Flow based packet manipulation congestion control

• US 9,402,200 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Skarve, Martin, Lundin, Erik Geijer
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US14/356,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20140307547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,701 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/31 by tagging of packets, e.g. using discard eligibility [DE] bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0247 based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network central resource management H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0252 per individual bearer or channel dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0273 adapting protocols for flow control or congestion control to wireless environment, e.g. adapting transmission control protocol [TCP] wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation, e.g. wireless application protocol H04W80/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a Radio Network Controller, RNC, a base station, and to methods therein. By extracting information from one or more flows of Protocol Data Units, PDUs, which information is accessible on a certain protocol layer only, congestion control is enabled and performed on another protocol layer based on said information.

The present disclosure avoids that inappropriate PDUs are discarded, which else would inappropriately affect the user performance.

Claims

1. A method in a first network node of a communication network, for marking of Protocol Data Units, PDUs on a first protocol layer, the method comprising:

receiving PDUs of two or more flows on a second protocol layer;

encapsulating the PDUs of the second protocol layer to form PDUs of the first protocol layer;

extracting information about said two or more flows and storing said information being extracted;

marking PDUs on the first protocol layer, where said first protocol layer PDUs being marked correspond to second protocol layer PDUs that are appropriate for manipulation and that are from at least one of said two or more flows of second protocol layer PDUs, based on said stored information; and

sending PDUs on the first protocol layer that is a lower protocol layer than said second protocol layer.

2. The method in a first network node according to claim 1, wherein the information about said flow, in the extracting information comprises at least one of:

a protocol or application type of the flow, a source IP address, a destination IP address, a source port and a destination port, which all are at least associated with the flow.

3. The method in a first network node according to claim 1, wherein the stored information on which the marking of the first protocol layer PDUs is based, comprises at least one of:

timing information, packet size information and number of packets, of received second protocol layer PDUs of said flow.

4. The method in a first network node according to claim 1, further comprising identifying second protocol layer PDUs that are appropriate for manipulation based on the stored information, and wherein the marking of PDUs on the first protocol layer comprises marking of first protocol layer PDUs that correspond to the identified second protocol layer PDUs.

5. The method in a first network node according to claim 1, wherein the marking of first protocol layer PDUs comprises marking of first protocol layer PDUs, corresponding to second protocol layer PDUs that are appropriate for manipulation, based on a degree of priority of said second protocol layer PDUs, based on said stored information.

6. The method in a first network node according to claim 1, wherein the second protocol layer comprises any of:

Internet Protocol, IP, Transmission Control Protocol, TCP, User Datagram Protocol, UDP, Real-Time Control Protocol, RTCP, Datagram Congestion Control Protocol, DCCP, Stream Control Transmission Protocol, SCTP, Resource reservation Protocol, RSVP, and Explicit Congestion Notification, ECN.

7. The method in a first network node according to claim 1, wherein the first protocol layer comprises Radio Link Control, RLC, layer or Medium Access Control-d, MAC-d, layer.

8. The method in a first network node according to claim 1, where the first protocol layer PDUs being marked, corresponding to second protocol layer PDUs that are appropriate for manipulation, comprises the second protocol layer PDUs that are appropriate for manipulation, as a payload.

9. A first network node for marking of PDUs on a first protocol layer, the network node comprising:

a first interface configured to receive PDUs of two or more flows on a second protocol layer;

a processor configured to encapsulate the PDUs of the second protocol layer to form PDUs of the first protocol layer and to extract information about said two or more flows and to store information being extracted in a database;

a marking unit configured to mark first protocol layer PDUs that correspond to second protocol layer PDUs that are appropriate for manipulation and that are from at least one of said two or more flows of second protocol layer PDUs, based on information stored in the database; and

a second interface configured to send PDUs on the first protocol layer that is lower protocol layer than said second protocol layer.

10. The first network node according to claim 9, wherein the processor further is configured to extract information comprising at least one of:

a protocol or application type of the flow, a source IP address, a destination IP address, a source port and a destination port, which all are at least associated with the flow.

11. The first network node according to claim 9, wherein the processor further is configured to identify second protocol layer PDUs that are appropriate for manipulation based on the information stored in the database, and where the marking unit is configured to mark first protocol layer PDUs that correspond to the identified second protocol layer PDUs.

12. A method for manipulating PDUs on a first protocol layer in a second network node of a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving from a first network node PDUs on a first protocol layer that encapsulate PDUs on a second protocol layer, wherein said first protocol layer PDUs comprise marked first protocol layer PDUs that correspond to second protocol layer PDUs that are appropriate for manipulation and that are from at least one of two or more flows of second protocol layer PDUs;

detecting a condition at least indicative of congestion in the communication network,

selecting one or more marked PDUs on the first protocol layer, based on the detected condition; and

manipulating said selected PDUs.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising scheduling PDUs comprising manipulated PDUs, for sending said scheduled PDUs over a radio link.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the selecting one or more marked first protocol layer PDUs comprises selecting one or more marked first protocol layer PDUs being marked according to a degree of priority of said second protocol layer PDUs, for prioritized manipulation.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the manipulating said selected first protocol layer PDUs comprises corrupting payload of said selected first protocol layer PDUs or dropping said selected first protocol layer PDUs.

16. A second network node for manipulating PDUs, the second network node comprising:

an interface configured to receive PDUs on a first protocol layer that encapsulate PDUs on a second protocol layer, wherein the first protocol layer PDUs comprise marked first protocol layer PDUs that correspond to second protocol layer PDUs that are appropriate for manipulation and that are from at least one of two or more flows of second protocol layer PDUs;

a processor configured to detect a condition at least indicative of congestion, to select one or more marked first protocol layer PDUs in response to the detected condition at least indicative of congestion; and

to manipulate said selected one or more marked first protocol layer PDUs.

17. The second network node according to claim 16, further comprising a scheduler configured to schedule first protocol layer PDUs comprising manipulated first protocol layer PDUs, for sending said scheduled first protocol layer PDUs over a radio link.