System and method for dynamic bandwidth provisioning

• US 8,661,153 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netskope Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Inventors: Ta, Tuan, Turley, Patrick, Clendinning, Kerry, Looney, Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): COULTER, KENNETH R
• Application Number:
  US12/506,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20090279567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/229, 709231-233, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/233
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• 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 47/10 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 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/765 triggered by the end-points
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein provide a control device and a method executing thereon for allocating network bandwidth to users accessing a controlled network. In response to a user connecting to the control device using a user device, the control device obtains a user bandwidth allocation profile for that user based on user credentials. The user bandwidth allocation profile may be stored local or remote to the control device. A provisioning module running on the control device can map attributes in the user bandwidth allocation profile to a traffic control rule and associate the traffic control rule with the user based on the user credentials and considering information identifying the user device used by the user to connect to the control device. A traffic conditioning module running on the control device can regulate the network bandwidth usage by the user utilizing the traffic control rule associated with the user.

Claims

1. A method executing on a control device for allocating network bandwidth to users accessing a first network, comprising:

in response to a first user of the users connecting to said control device using a user device on a second network, obtaining a user bandwidth allocation profile for said first user based on user credentials, wherein said first user is a human user wherein said user bandwidth allocation profile is stored local or remote to said control device, wherein the user bandwidth allocation profile contains an arbitrary number of attributes specifying bandwidth limitations for the first user, and wherein said control device is located between said user device and said first network, said control device capable of dynamically altering bandwidth allocations among a set of users on said second network;

based on the arbitrary number of attributes in each user profile, establishing user specific rules and conditions that are bound to the first user during a control session based on the user device associated with the first user and the first credentials provided by the first user for the control session wherein the user specific rules include at least one network bandwidth limit for the first user;

obtaining information identifying said user device used by said first user on said second network to connect to said control device for accessing said first network;

associating said at least one traffic control rule with said first user based on said user credentials and considering said information identifying said user device used by said first user on said second network to connect to said control device for accessing said first network; and

dynamically updating the network bandwidth for said first user utilizing said at least one traffic control rule associated with said first user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indexing said user specific rules utilizing said information identifying said user device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if said user bandwidth allocation profile is complete; and

if said user bandwidth allocation profile is not complete, filling in missing attribute values with default values.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

retrieving said default values from a storage medium local to or remote from said control device.

5. The method of claim 1, prior to obtaining said user bandwidth allocation profile for said first user, further comprising:

receiving a network communication from an application running on said user device; and

authenticating said first user based on said network communication.

6. The method of claim 1, prior to mapping said attributes in said user bandwidth allocation profile for said first user, further comprising:

initiating a control session for said first user; and

tracking said control session by said user credentials, one or more addresses of said user device, an identifier, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the users includes a programmatic user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing further comprises mapping attributes in said user bandwidth allocation profile for said first user of at least one traffic control rule stored on said control device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing further comprises mapping attributes in said user bandwidth allocation profile for said first user of at least one traffic control rule stored on said control device.

10. A computer program product embodied in at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions for allocating network bandwidth to users accessing a first network, wherein said computer executable instructions comprise:

code for obtaining a user bandwidth allocation profile for a first user of the users based on user credentials in response to said first user connecting to a control device on said first network using a user device on a second network, wherein said first user is a human user, wherein said user bandwidth allocation profile is stored local or remote to said control device, wherein the user bandwidth allocation profile contains an arbitrary number of attributes specifying bandwidth limitations for the first user, and wherein said control device is located between said user device and said first network, said control device capable of dynamically altering bandwidth allocations among a set of users on said second network;

code for establishing user specific rules and conditions that are bound to each user during a control session based on the arbitrary number of attributes in each user profile, the user device associated with that user and the user credentials provided by the user for the control session wherein the user specific rules include at least one network bandwidth limit for that user;

code for associating said at least one traffic control rule with said first user based on said user credentials and considering information identifying said user device used by said first user on said second network to connect to said control device for accessing said first network; and

code for dynamically updating the network bandwidth for said first user utilizing said at least one traffic control rule associated with said first user.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said computer executable instructions further comprise:

code for indexing said user specific rules utilizing said information identifying said user device.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said computer executable instructions further comprise:

code for determining if said user bandwidth allocation profile is complete;

code for filling in missing attribute values with default values if said user bandwidth allocation profile is not complete; and

code for retrieving said default values from a storage medium local to or remote from said control device.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said computer executable instructions further comprise:

code for initiating a control session for said first user; and

code for tracking said control session by said user credentials, one or more addresses of said user device, an identifier, or a combination thereof.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the users includes a programmatic user.

15. A system for allocating network bandwidth to users accessing a first network, said system comprising:

a provisioning module for allocating bandwidth to said users accessing said first network, wherein said provisioning module is operable to;

based on the arbitrary number of attributes in each user profile, establish user specific rules and conditions that are bound to each user during a control session based on the user device associated with that user and the user credentials provided by the user for the control session wherein the user specific rules include at least one network bandwidth limit for that user;

dynamically update the at least one network bandwidth limit for at least one user from the set of users;

associate each of said user specific rules with said first user based on an arbitrary identifier associated with a user device for said first user on a second network; and

a traffic conditioning module for regulating bandwidth usages by said users, wherein said traffic conditioning module is operable to;

extract said arbitrary identifier associated with said user device for said first user on said second network from a packet received from a first network application running on a machine on said first network or from a second network application running on said user device on said second network;

locate said traffic control rule referenced by said at least one of said user specific rules established by said provisioning module; and

queue, drop, or process said packet based on said traffic control rule.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said user bandwidth allocation profile for said first user comprises attributes governing upload and download bandwidth allocations to said user regardless of a network application generating or receiving said packet.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said user bandwidth allocation profile for said user comprises priorities for network applications, wherein said provisioning module is further operable to map said priorities to a user specific traffic control rule, and wherein said user specific traffic control rule specifies upload and download bandwidth allocations for said network applications.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said traffic conditioning module is further operable to determine a network application with which said packet is associated and apply a bandwidth allocation specific to said network application as specified in said user specific traffic control rule.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said traffic conditioning module is part of said provisioning module.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said provisioning module resides on a control device for said first network.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein users outside of said first network connect to said control device via a plurality of user devices.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a session monitoring module operable to perform bandwidth metering at said control device on a per user basis.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein said users are subject to a single subscription.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein said users includes a programmatic user.