Apparatus and method for controlling congestion in a communication network

• US 9,319,334 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsuike, Mitsumasa, Rikitake, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Charles C
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, WILL W
• Application Number:
  US13/850,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20130315065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/235, 370/292, 370/363, 370/389, 370/395
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/26 using explicit feedback to the source, e.g. choke packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/33 using forward notification

Abstract

An apparatus controls congestion in a communication network. The apparatus includes a plurality of ports configured to transmit and receive frames. The apparatus stores a traffic volume of each of the plurality of ports. The apparatus detects congestion in the communication network, based on frames that are received via the plurality of ports. Then, the apparatus determines one or more ports that receive frames causing the detected congestion, based on the traffic volumes of the plurality of ports.

Claims

1. A method for controlling congestion in a communication network, the method being performed by a node in the communication network, the method comprising:

providing a table that associates each of a plurality of ports provided for the node with at least one address assigned to at least one of a plurality of transmission source devices that are coupled to the node via the communication network;

detecting first congestion in the communication network, based on frames that are received via the plurality of ports and stored in a frame buffer provided for the node;

determining one or more first ports that receive frames causing the detected first congestion, based on a current traffic volume of each of the plurality of ports;

determining, regardless of source addresses included in the received frames, a first transmission source device whose address is associated with the each first port in the table as a transmission source device causing the detected first congestion;

setting a first address assigned to the first transmission source device as a destination address of a congestion notification message for giving notice of the detected first congestion; and

transmitting, via each of the determined one or more first ports, the congestion notification message whose destination address is the first address, to the first transmission source device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

selecting a VLAN causing the detected first congestion from among VLANs assigned to the plurality of ports, based on reception rates of the VLANs.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via one of the plurality of ports, a congestion notification message for giving notice of second congestion in the communication network; and

rewriting a destination of the received congestion notification message to an address associated with the determined one or more first ports.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining one or more second ports from which a congestion notification message for giving notice of the detected first congestion is to be transmitted, based on types of frames received via the plurality of ports and reception rates of the plurality of ports.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising

stopping transmission of the congestion notification message from the determined one or more second ports.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein

the types of frames include a fiber channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frame and a FCoE initialization protocol (FIP) frame.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein

the traffic volume is determined based on a reception rate obtained by counting a number of data units that are received per unit time via each of the plurality of ports.

7. An apparatus for controlling congestion in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of ports configured to transmit and receive frames;

a memory configured;

to include a frame buffer for storing frames,

to include a table that associates each of the plurality of ports with at least one address assigned to at least one of a plurality of transmission source devices that are coupled to the apparatus via the communication network, and

to store a traffic volume of each of the plurality of ports; and

a processor configured;

to detect first congestion in the communication network, based on frames that are received via the plurality of ports and stored in the frame buffer,

to determine one or more first ports that receive frames causing the detected first congestion, based on current traffic volumes of the plurality of ports,

to determine, regardless of source addresses included in the received frames, a first transmission source device whose address is associated with the each first port in the table as a transmission source device causing the detected first congestion,

to set a first address assigned to the first transmission source device as a destination address of a congestion notification message for giving notice of the detected first congestion, and

to transmit, via each of the determined one or more first ports, a congestion notification message whose destination address is the first address, to the first transmission source device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein

the processor selects a VLAN causing the detected first congestion from among VLANs assigned to the plurality of ports, based on reception rates of the VLANs.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein

the processor receives, via one of the plurality of ports, a congestion notification message for giving notice of second congestion in the communication network;

and

the processor rewrites a destination of the received congestion notification message to an address associated with the one or more first ports.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein

the processor determines one or more second ports from which a congestion notification message for giving notice of the detected first congestion is to be transmitted, based on types of frames received via the plurality of ports and reception rates of the plurality of ports.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein

transmission of the congestion notification message from the determined one or more second ports is stopped.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the types of frames include a fiber channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frame and a FCoE initialization protocol (FIP) frame.

13. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having stored therein a program causing a computer to execute a control process for controlling congestion in a communication network, the control process comprising:

providing a table that associates each of a plurality of ports provided for the node with at least one address assigned to at least one of a plurality of transmission source devices that are coupled to the node via the communication network;

detecting first congestion in the communication network, based on frames that are received via the plurality of ports and stored in a frame buffer provided for the computer;

determining one or more first ports that receive frames causing the detected first congestion, based on a current traffic volume of each of the plurality of ports;

determining, regardless of source addresses included in the received frames, a first transmission source device whose address is associated with the each first port in the table as a transmission source device causing the detected first congestion;

setting a first address assigned to the first transmission source device as a destination address of a congestion notification message for giving notice of the detected first congestion; and

transmitting, via each of the determined one or more first ports, a congestion notification message whose destination address is the first address, to the first transmission source device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 13, wherein the control process further comprises

selecting a VLAN causing the detected first congestion from among VLANs assigned to the plurality of ports, based on reception rates of the VLANs.

15. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 13, wherein the control process further comprises:

receiving, via one of the plurality of ports, a congestion notification message for giving notice of second congestion in the communication network; and

rewriting a destination of the received congestion notification message to an address associated with the one or more first ports.

16. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 13, wherein the control process further comprises

determining one or more second ports from which a congestion notification message for giving notice of the detected first congestion is to be transmitted, based on types of frames received via the plurality of ports and reception rates of the plurality of ports.

17. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 16, wherein the control process further comprises

stopping transmission of the congestion notification message from the determined one or more second ports.

18. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 17, wherein

the types of frames include a fiber channel over Ethernet (FCoE) frame and a FCoE initialization protocol (FIP) frame.