Systems and methods for allocating bandwidth by an intermediary for flow control

• US 8,504,716 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Samuels, Allen R., Collins, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): SHINGLES, KRISTIE D
• Application Number:
  US12/575,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20100095021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 709/235, 709/233
• US Class Current: 709/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for allocating a bandwidth credit or an annuity of bandwidth credit to a sender by an intermediary deployed between the sender and a receiver. The sender may be allocated a bandwidth credit or an annuity of bandwidth credit which may identify an amount of data the sender may transmit over a predetermined time period to the receiver, via the intermediary. The intermediary may determine an allocation of a one-time bandwidth credit based on the determination that a difference between the rate of transmission of the sender and the bandwidth usage of the sender falls below a predetermined threshold of the bandwidth credit. The intermediary may determine an annuity of bandwidth credit based on a determination that a difference between the bandwidth usage of the sender over the annuity period and the annuity of bandwidth credit exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A method for allocating, by an intermediary device between a sender and one or more receivers, a bandwidth credit of the sender by comparing the allocated bandwidth credit to a measurement of data transmission rates via the intermediary device and compression of data by the intermediary, the method comprising:

a) allocating, to a sender, a bandwidth credit identifying an amount of data the sender may transmit over a predetermined time period to the one or more receivers via an intermediary device, the intermediary device compressing data of the sender transmitted to the one or more receivers;

b) monitoring, by the intermediary device, bandwidth usage by determining a ratio of compression of data of the sender compressed by the intermediary device and a rate of transmission of compressed data of the sender transmitted by the intermediary device to the one or more receivers;

c) determining, by the intermediary device, that a difference between the rate of transmission of the sender and the bandwidth usage of the sender falls below a predetermined threshold of the bandwidth credit; and

d) communicating, by the intermediary device responsive to the determination, an allocation of a one-time bandwidth credit to the sender based on the difference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises allocating, to a plurality of senders, a plurality of bandwidth credits, each of the plurality of bandwidth credits identifying an amount of data each of the plurality of senders may transmit over a predetermined time period to at least one receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises determining, by the intermediary, that the difference between the rate of transmission of the sender and the bandwidth usage of the sender falls within a predetermined threshold range of the bandwidth credit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, by the one-time bandwidth credit, a second predetermined amount of data the sender may send to the one or more receivers within the predetermined time period.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, by the one-time bandwidth credit, a second predetermined amount of data the sender may send to the one or more receivers within a second predetermined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, by the one-time bandwidth credit, a predetermined amount of additional data the sender may send to an identified receiver via the intermediary.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises monitoring, by the intermediary, the bandwidth usage by determining a rate of transmission of data transmitted from the one or more receivers via the intermediary to the sender.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the intermediary in response to monitoring, that a difference between the rate of transmission of the sender and the bandwidth usage of the sender falls below a predetermined threshold of the bandwidth credit.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

e) allocating, to a receiver, a second bandwidth credit identifying an amount of data the receiver may transmit over a predetermined time period to the sender via the intermediary;

f) monitoring, by the intermediary, bandwidth usage of the receiver by determining a ratio of compression of data of the receiver compressed by the intermediary and a rate of transmission of compressed data of the receiver transmitted by the intermediary to the sender;

g) determining, by the intermediary, that a second difference between the rate of transmission of the receiver and the bandwidth usage of the receiver falls below a second predetermined threshold of the second bandwidth credit; and

h) communicating, by the intermediary responsive to the determination, an allocation of a second one-time bandwidth credit to the receiver.

10. A method for renewing, by an intermediary device between a sender and one or more receivers, an annuity of bandwidth credit of the sender by comparing the allocated bandwidth credit to a measurement of data transmission rate via the intermediary device and compression of data by the intermediary device, the method comprising steps of:

a) allocating, to a sender, an annuity of bandwidth credit identifying an amount of data the sender may transmit within a predetermined annuity period to one or more receiver via an intermediary device, the intermediary device compressing data of the sender transmitted to the one or more receivers;

b) monitoring, by the intermediary device, bandwidth usage of the sender between the intermediary device and the one or more receivers over the predetermined annuity period based on determining a ratio of compression of data of the sender compressed by the intermediary device and a rate of transmission of compressed data of the sender transmitted by the intermediary device;

c) determining, by the intermediary device, that a difference between the bandwidth usage of the sender over the annuity period and the annuity of bandwidth credit exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

d) communicating, by the intermediary device responsive to the determination, a renewed allocation of the annuity bandwidth credit to the sender based on a second predetermined ratio of compression.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying, by the annuity of bandwidth credit, a plurality of amounts of data the sender may transmit over a plurality of predetermined annuity periods.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein step (b) further comprising monitoring, by the intermediary, bandwidth usage of the sender between the intermediary and the one or more receivers over the predetermined annuity period based on determining a ratio of compression of data of the sender compressed by the intermediary and a rate of transmission of compressed data of the sender transmitted by the intermediary.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying, by the renewed allocation, a second amount of data the sender may transmit over a second predetermined annuity period via the intermediary.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying, by the renewed allocation, a second amount of data the sender may transmit over the predetermined annuity period via the intermediary.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

e) allocating, to a receiver, a second annuity of bandwidth credit identifying an amount of data the receiver may transmit over a second predetermined annuity period to the sender via the intermediary;

f) monitoring, by the intermediary, a second bandwidth usage of the receiver between the intermediary and the sender over the second predetermined annuity period based on determining a ratio of compression of data of the receiver compressed by the intermediary and a rate of transmission of compressed data of the receiver transmitted by the intermediary;

g) determining, by the intermediary, that a difference between the second bandwidth usage and the second annuity of bandwidth credit exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

h) communicating, by the intermediary responsive to the determination, a second renewed allocation of the annuity bandwidth credit to the receiver.

16. An intermediary device between a sender and one or more receivers for providing a change in bandwidth allocation of a sender using a measurement of data transmission rate via the intermediary device and compression of data by the intermediary device, the intermediary device comprising:

a bandwidth allocator allocating to a sender a bandwidth credit identifying an amount of data the may transmit over a predetermined time period via the intermediary device, the intermediary device compressing data of the sender transmitted to one or more receivers;

a bandwidth monitor monitoring bandwidth usage by determining a ratio of compression of data of the sender compressed by the intermediary device and a rate of transmission of compressed data of the sender transmitted by the intermediary device;

a flow controller determining that a difference between the rate of transmission of the sender and the bandwidth usage of the sender falls below a predetermined threshold of the bandwidth credit; and

wherein the intermediary device communicates, in response to the determination, a change in the bandwidth credit to the sender based on the difference.

17. The intermediary of claim 16, wherein the flow controller determines that a difference between the bandwidth usage of the sender over the predetermined time period and the bandwidth credit exceeds a predetermined threshold;

and

the intermediary communicating, responsive to the determination, a renewal of the bandwidth credit to the sender, the renewal of the bandwidth credit identifying an amount of data the sender may transmit within a second predetermined time period via the intermediary.

18. The intermediary of claim 16, wherein the flow controller determines that the difference between the rate of transmission of the sender and the bandwidth usage of the sender falls within a predetermined threshold range of the bandwidth credit.

19. The intermediary of claim 16, wherein the bandwidth allocator determines a one-time bandwidth credit and responsive to the determination the intermediary communicates the one-time bandwidth credit to the sender.

20. The intermediary of claim 17, wherein the flow controller monitors the bandwidth usage of the sender between the intermediary and the one or more receivers over the predetermined annuity period based on determining a ratio of compression of data of the sender compressed by the intermediary and a rate of transmission of compressed data of the sender received by the one or more receivers.