System and method for service assurance in IP networks

• US 8,780,716 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nectar Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetSocket, Inc.
• Inventors: Visser, Lance Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moutaouakil, Mounir
• Application Number:
  US12/209,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20090067423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 370229-240
• US Class Current: 370/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5636 Monitoring or policing, e.g. compliance with allocated rate, corrective actions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A system and method for providing service assurance in a data network is provided. Resource control points are positioned throughout a data network, such as an IP data network. The resource control points obtain network topology information and correlates that information with information associated with a particular service session. The resource control points utilize the correlated information to generate quality service records and to provide status information regarding the network topology and particular sessions. The resource control points may further retrieve link and utilization information to control sessions during periods of congestion.

Claims

1. A communications network comprising:

a plurality of network elements in a first domain, each network element configured to route traffic through the respective network element, each network element being communicatively coupled to at least one other network element via a plurality of links; and

a control point communicatively associated with the first domain and coupled to the plurality of network elements to receive utilization and session information, the control point configured to generate and maintain an resource control point (RCP) routing table of routings of the plurality of network elements and routings between domains and configured to calculate sub-path routings through the first domain for call requests based on the RCP routing table, the control point further configured to detect a congested link of a route within the first domain and to instruct one or more of the network elements to terminate or preempt one or more sessions on the congested link, the control point not being on a network element in the route the control point further configured to communicate with a second control point associated with a second domain.

2. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the communications network is an IP network.

3. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the control point is a resource control point communicatively coupled to a plurality of resource control points.

4. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the control point obtains some session information from a call setup request.

5. The communications network of claim 4, wherein the control point is configured to passively monitor traffic from a signaling session device for a call setup request.

6. The communications network of claim 4, further comprising a signaling session device configured to transmit to the control point the call setup request.

7. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the control point is configured to maintain a list of sessions in the first domain, and wherein the congested link is explicitly determined by the control point through the control point monitoring the list of sessions.

8. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the congested link is implicitly determined by the control point though the control point obtaining information on link congestion conditions from the plurality of network elements.

9. The communication network of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of network elements are further configured to include the control point in a network element routing table and update the control point with changes to the routing table.

10. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the control point is further configured to receive information associated with routings of the plurality of network elements using a first communications protocol and to receive information associated with routings between domains using a second communications protocol different than the first communications protocol.

11. A computer program product for providing session control in a communications network, the computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:

computer program code for retrieving utilization information from a plurality of network elements;

computer program code for generating, by a control point not involved in call routing, session information from call requests, and for storing the session information at the control point;

computer code for generating and maintaining quality service records and for modifying the quality service records in response to a change in route characteristics of at least one of the plurality of network elements;

computer program code for determining, by the control point, if a link coupled to one or more of the plurality of network elements is congested based on the session information, the link not being directly coupled to the control point; and

computer program code for instructing at least one of the plurality of network elements to preempt or terminate a session, based at least in part on the session information, if a determination is made by the control point that the link carrying the session is congested.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer program code to instruct the at least one of the plurality of network elements to reinstate the session.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer program code for communicating to a network management node using SNMP.

14. A method of controlling a communications network, the method comprising:

obtaining session information from a plurality of network routers;

storing the session information for a plurality of sessions at a control point;

determining, by the control point not involved in call routing, a communications link is congested based on a number of sessions in the plurality of sessions and resource requirement information in the session information, the communications link not being directly coupled to the control point; and

upon determining a communications link is congested, instructing at least one of the plurality of network routers to preempt or terminate one or more sessions utilizing the communications link based on at least the session information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining a communications link is congested is performed at least in part by deriving a link congestion condition based upon the session information and link information.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, upon determining the communications link is no longer congested, instructing the at least one of the plurality of network routers to reinstate the session.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

including the control point in a routing table of the network routers; and

updating the control point with changes to the routing table.