Communication path selection

• US 9,185,033 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khalid, Mohamed, Akhter, Aamer Saeed, Durazzo, Kenneth Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Khajuria, Shripal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhury, Faisal
• Application Number:
  US14/335,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20140328341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/121 by minimising delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/70 Routing based on monitoring results
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a method for selecting a communication path is provided. The method may comprise receiving data encapsulated in a transport protocol. In addition, a classification type and exit path information associated with the classification type may be received. The data is associated with the classification type and then is encapsulated in Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) based on the exit path information. This exit path information is associated with the classification type that is associated with the data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a plurality of packets of data encapsulated according to a transport protocol, via a communication path, each packet of data being associated with a transmission sequence number;

storing in a first data structure in memory, for each transmitted packet, the transmission sequence number and an identifier associated with the communication path;

receiving a selective acknowledgement from an endpoint, the selective acknowledgement identifying a gap in a sequence of transmission sequence numbers corresponding to the transmitted plurality of packets, wherein a first transmission sequence number is associated with the gap;

retrieving the identifier associated with the first transmission sequence number from the first data structure;

determining that packet loss has occurred in the communication path associated with the first transmission sequence number and identifying the communication path in which packet loss has occurred, based on the retrieved identifier;

sending information associated with the identified communication path in which packet loss has occurred to an edge routing module, the information being used by the edge routing module to determine a classification type and exit path information based upon one or more of load distribution policy, path availability, or overall network performance; and

receiving from the edge routing module, the classification type and the exit path information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a number, an alphanumeric string, or other identifier that identifies a particular communication path among a plurality of communication paths.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second plurality of packets of second data encapsulated according to a transport protocol, via a communication path;

identifying a classification type of the second data;

matching the classification type of the second data with one of a plurality of classification types in a second data structure, wherein one or more of the classification types are determined by the edge routing module;

determining exit path information associated with the matched classification type;

encapsulating the second data in a transport protocol, based upon the exit path information; and

transmitting the encapsulated second data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the exit path information is a network layer address, and wherein encapsulating the second data comprises:

inserting the network layer address in a header of a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) packet; and

encapsulating the second data in an SCTP data chunk, the SCTP data chunk being associated with the SCTP packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification type and the exit path information are defined based at least in part on a latency.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining the latency, the determination of the latency comprising:

transmitting an SCTP heartbeat request, the SCTP heartbeat request including a time stamp;

receiving an SCTP heartbeat acknowledgement, the SCTP heartbeat acknowledgement including the time stamp; and

subtracting the time stamp from a current time to define a difference, the difference being the latency.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface unit to transmit and receive data over a network; and

a processor coupled to the network interface unit to;

transmit, via the network interface unit, a plurality of packets of data encapsulated according to a transport protocol, via a communication path, each packet of data being associated with a transmission sequence number;

store in a first data structure in memory, for each transmitted packet, the transmission sequence number and an identifier associated with the communication path;

receive, via the network interface unit, a selective acknowledgement from an endpoint, the selective acknowledgement identifying a gap in a sequence of transmission sequence numbers corresponding to the transmitted plurality of packets, wherein a first transmission sequence number is associated with the gap;

retrieve the identifier associated with the first transmission sequence number from the first data structure;

determine that packet loss has occurred in the communication path associated with the first transmission sequence number and identify the communication path in which packet loss has occurred, based on the retrieved identifier;

send information associated with the identified communication path in which packet loss has occurred to an edge routing module, the information being used by the edge routing module to determine a classification type and exit path information based upon one or more of load distribution policy, path availability, or overall network performance; and

receive from the edge routing module, the classification type and the exit path information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the identifier is a number, an alphanumeric string, or other identifier that identifies a particular communication path among a plurality of communication paths.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, via the network interface unit, a second plurality of packets of second data encapsulated according to a transport protocol, via a communication path;

identify a classification type of the second data;

match the classification type of the second data with one of a plurality of classification types in a second data structure stored in memory, wherein one or more of the classification types are determined by the edge routing module;

determine exit path information associated with the matched classification type;

encapsulate the second data in a transport protocol, based upon the exit path information; and

transmit, via the network interface unit, the encapsulated second data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

insert the exit path information, which is a network layer address, in a header of a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) packet; and

encapsulate the second data in an SCTP data chunk, the SCTP data chunk being associated with the SCTP packet.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the classification type and the exit path information are defined based at least in part on a latency.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit an SCTP heartbeat request, the SCTP heartbeat request including a time stamp;

receive an SCTP heartbeat acknowledgement, the SCTP heartbeat acknowledgement including the time stamp; and

subtract the time stamp from a current time to define a difference, the difference being the latency.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

transmit, via a network interface unit, a plurality of packets of data encapsulated according to a transport protocol, via a communication path, each packet of data being associated with a transmission sequence number;

store in a first data structure in memory, for each transmitted packet, the transmission sequence number and an identifier associated with the communication path;

receive, via the network interface unit, a selective acknowledgement from an endpoint, the selective acknowledgement identifying a gap in a sequence of transmission sequence numbers corresponding to the transmitted plurality of packets, wherein a first transmission sequence number is associated with the gap;

retrieve the identifier associated with the first transmission sequence number from the first data structure;

determine that packet loss has occurred in the communication path associated with the first transmission sequence number and identify the communication path in which packet loss has occurred, based on the retrieved identifier;

send information associated with the identified communication path in which packet loss has occurred to an edge routing module, the information being used by the edge routing module to determine a classification type and exit path information based upon one or more of load distribution policy, path availability, or overall network performance; and

receive from the edge routing module, the classification type and the exit path information.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the identifier is a number, an alphanumeric string, or other identifier that identifies a particular communication path among a plurality of communication paths.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 13, further comprising instructions operable to:

receive, via the network interface unit, a second plurality of packets of second data encapsulated according to a transport protocol, via a communication path;

identify a classification type of the second data;

match the classification type of the second data with one of a plurality of classification types in a second data structure, wherein one or more of the classification types are determined by the edge routing module;

determine exit path information associated with the matched classification type;

encapsulate the second data in a transport protocol, based upon the exit path information; and

transmit, via the network interface unit, the encapsulated second data.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 15, further comprising instructions operable to:

insert the network layer address in a header of a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) packet; and

encapsulate the second data in an SCTP data chunk, the SCTP data chunk being associated with the SCTP packet.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the classification type and the exit path information are defined based at least in part on a latency.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 17, further comprising instructions operable to:

transmit an SCTP heartbeat request, the SCTP heartbeat request including a time stamp;

receive an SCTP heartbeat acknowledgement, the SCTP heartbeat acknowledgement including the time stamp; and

subtract the time stamp from a current time to define a difference, the difference being the latency.