Method for dynamic rate adaptation based on selective passive network monitoring

• US 8,645,563 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CAMIANT, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CAMIANT, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Riley, Yusun Kim
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag
• Assistant Examiner(s): Esmaeilian, Majid
• Application Number:
  US12/891,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20110016224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/72 using reservation actions during connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals

Abstract

A method for managing a session over a network that involves multiple end points obtaining services via an application server, the method involving: after the end points have registered with the application server for the session, establishing initial policies for network traffic flows for each end point participating in the session; after establishing the initial policies, determining information about the network traffic flows for at least some of the multiple end points participating in the session; from the information determined about the network traffic flows, identifying which of the multiple end points is functioning as a host server for the session; and after identifying which of the multiple end points is functioning as the host server, establishing new policies for network traffic flows for the multiple end points, wherein under the new policies fewer network resources are reserved for each of the multiple end points other than and as compared to the end point functioning as the host server.

Claims

1. A system for managing a shared session over a network, wherein the shared session involves multiple end points obtaining services via an application server, said system comprising:

an application server having hardware for providing a plurality of different services to the end points;

a policy server having hardware for;

after the end points have registered with the application server for said shared session and before knowing which of the end points functions as a host server for said shared session, establishing initial policies for network traffic flows for each end point participating in said shared session;

after establishing the initial policies, monitoring, directly by the policy server or by the policy server communicating with one or more devices separate from the end points that monitor network traffic to and from the end points, network traffic volumes for the network traffic flows for at least some of said multiple end points participating in said shared session;

from the monitored network traffic volumes for the network traffic flows, identifying which of said multiple end points is functioning as a host server for said shared session; and

after identifying which of said multiple end points is functioning as the host server, establishing new policies for network traffic flows for said multiple end points, wherein under the new policies fewer network resources are reserved for each of the multiple end points other than and as compared to the end point functioning as the host server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, in monitoring the network traffic volumes for the network traffic flows for at least some of said multiple end points participating in said session, the policy server determines the network traffic volumes for the network traffic flows for each of the multiple end points participating in said session.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the policy server directly monitors the traffic volumes associated with the network traffic flows by polling access network equipment associated with the network traffic flows.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the session comprises a session for a game and wherein the end point functioning as the host server for the game forwards communications to the remaining end points participating in the game.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the initial policies for each end point specify that each end point is to be allocated sufficient bandwidth for each end point to serve as the host server.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein, in monitoring network traffic volumes for the network traffic flows, the policy server receives notifications of the network traffic volume from the one or more devices.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the initial policies specify the amount of network bandwidth reserved for end point.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein under the initial policies the same amount of network bandwidth is reserved for each of said multiple end points.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the network bandwidth that is reserved for each end point exceeds an expected bandwidth required for the host server.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein establishing new policies for network traffic flows for said multiple end points involves reducing the amount of bandwidth that is reserved for each of the multiple end points other than the one functioning as the host server.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the network is a cable network.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the network is a Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL) network.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the network is a Fiber to the x (FTTx) network.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the network is a Passive Optical Network (xPON) network.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein the network is a data-over-wireless network.