Selectively enabled quality of service policy

• US 8,170,021 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Han, Eric K., Feng, Shuangtong, Yao, Yinghua
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMUEL, DEWANDA A
• Application Number:
  US11/327,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20070160079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,307 Days
• Field of Search: 370/465, 370/392, 370/230, 370/469
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9068 in the network interface card
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A computer system that implements a quality of service policy. Information defining the quality of service policy is stored in a central location, such as a server within an enterprise. Policy management software on clients in the network download quality of service policy information from the central location to the clients. Within a client, a portion of the policy information is selected based on its applicability to a particular connection. The selected information is cached with an association to the connection so that, as datagrams are generated for transmission over the network, relevant policy information is quickly accessed for use in controlling transmission characteristics of datagrams sent using that connection. The policy information is applied on a datagram-by-datagram basis, allowing policy information to be selectively applied based on network type. Policy information may be selectively applied to those datagrams transmitted over a managed network. This approach allows a client configured to apply a quality of service policy within an enterprise network to operate without applying the policy when removed from the enterprise network.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer system comprising a mobile client connectable to one or more networks, the method comprising:

a) sensing, by the mobile client, a network characteristic indicative of a network type of a network to which the mobile client is connected;

b) selecting, by the mobile client, a quality of service policy based at least in part on the sensed network characteristic indicative of the network type, comprising;

selecting a first quality of service policy when the mobile client is connected to a network of a first network type; and

selecting a second quality of service policy different from the first quality of service policy when the mobile client is connected to a network of a second network type different from the first network type; and

c) transmitting, by the mobile client, a datagram over the network using the selected quality of service policy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing a network characteristic comprises determining whether the network is a managed network, and wherein the method further comprises:

when the network is determined to be a managed network, modifying a transmission characteristic of the datagram in accordance with the quality of service policy; and

when the network is determined not to be a managed network, transmitting the datagram without modifying a transmission characteristic of the datagram in accordance the quality of service policy.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the network is a managed network comprises identifying a domain controller in the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing a network characteristic comprises obtaining an IP address of a domain controller.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the domain controller is associated with a domain and transmitting the datagram using the quality of service quality comprises using a policy of service policy associated with the domain.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein modifying a transmission characteristic of the datagram in accordance with the quality of service policy comprises inserting a quality of service parameter in a header of the datagram.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein modifying a transmission characteristic of the datagram in accordance with the quality of service policy comprises modulating a transmission rate based on the quality of service policy.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

d) generating the datagram with an application executing on the mobile client, the application being unchanged to implement the quality of service policy.

9. At least one computer-readable storage device encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out a method of operating a computer system having a client, wherein the at least one computer-readable storage device is not a transitory signal, the method comprising:

a) while the client is in a first location;

connecting the client to a first network of a first network type;

transmitting a first datagram from the client using a quality of service policy;

b) while the client is in a second location;

identifying a second datagram to be transmitted by the client;

determining whether to apply the quality of service policy to the second datagram based at least in part on a type of network through which the second datagram is to be transmitted;

if the second datagram is to be transmitted over the first network, applying the quality of service policy to the second datagram; and

if the second datagram is to be transmitted over a second network of a second network type different from the first network type, transmitting the second datagram without applying the quality of service policy.

10. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the client is a portable computer, and the first location is an office and the second location is outside the office.

11. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises,

c) while the client is in the second location, connecting the client to the first network using a VPN connection.

12. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

d) transmitting a plurality of first type datagrams using the VPN connection, each of the first type datagrams being transmitted using the quality of service policy.

13. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the second network comprises the Internet, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting a plurality of second type datagrams over the Internet, the plurality of second type datagrams being interspersed with the plurality of first type datagrams.

14. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein transmitting a first datagram from the client using a quality of service policy comprises inserting a quality of service parameter in a header of the datagram.

20. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein applying the quality of service policy to the datagram comprises inserting a quality of service parameter in a header of the datagram.

15. At least one computer-readable storage device encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out a method of operating a computer system having a client, wherein the at least one computer-readable storage device is not a transitory signal, the method comprising:

connecting the client to a network;

identifying a datagram to be transmitted by the client through the network;

determining a network type of the network through which the datagram is to be transmitted;

if the network is determined to be of a first network type, applying a quality of service policy to the datagram; and

if the network is determined to be of a second network type different from the first network type, transmitting the datagram without applying the quality of service policy.

16. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein determining a network type of the network through which the datagram is to be transmitted comprises identifying a domain controller in the network.

17. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein determining a network type of the network through which the datagram is to be transmitted comprises determining whether the network is a managed network, and wherein the quality of service policy is applied to the datagram if it is determined that the network is a managed network.

18. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the network is a first network and the client is connected to the first network via a VPN connection, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the first network is a managed network;

transmitting a first plurality of datagrams over the first network using the VPN connection, comprising applying the quality of service policy to each of the first plurality of datagrams;

connecting the client to a second network;

determining that the second network is not a managed network; and

transmitting a second plurality of datagrams over the second network, wherein the quality of service policy is not applied to each of the second plurality of datagrams, and wherein the second plurality of datagrams are interspersed with the first plurality of datagrams.

19. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein applying the quality of service policy to each of the first plurality datagrams comprises controlling a rate at which the first plurality of datagrams are injected into the first network.