Systems and methods for distributed data routing in a wireless network

• US 9,088,929 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telsima Corp. (Aviat Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Telsima Corp. (Aviat Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Beser, Nurettin Burcak
• Primary Examiner(s): Kao, Jutai
• Application Number:
  US13/249,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20120224474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/04 based on wireless node resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Various systems and methods described herein relate to distributed data routing over a wireless network. An exemplary method comprises receiving routing data by a routing element of a point to point wireless network, the routing data comprising routing criteria and a plurality of path identifiers which identify a plurality of paths through the wireless network, storing the routing data by the routing element, receiving a packet of data, determining a destination node of the packet of data, the destination node being identified using the routing data as accessible by two or more paths of the plurality of paths, determining, based on the routing criteria of the routing data, at least one path of the plurality of paths to transmit the packet of data to reach the destination node, and transmitting the packet of data to a first node of the determined at least one path of the wireless network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving routing information by a routing element of a point to point wireless network, the routing information comprising a plurality of Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifiers which identify a plurality of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) through the point to point wireless network and a set of rules for determining a preferred path through the point to point wireless network;

receiving a packet of data;

identifying a destination node for the packet of data;

identifying a first VLAN and a second VLAN of the plurality of VLANs that the routing element may use to route the packet of data to the destination node;

receiving a first performance value characterizing performance of the first VLAN at a first time;

applying, according to at least one rule of the set of rules, a weight to the first performance value based on an elapsed time between the first time and a time at which the packet of data is received, yielding a first weighted performance value;

selecting, based on the first weighted performance value, the first VLAN or the second VLAN as a preferred path to transmit the packet of data to reach the destination node; and

transmitting, based on the selection, the packet of data to the destination node via the preferred path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of rules comprises a rule to select the second VLAN as the preferred path if the first VLAN is determined to be not functional.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of rules comprises a rule to select the second VLAN as the preferred path if the first VLAN is determined to be congested.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining, by the routing element, congestion of the first VLAN by tracking network traffic transmitted from the routing element to one or more nodes of the first VLAN.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of rules comprises a rule to transmit the packet of data over the second VLAN when congestion of the first VLAN exceeds a predetermined limit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first performance value characterizes a capacity of the destination node associated with the first VLAN.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the set of rules comprises a rule to select the second VLAN as the preferred path upon a determination that an amount of traffic transmitted via the first VLAN meets or exceeds a predetermined percentage of the capacity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting is further based on a time of day when the first VLAN may be congested.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first VLAN is selected as the preferred path to transmit the packet of data when the first weighted performance value is greater than a second performance value associated with the second VLAN.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the point to point wireless network comprises a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the point to point wireless network comprises a microwave network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the point to point wireless network comprises a backhaul for a cellular communication network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the point to point wireless network comprises a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) network.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the routing information by the routing element.

15. A routing element comprising:

a network interface configured to;

receive routing information of a point to point wireless network, the routing information comprising a plurality of Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifiers which identify a plurality of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) through the point to point wireless network and a set of rules for determining a preferred path through the point to point wireless network, and

receive a packet of data;

a data module configured to;

identify a destination node for the packet of data,

identify a first VLAN and a second VLAN of the plurality of VLANs that the routing element may use to route the packet of data to the destination node, and

receive a first performance value characterizing performance of the first VLAN at a first time; and

a routing module configured to;

apply, according to at least one rule of the set of rules, a weight to the first performance value based on an elapsed time between the first time and a time at which the packet of data is received, yielding a first weighted performance value, and

select, based on the first weighted performance value, the first VLAN or the second VLAN as a preferred path to transmit the packet of data to reach the destination node; and

a transmission module configured to transmit, based on the selection, the packet of data to the destination node via the preferred path.

16. The routing element of claim 15, wherein the set of rules comprises a rule to select the second VLAN as the preferred path if the first VLAN is determined to be not functional.

17. The routing element of claim 15, wherein the set of rules comprises a rule to select the second VLAN as the preferred path if the first VLAN is determined to be congested.

18. The routing element of claim 17, further comprising a congestion module configured to determine congestion of the first VLAN by tracking network traffic transmitted from the routing element to one or more nodes of the first VLAN.

19. The routing element of claim 18, wherein the set of rules comprises a rule to select the second VLAN as the preferred path when congestion of the first VLAN exceeds a predetermined limit.

20. The routing element of claim 15, wherein the first performance value characterizes a capacity of the destination node associated with the first VLAN.

21. The routing element of claim 20, wherein the routing module selects the second VLAN as the preferred path when an amount of traffic transmitted via the first VLAN meets or exceeds a predetermined percentage of the capacity.

22. The routing element of claim 15, wherein the routing module selects the first VLAN or the second VLAN as the preferred path further based on a time of day when the first VLAN may be congested.

23. The routing element of claim 15, wherein the first VLAN is selected as the preferred path to transmit the packet of data when the first weighted performance value of the first VLAN is greater than a second performance value associated with the second VLAN.

24. The routing element of claim 15, wherein the point to point wireless network comprises a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network.

25. The routing element of claim 15, wherein the point to point wireless network comprises a microwave network.

26. The routing element of claim 15, wherein the point to point wireless network comprises a backhaul for a cellular communication network.

27. The routing element of claim 15, wherein the point to point wireless network comprises a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) network.

28. The routing element of claim 15, further comprising storage configured to store the routing data.

29. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving routing information by a routing element of a point to point wireless network, the routing information comprising a plurality of Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifiers which identify a plurality of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) through the point to point wireless network and a set of rules for determining a preferred path through the point to point wireless network;

receiving a packet of data;

identifying a destination node for the packet of data;

identifying a first VLAN and a second VLAN of the plurality of VLANs that the routing element may use to route the packet of data to the destination node;

receiving a first performance value characterizing performance of the first VLAN at a first time;

applying, according to at least one rule of the set of rules, a weight to the first performance value based on an elapsed time between the first time and a time at which the packet of data is received, yielding a first weighted performance value;

selecting, based on the first weighted performance value, the first VLAN or the second VLAN as a preferred path to transmit the packet of data to reach the destination node; and

transmitting, based on the selection, the packet of data to the destination node via the preferred path.