RSVP/SBM based up-stream session setup, modification, and teardown for QoS-driven wireless LANs

• US 7,630,351 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ho, Jin-Meng, Lin, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US11/239,572
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/236, 370/412, 370/235, 370/329, 370/346, 370/389, 370/395.21, 370/395.3, 370/443, 370/444, 370/445, 370/449, 370/468, 709/227, 709/228, 709/230, 709/219
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for setting up, modifying and tearing down an up-stream communication session in a basic service set (BSS) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), so that the communication session has a defined Quality of Service (QoS). Regarding setting up an up-stream communication session, a first Path message and a first Resv message (Path/Resv message) of a RSVP protocol are detected at a designated subnet bandwidth manager (DSBM) in a station having a point coordinator (PC). The first Resv message originates from a RSVP agent of a host outside the BSS, and is a request for setting up an up-stream session between a source non-PC station in the BSS and the PC station. A QoS parameter set and a classifier from the first Path/Resv message for the session are extracted at the DSBM. The DSBM determines whether to admit the up-sam session to the network based on the QoS parameter set defining the session and a channel status report on a medium access control (MAC) sublayer of the BSS. When the up-stream session is admitted, a QoS management entity (QME) of the PC station sets up a virtual up-stream (VUS) between the source non-PC station and the PC station for transporting the up-stream session traffic. The DSBM is part of the QME in the PC station.

Claims

1. A method for setting up an up-stream communication session in a basic service set (BSS) in a wireless network, the communication session having a defined Quality of Service (QoS), the method comprising steps of:

detecting a first Path message and a first Resv message (Path/Resv message) of a RSVP protocol at a designated subnet bandwidth manager (DSBM) in a station having a point coordinator (PC), the first Resv message originating from a RSVP agent of a host outside the BSS, and requesting for setting up an up-stream session between a source non-PC station in the BSS and the PC station;

extracting at the DSBM a QoS parameter set and a classifier from the first Path/Resv message for the session;

determining at the DSBM whether to admit the up-stream session to the network based on the QoS parameter set defining the session and a channel status report on a medium access control (MAC) sublayer of the BSS;

when the up-stream session is admitted, setting up by a QoS management entity (QME) of the PC station a virtual up-stream (VUS) between the source non-PC station and the PC station for transporting the up-stream session traffic;

the DSBM being part of the QME in the PC station.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

assigning by the QME a virtual stream identifier (VSID) to the VUS; and

instructing by the QME a frame scheduling entity (FSE) to create an entry corresponding to the VUS in a frame scheduling table of the FSE, the FSE being logically located in the MAC sublayer of the PC station, the entry in the frame scheduling table including the VSID and the QoS parameter set associated with the up-stream session.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising a step of sending a management frame from the PC station to the source non-PC station, the management frame including information relating to a setup of the VUS defined by the VSID, the classifier, and the QoS parameter set.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising steps of:

receiving the management frame by the source non-PC station;

passing the information contained in the management frame to a QME of the non-PC station;

instructing by the QME a frame classification entity (FCE) to create an entry corresponding to the VUS in a frame classification table of the FCE, the FCE being logically located in the LLC sublayer of the non-PC station, the entry in the frame classification table including the VSID and the classifier associated with the up-stream session; and

instructing by the QME a frame scheduling entity (FSE) to create an entry corresponding to the VUS in a frame scheduling table of the FSE, the FSE being logically located in the MAC sublayer of the non-PC station, the entry in the frame scheduling table including the VSID and the QoS parameter set associated with the up-stream session.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising steps of:

detecting a third Path/Resv message at the DSBM, the third Path/Resv message originating outside the DSBM and requesting that the up-stream session be terminated;

extracting at the DSBM the classifier from the third Path/Resv message for the session;

finding at the QME of the PC-station the VSID that is associated with the extracted classifier;

instructing by the QME of the PC station the FSE of the PC station to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame scheduling table; and

sending a management frame from the PC station to the non-PC station sourcing the VUS defined by the VSID, the management frame including information relating to a teardown of the VUS.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising steps of:

receiving the management frame by the addressed non-PC station;

passing the information contained in the management frame to the QME of the non-PC station;

instructing by the QME of the non-PC station the FCE of the non-PC station to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame classification table; and

instructing by the QME of the non-PC station the FSE of the non-PC station to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame scheduling table.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising steps of:

detecting a timeout event at the DSBM, the timeout event being triggered by a predetermined length for not receiving one of the first Path/Resv message and the second Path/Resv message for an up-stream session;

extracting at the DSBM the classifier from one of the first Path/Resv message and the second Path/Resv message previously received for the up-stream session;

finding at the QME of the PC station the VSID that is associated with the extracted classifier;

instructing by the QME of the PC station the FSE of the PC-station to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame scheduling table; and

sending a management frame from the PC station to the non-PC station sourcing the VUS defined by the VSID, the management frame including information relating to a teardown of the VUS.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising steps of:

receiving the management frame by the addressed non-PC station;

passing the information contained in the management frame to the QME of the non PC station;

instructing by the QME of the non-PC station the FCE of the non-PC station to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame classification table; and

instructing by the QME of the non-PC station the FSE of the non-PC station to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame scheduling table.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein before the step of detecting the Resv message at the DSBM, the method comprises steps of:

receiving the first Path message for the up-stream session at the DSBM, the first Path message being sent from an SBM of the source non-PC station in the BSS;

propagating the first Path message for the up-stream session from the DSBM to an RSVP agent of each destination station located outside the BSS;

receiving the first Resv message for the up-stream session at the DSBM, the first Resv message being sent from an RSVP agent of a destination station located outside the BSS and propagated to the DSBM;

wherein after the step of determining at the DSBM whether to admit the down-stream session to the network, the method further comprises a step of sending the first Resv message for the session from the DSBM to the SBM of the source non-PC station in the BSS that is intended for resource reservation confirmation only.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

