement.