Systems and methods optimizing backhaul transport

• US 9,203,761 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Taqua Wbh, LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arad, Seyed Mohammad Ali, Hoadley, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Camquyen
• Application Number:
  US13/712,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20140160939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/456.5, 455/509, 455/557, 455/561, 455/453, 370/236, 370/331, 370/231, 370/235, 370/329
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• 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: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]

Abstract

Systems and methods optimizing backhaul transport with respect to communication systems through the use of a heterogeneous backhaul link configuration and corresponding implementation of backhaul link path selection control to provide traffic offloading for traffic congestion mitigation are disclosed. Heterogeneous backhaul link configurations may include one or more backhaul links implementing a plurality of data paths providing different capabilities, such as may comprise a high reliability path and an unpredictable reliability path. Backhaul link path selection control of embodiments implements logic for determining when data is to be carried via one or more of the backhaul link paths.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating a plurality of data flows over a high reliability path of a heterogeneous backhaul link, wherein the heterogeneous backhaul link comprises the high reliability path and an unpredictable reliability path, wherein the heterogeneous backhaul link is provided by a point-to-multipoint backhaul transport configuration, the point-to-multipoint backhaul transport configuration including the heterogeneous backhaul link providing a multiple path backhaul link and at least one other backhaul link having a high reliability path sharing a resource with the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link, and wherein the plurality of data flows include one or more high priority data flow and one or more low priority data flow;

detecting congestion with respect to communication over the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link;

determining a backhaul link associated with the congestion;

analyzing quality of the unpredictable reliability path; and

offloading of one or more data flow based at least in part on the backhaul link associated with the congestion, the quality of the unpredictable reliability path, and priority of the one or more data flow, wherein the offloading is controlled such that at least a portion of the one or more low priority data flow carried by the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link is offloaded from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path and at least a portion of the one or more high priority data flow continue to be communicated via the high reliability path after the offloading when the at least one other backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion and the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is high.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring communication over the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link after the offloading; and

rerouting at least a portion of the offloaded one or more data flow from the unpredictable reliability path to the high reliability path when the monitoring indicates adequate capacity in the high reliability path for the at least a portion of the offloaded one or more data flow.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein high priority data flows are offloaded from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path when the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is high.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein only low priority data flows of the communication are offloaded from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path when the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is low.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other backhaul link comprises a single path backhaul link.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other backhaul link comprise a multiple path backhaul link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more low priority data flow carried by the at least one other backhaul link are dropped when the at least one other backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more data flow carried by the at least one other backhaul link are dropped when the at least one other backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion and the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is low.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more low priority data flow carried by the multiple path backhaul link is offloaded from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path when the multiple path backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein one or more high priority data flow carried by the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link is offloaded from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path when the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion and the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is high.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein priority of the data flows is determined at least in part from quality of service requirements for the data flows.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein priority of the data flows is determined at least in part from a source or destination of the data flows.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein priority of the data flows is determined at least in part from applications associated with the data flows.

14. A system comprising:

a first backhaul node having circuitry operable to establish a heterogeneous backhaul link comprising a high reliability path and an unpredictable reliability path; and

a second backhaul node having circuitry operable to establish the heterogeneous backhaul link, wherein the first and second backhaul nodes are nodes of a point-to-multipoint backhaul transport configuration, the point-to-multipoint backhaul transport configuration including the heterogeneous backhaul link providing a multiple path backhaul link and at least one other backhaul link having a high reliability path sharing a resource with the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link, and wherein at least one of the first and second backhaul node includes path selection logic operable to;

detect congestion with respect to communication over the high reliability path;

determine a backhaul link associated with the congestion;

analyze quality of the unpredictable reliability path; and

control offloading of one or more data flow based at least in part on the backhaul link associated with the congestion, the quality of the unpredictable reliability path, and priority of the one or more data flow,

wherein a plurality of data flows are communicated over the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link, the plurality of data flows including one or more high priority data flow and one or more low priority data flow,

wherein the path selection logic is operable to control the offloading of the one or more data flow such that the offloaded one or more data flow include at least a portion of the one or more low priority data flow carried by the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link when the at least one other backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion and quality of the unpredictable reliability path is high, and wherein at least a portion of the one or more high priority data flow continue to be communicated via the high reliability path after the offloading.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the path selection logic is operable to offload high priority data flows from the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link to the unpredictable reliability path when the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is high.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the path selection logic is operable to control one or more low priority data flow carried by the at least one other backhaul link being dropped when the at least one other backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the path selection logic is operable to:

control the offloading to cause one or more data flow carried by the at least one other backhaul link to be dropped when the at least one other backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion and the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is low.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the path selection logic is operable to control the offloading of the one or more data flow from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path to cause one or more high priority data flow carried by the multiple path backhaul link to be offloaded from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path when the multiple path backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion and the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is high.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

communicating a plurality of data flows over at least one path of a heterogeneous backhaul link, wherein the heterogeneous backhaul link is provided by a point-to-multipoint backhaul transport configuration, the point-to-multipoint backhaul transport configuration including the heterogeneous backhaul link providing a multiple path backhaul link and at least one other backhaul link having a high reliability path sharing a resource with the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link, wherein the heterogeneous backhaul link comprises a high reliability path and an unpredictable reliability path, and wherein the plurality of data flows include one or more high priority flow and one or more low priority data flow;

detecting congestion with respect to communication over the high reliability path;

determining a backhaul link associated with the congestion;

analyzing quality of the unpredictable reliability path; and

offloading one or more data flow based at least in part upon the backhaul link associated with the congestion, priority of the one or more data flow, and the quality of the unpredictable reliability path, wherein the offloading is controlled such that one or more low priority data flow carried by the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link is offloaded from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path when the at least one other backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion and the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is high and at least a portion of the one or more high priority data flow continue to be communicated via the high reliability path.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations include:

monitoring communication over the high reliability path of the heterogeneous backhaul link after the offloading; and

rerouting at least a portion of the offloaded one or more data flow from the unpredictable reliability path to the high reliability path when the monitoring indicates adequate capacity in the high reliability path for the at least a portion of the offloaded one or more data flow.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein high priority data flows are offloaded from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path when the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is high.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein only the low priority data flows are offloaded from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path when the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is low.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein one or more low priority data flow carried by the at least one other backhaul link are dropped when the at least one other backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein one or more data flow carried by the at least one other backhaul link are dropped when the at least one other backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion and the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is low.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein one or more low priority data flow carried by the multiple path backhaul link is offloaded from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path when the multiple path backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19,

wherein the operations include offloading one or more high priority data flow carried by the multiple path backhaul link from the high reliability path to the unpredictable reliability path when the multiple path backhaul link is determined to be associated with the congestion and the quality of the unpredictable reliability path is high.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein priority of the data flows is determined at least in part from quality of service requirements for the data flows.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein priority of the data flows is determined at least in part from a source or destination of the data flows.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein priority of the data flows is determined at least in part from applications associated with the data flows.