11. A point coordinator (PC) station in a basic service set (BSS) in a wireless network, the PC station comprising:

a designated subnet bandwidth manager (DSBM) detecting a first Path message and a first Resv message (Path/Resv message) of a RSVP protocol, the first Resv message originating from a RSVP agent of a host outside the BSS and requesting to set up an up-stream session between a source non-PC station in the BSS and the PC station, the DSBM extracting a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter set and a classifier from the first Path/Resv message for the session, and determining whether to admit the up-stream session to the network based on the QoS parameter set defining the session and a channel status report on a medium access control (MAC) sublayer of the BSS; and

a QoS management entity (QME), responsive to the an admitted up-stream session, by setting up a virtual up-stream (VUS) between the source non-PC station and the PC station for transporting the up-stream session traffic;

the DSBM being part of the QME in the PC station.

12. The PC station according to claim 11, wherein the QME assigns a virtual stream identifier (VSID) to the VUS and instructs a frame scheduling entity (FSE) to create an entry corresponding to the VUS in a frame scheduling table of the FSE, the FSE being logically located in the MAC sublayer of the PC station, the entry in the frame scheduling table including the VSID and the QoS parameter set associated with the up-stream session.

13. The PC station according to claim 12, wherein the QME sends a management frame from the PC station to the source non-PC station, the management frame including information relating to a setup of the VUS defined by the VSID, the classifier, and the QoS parameter set.

14. The PC station according to claim 12, wherein the source non-PC station includes a local QME, a local FCE that is logically located in the LLC sublayer of the source non-PC station and a local FSE that is logically located in the MAC sublayer of the source non-PC station, the source non-PC station receiving the management frame and passing the information contained in the management frame to the local QME, and

wherein the local QME instructs the local FCE to create an entry corresponding to the VUS in a frame classification table of the FCE, the entry in the frame classification table including the VSID and the classifier associated with the up-stream session, and

wherein the local QME instructs the local FSE to create an entry corresponding to the VUS in a frame scheduling table of the FCE, the entry in the frame scheduling table including the VSID and the QoS parameter set associated with the up-stream session.

15. The PC station according to claim 11, wherein the DSBM detects a third Path/Resv message, the third Path/Resv message originating outside the DSBM and requesting that the up-stream session be terminated, the DSBM extracting the classifier from the third Path/Resv message for the session,

wherein the QME of the PC station finds the VSID that is associated with the extracted classifier, instructs the QME of the PC station the FSE of the PC station to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame scheduling table, and sends a management frame from the PC station to the non-PC station sourcing the VUS defined by the VSID, the management frame including information relating to a teardown of the VUS.

16. The PC station according to claim 15, wherein the non-PC station sourcing the VUS includes a local QME, a local FCE that is logically located in the LLC sublayer of the source non-PC station and a local FSE that is logically located in the MAC sublayer of the source non-PC station, the non-PC station sourcing the VUS receiving the management frame and passing the information contained in the management frame to the local QME, and

wherein the local QME instructs the local FCE to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame classification table, and instructs the local FSE to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame scheduling table.

17. The PC station according to claim 15, wherein the DSBM detects a timeout event, the timeout event being triggered by a predetermined length elapsing and not receiving one of the first Path/Resv message and the second Path/Resv message for an up-stream session, the DSBM extracting the classifier from one of the first Path/Resv message and the second Path/Resv message previously received for the up-stream session, and

wherein the QME of the PC station finds the VSID that is associated with the extracted classifier, instructs the FSE of the PC-station to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame scheduling table, and sends a management frame from the PC station to the non-PC station sourcing the VUS defined by the VSID, the management frame including information relating to a teardown of the VUS.

18. The PC station according to claim 17, wherein the non-PC station sourcing the VUS receives the management frame and passes the information contained in the management frame to the local QME, and

wherein the local QME instructs the local FCE to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame classification table, and instructs the local FSE to delete the entry corresponding to the VUS in the frame scheduling table.

19. The PC station according to claim 11, wherein before the DSBM detects the Resv message, the DSBM receives the first Path message for the up-stream session, the first Path message being sent from an SBM of the source non-PC station in the BSS, the DSBM propagating the first Path message for the up-stream session to an RSVP agent of each destination station located outside the BSS, the DSBM then receives the first Resv message for the up-stream session, the first Resv message being sent from an RSVP agent of a destination station located outside the BSS and propagated to the DSBM, and

wherein after the DSBM determines whether to admit the down-stream session to the network, the DSBM sends the first Resv message for the session to the SBM of the source non PC station in the BSS, the first Resv message including information related to resource reservation confirmation.

20. The PC station according to claim 11, wherein the wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN).