Systems and methods for selection of a best server for real-time packet transmission

• US 9,986,049 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agora Lab, Inc. (Agora, Inc. (China))
• Original Assignee: Agora Lab, Inc. (Agora, Inc. (China))
• Inventors: Zhao, Bin, Li, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatti, Hashim
• Application Number:
  US15/052,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20160254996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0835 One way packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/55 Testing of service level quality, e.g. simulating service usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/123 Evaluation of link metrics techniques for monitoring network metrics H04L43/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/722 at the destination endpoint, e.g. reservation of terminal resources or buffer space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2236 Quality of speech transmission monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0084 Network monitoring; Error detection; Error recovery; Network testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1285 Details of finding and selecting a gateway for a particular call

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for best server selection for real-time data transmission are provided. The systems and methods include an access controller, and an application which receives information of a selection of several best servers with which to transmit real-time packets to. The application sends a request to the access controller for server information before call initiation. The access controller identifies servers with the same ISP, and then selects a regional server within this group of same ISP servers. Subsequently the geo optimizer identifies servers closest to the application from among the regional servers. The respective loads of each of the closest servers are analyzed to select only servers that are likely to provide satisfactory quality of service. A monitor within the central IDC is able to measure load conditions of each server and provide this load information to the access controller.

Claims

1. A computerized general optimization system for routing data transmission in a call over a network to reduce latencies comprising:

at least one central Internet Data Center (IDC) including an access controller for determining an internet service provider (ISP) for a device based upon an internet provider (IP) address of the device being employed by a user, identifying a first subset of servers that have the same ISP as the user, identifying geographic location of the device, selecting a second subset of servers from the first subset of servers that are geographically close to the device, and selecting a subset of several best servers from the second subset of servers based upon relative traffic load of all the servers within the second subset of servers; and

an application stored in memory and executed using a processor of the device configured to receive the selection of several best servers from the access controller, individually test each of the several best servers by measuring latency, jitter and packet loss for a test data transmission, and select a single best server that has the lowest latency, jitter and packet loss, wherein the several best servers are identified just prior to the call over the network;

transmitting the call to the selected single best server.

2. The general optimization system of claim 1, wherein the access controller includes a regional optimizer, a geo optimizer and a load leveler.

3. The general optimization system of claim 2, wherein the device sends a request to the access controller for server information before call initiation.

4. The general optimization system of claim 3, wherein the access controller determines the ISP of the device via a single lookup of the request IP address against a lookup table.

5. The general optimization system of claim 4, wherein the regional optimizer identifies servers from the servers with the same ISP that are in the same region as the device.

6. The general optimization system of claim 5, wherein the geo optimizer identifies servers closest to the device from among the regional servers based upon governmental boundaries.

7. The general optimization system of claim 6, wherein the respective data traffic loads of each of the closest servers is analyzed to select only servers that are likely to provide satisfactory quality of service based on the current load on the server being able to provide a latency of 400 ms and a packet loss of less than 2%.

8. The general optimization system of claim 7, further comprising a monitor within the at least one central IDC configured to measure load conditions of each server and provide this load information to the access controller.

9. A computerized general optimization method for routing data transmission in a call over a network to reduce latencies comprising:

requesting, by a device, a general optimization, wherein the request includes an internet provider (IP) address of the device being employed by a user;

determining, by an access controller, an internet service provider (ISP) for the device based upon the IP address;

identifying, by the access controller, a first subset of servers that have the same ISP as the device;

identifying, by the access controller, a geographic location of the device;

selecting, by the access controller, a second subset of servers from the first subset of servers that are geographically close to the device;

selecting, by the access controller, a subset of several best servers from the second subset of servers based upon relative traffic load of all the servers within the second subset of servers based upon the request, wherein the several best servers are identified just prior to the call over the network;

receiving, by the device, the selection of several best servers from the access controller;

individually testing, by the device, each of the several best servers by measuring latency, jitter and packet loss for a test data transmission; and

selecting, by the device, a single best server that has the lowest latency, jitter and packet loss;

transmitting, by the device, the call to the selected single best server.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the request is sent prior to call initiation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the selecting the several best servers includes determining the ISP of the device via a single lookup of the request IP address against a lookup table.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selecting the several best servers includes identifying servers closest to the device from among regional servers based upon governmental boundaries.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the selecting the several best servers includes analyzing the respective data traffic loads of each of the closest servers by selecting only servers that are likely to provide satisfactory quality of service based on the current load on the server being able to provide a latency of 400 ms and a packet loss of less than 2%.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising monitoring load conditions of each server.