Methods and apparatus for path selection within a network based on flow duration

• US 9,032,089 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Aybay, Gunes
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, DUYEN MY
• Application Number:
  US13/044,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20120233349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 709/234, 370/230
• US Class Current: 709/234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6295 using multiple queues, one for each individual QoS, connection, flow or priority

Abstract

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a forwarding module that is configured to receive a group of first data packets. The forwarding module is configured to modify a data flow value in response to receiving each first data packet. The forwarding module is also configured to store each first data packet in a first output queue based on the data flow value not crossing a data flow threshold after being modified. Furthermore, the forwarding module is configured to receive a second data packet. The forwarding module is configured to modify the data flow value in response to receiving the second data packet, such that the data flow value crosses the data flow threshold. The forwarding module is configured to store the second data packet in a second output queue based on the data flow value having crossed the data flow threshold.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to execute a forwarding module; and

the forwarding module configured to receive a plurality of first data packets having a common source identifier and a common destination identifier, the forwarding module configured to modify a data flow value counter in response to receiving each first data packet from the plurality of first data packets, the forwarding module configured to modify a value of the data flow value counter each time the forwarding module receives a data packet having the common source identifier and the common destination identifier, the forwarding module configured to store each first data packet from the plurality of first data packets in a first output queue based on the value of the data flow value counter not crossing a data flow threshold in response to the data flow value counter being modified by the forwarding module,

the forwarding module configured to receive a second data packet having the common source identifier and the common destination identifier after receiving the plurality of first data packets, the forwarding module configured to modify a data flow value counter in response to receiving the second data packet such that the value of the data flow value counter crosses the data flow threshold, the forwarding module configured to store the second data packet in a second output queue based on the value of the data flow value counter having crossed the data flow threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first output queue is a high priority output queue and the second output queue is a low priority output queue.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data flow value counter is a data packet counter, the data packet counter configured to be incremented each time the forwarding module receives a data packet having the common source identifier and the common destination identifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data flow value counter is a data packet size counter, the data packet size counter configured to be incremented by an amount associated with a size of a data packet having the common source identifier and the common destination identifier when the forwarding module receives that data packet.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data flow value counter is a moving average bandwidth counter, the moving average bandwidth counter configured to be modified based on a size of a data packet having the common source identifier and the common destination identifier and an amount of time between receiving that data packet and receiving a previous most recent data packet having the common source identifier and the common destination identifier.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the forwarding module is configured to modify the data flow value counter by one of increasing or decreasing the data flow value each time a data packet having the common source identifier and the common destination identifier is received, the forwarding module configured to periodically modify the data flow value counter by the other of increasing or decreasing the data flow counter value.

7. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

calculate a data flow identifier associated with a first data packet based at least in part on one of a source identifier of the first data packet or a destination identifier of the first data packet;

compare a data flow counter value associated with the data flow identifier with a data flow threshold;

send, at a time and in response to comparing the data flow counter value with the data flow threshold, a transition signal such that a forwarding module stores, after the time, the first data packet in a first output queue based on the data flow identifier, the forwarding module configured to store, prior to the time, a second data packet in a second output queue based on the data flow identifier; and

modify the data flow counter value in response to comparing the data flow counter value.

8. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the code representing instructions to cause the processor to calculate the data flow identifier includes code representing instructions to cause the processor to calculate the data flow identifier using at least one of the source identifier or the destination identifier as an input to a hash function.

9. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first output queue is a low priority output queue and the second output queue is a high priority output queue.

10. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the data flow counter value is a data packet counter value, the code representing instructions to cause the processor to modify the data flow counter value includes code representing instructions to cause the processor to increment the data packet counter value in response to comparing the data flow counter value.

11. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the data flow counter value is a data packet size counter value, the code representing instructions to cause the processor to modify the data flow counter value includes code representing instructions to cause the processor to increment the data packet size counter value by an amount associated with a size of the first data packet.

12. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the data flow counter value is a moving average bandwidth counter value, the code representing instructions to cause the processor to modify the data flow counter value includes code representing instructions to cause the processor to modify the moving average bandwidth counter value based on a size of the first data packet and an amount of time between receiving the first data packet and receiving a previous most recent data packet having the source identifier and the destination identifier.

13. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the code representing instructions to cause the processor to modify the data flow counter value includes code representing instructions to modify the data flow counter value by one of increasing or decreasing the data flow counter value in response to comparing the data flow counter value, the non-transitory processor-readable medium further comprising code representing instructions to cause the processor to:

periodically modify the data flow counter value by the other of increasing or decreasing the data flow counter value.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to execute a forwarding module and a flow module;

the forwarding module configured to store a first data packet from a plurality of data packets in a first output queue when the forwarding module is in a first configuration, each data packet from the plurality of data packets having a common source identifier and a common destination identifier of the remaining data packets from the plurality of data packets, the forwarding module configured to store a second data packet from the plurality of data packets in a second output queue when the forwarding module is in a second configuration; and

the flow module configured to store a data flow counter value indicating a characteristic of the plurality of data packets, the flow module configured to modify the data flow counter value each time a data packet from the plurality of data packets is received, the flow module configured to send a transition signal when the data flow counter value crosses a data flow threshold, the forwarding module configured to change from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to receiving the transition signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first output queue is a high priority output queue and the second output queue is a low priority output queue.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the data flow counter value is a data packet counter value, the flow module configured to increment the data packet counter value each time the forwarding module receives a data packet from the plurality of data packets.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the data flow counter value is a data packet size counter value, the flow module configured to increment the data packet size counter value by an amount associated with a size of a data packet from the plurality of data packets when the forwarding module receives that data packet.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the data flow counter value is a moving average bandwidth counter value, the flow module configured to modify the moving average bandwidth counter value based on a size of a data packet from the plurality of data packets and an amount of time between receiving that data packet and receiving a previous most recent data packet from the plurality of data packets.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the flow control module is configured to send the transition signal when the data flow counter value crosses the data flow threshold and the forwarding module is in the first configuration, the flow control module configured to not send the transition signal when the data flow counter value crosses the data flow threshold and the forwarding module is in the second configuration.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the flow module is configured to modify the data flow counter value by one of increasing or decreasing the data flow counter value each time a data packet from the plurality of data packets is received, the flow module configured to periodically modify the data flow counter value by the other of increasing or decreasing the data flow counter value.