Method and apparatus for optimizing computer network usage to prevent congestion

• US 8,516,121 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Jordan, Kevin Elliott, Telang, Nilesh Girish, Supekar, Nitin Suresh
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/164,787
• Time in Patent Office: 1,877 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/226, 709/233, 709/235, 709/232, 709/230, 709/245, 709/248, 718/105, 707/640, 711/161
• US Class Current: 709/226
• 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 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for optimizing computer network bandwidth usage to prevent congestion is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises comparing a permissible bandwidth usage with a data transfer rate to produce a comparison result and adjusting the data transfer rate for performing at least one data transfer operation based on the comparison result.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

performing a network backup operation, wherein

the network backup operation is performed at a data transfer rate, and the performing the network backup operation comprises

identifying a bandwidth range of a network connection,

selecting a network throttling profile from a plurality of network throttling profiles, wherein

the network throttling profile is selected based, at least in part, on the bandwidth range of the network connection,

the network throttling profile is based on information regarding the network backup operation,

the network connection is one of a plurality of network connections, and

each of the plurality of network throttling profiles is associated with at least one of the plurality of network connections,

computing a permissible bandwidth usage for the network connection using the network throttling profile, wherein

the permissible bandwidth usage comprises

 

a portion of available bandwidth of the network connection,

the permissible bandwidth usage is allocated for performing one or more data transfer operations, and

the network throttling profile identifies the portion,

producing a comparison result by comparing the permissible bandwidth usage and the data transfer rate, wherein

the data transfer rate is used in performing at least one data transfer operation, and

the network backup operation comprises the at least one data transfer operation,

adjusting the data transfer rate based on the comparison result, wherein

the adjusting brings the data transfer rate closer to the permissible bandwidth usage, and

performing the at least one data transfer operation, wherein

the at least one data transfer operation is performed at the data transfer rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparison result is a difference between the permissible bandwidth usage and the data transfer rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the data transfer rate further comprises determining a time period for which the performance of the at least one data transfer is paused.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the adjusting the data transfer rate further comprises stopping the at least one data transfer operation for a duration of the time period in order to reduce the data transfer rate.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising computing the available bandwidth from a total data transmitted statistic and a total time required statistic.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the computing the available bandwidth is performed after a validity period expires.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing the permissible bandwidth usage using the network throttling profile further comprises multiplying the portion with the available bandwidth to compute the permissible bandwidth usage, wherein the portion is a percentage.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising computing the data transfer rate from a total data transmitted statistic and a total time elapsed statistic.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the network throttling profile further comprises

determining a network bandwidth of the network connection, wherein

the network bandwidth is based on a configured speed of the network connection;

determining a network bandwidth range within which the network bandwidth falls, wherein

the network bandwidth range is one of a plurality of network bandwidth ranges, and

each of the plurality of network bandwidth ranges is associated with at least one of the plurality of network throttling profiles; and

identifying the network throttling profile that is associated with the network bandwidth range.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the data transfer rate further comprises adjusting a buffer size associated with the performing the at least one data transfer operation.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

producing a plurality of data blocks by performing one or more backup operations using a computer, wherein

the one or more backup operations comprise the backup operation,

the plurality of data blocks comprises

a set of backup data, and

the set of backup data represents a backup of a data volume; and

performing the one or more data transfer operations, wherein

the performing the one or more data transfer operations comprises

transferring one or more of the plurality of data blocks to the storage subsystem,

the one or more of the plurality of data blocks is transferred via a network connection coupling the computer and the storage subsystem,

the set of backup data is stored at the storage subsystem, and

the transferring occurs at the data transfer rate.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein

each of the plurality of network throttling profiles indicates a respective portion, and

each respective portion of the plurality of network throttling profiles is distinct.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein

the network throttling profile indicates that a future data transfer operation is disabled.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a memory;

a backup module, wherein

the backup module is configured to perform a network backup operation at a data transfer rate, and

the network backup operation comprises one or more data transfer operations; and

a network throttling module, wherein

the network throttling module is configured to control the data transfer rate of the backup operation by virtue of being configured to

identify a bandwidth range of a network connection,

select a network throttling profile from a plurality of network throttling profiles, wherein

the network throttling profile is selected based, at least in part, on the bandwidth range of the network connection,

the network throttling profile is based on information regarding the network backup operation,

the network connection is one of a plurality of network connections, and

each of the plurality of network throttling profiles is associated with at least one of the plurality of network connections,

compute a permissible bandwidth usage for the network connection using the network throttling profile, wherein

the permissible bandwidth usage comprises

 

a portion of available bandwidth at the network connection,

 

the permissible bandwidth usage is allocated for performance of the one or more data transfer operations, and

 

the network throttling profile identifies the portion,

compare the permissible bandwidth usage and the data transfer rate to produce a comparison result, wherein

the data transfer rate is used to perform at least one of the one or more data transfer operations, and

the network backup operation comprises the at least one of the one or more data transfer operations, and

adjust the data transfer rate based on the comparison result, wherein

the data transfer rate is adjusted closer to the permissible bandwidth usage.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising

a calculation module configured to compute the available bandwidth from a total data transmitted statistic and a total time required statistic.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein

the calculation module is configured to multiply the portion with the available bandwidth to compute the permissible bandwidth usage, wherein the portion is a percentage.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the calculation module is configured to compute the data transfer rate from a total data transmitted statistic and a total time elapsed statistic.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the calculation module is further configured to compute a time period for which the performance of at least one data transfer is paused.

19. A system comprising:

a client, comprising

a backup module, wherein

the backup module is configured to perform a network backup operation at a data transfer rate, and

the network backup operation comprises one or more data transfer operations

a network throttling module, wherein

the network throttling module is configured to control the data transfer rate of the backup operation by virtue of being configured to

identify a bandwidth range of a network connection,

select a network throttling profile from a plurality of network throttling profiles, wherein

 

the network throttling profile is selected based, at least in part, on the bandwidth range of the network connection,

 

the network throttling profile is based on information regarding the network backup operation,

 

the network connection is one of a plurality of network connections, and

 

each of the plurality of network throttling profiles is associated with at least one of the plurality of network connections,

compute a permissible bandwidth usage for the network connection using the network throttling profile, wherein the permissible bandwidth usage comprises

 

a portion of available bandwidth at the network connection,

 

the permissible bandwidth usage is allocated for performance of the one or more data transfer operations, and

 

the network throttling profile identifies the portion,

compare the permissible bandwidth usage and the data transfer rate to produce a comparison result, wherein

 

the data transfer rate is used to perform at least one of the one or more data transfer operations, and

 

the network backup operation comprises the at least one of the one or more data transfer operations, and

adjust the data transfer rate based on the comparison result, wherein

 

the data transfer rate is adjusted closer to the permissible bandwidth usage; and

a network interface, configured to couple the client to a storage subsystem, wherein

the network interface is configured to transmit data from the client to the storage subsystem during the performance of the at least one data transfer operation.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a calculation module configured to compute the available bandwidth based on at least one statistic associated with the network.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the network throttling module is configured to adjust the optimal data transfer rate after a change in a load at the network.