Allocating access across a shared communications medium of a DOCSIS 1.0 compliant cable network

• US 20010038645A1
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sotack, Timothy Sean, Subramanian, Mani M., Kolesnikov, Oleg M., Harrell, James E. Jr., McKinnin, Martin W. III
• Granted Patent: US 6,917,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/490
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2861 Point-to-multipoint connection from the data network to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2876 Handling of subscriber policies group policies management H04L41/0893
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 : Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 : Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 : Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 : using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 : Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 : Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 : Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 : in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 : Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 : Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 : Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 : using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 : Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 : triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/788 : Autonomous allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 : QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 : User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/823 : Prediction of resource usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 : Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 : Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/828 : Allocation of resources per group of connections, e.g. per group of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 : based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 : Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 : Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 : Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method of incorporating allocations of network access in a DOCSIS 1.0 compliant cable network, wherein users compete for bandwidth, includes limiting bandwidth consumed by a cable modem of a user to a value representative of that user'"'"'s bandwidth allocation for a time interval. Preferably, the method includes the steps of: (a) generating cable modem configuration files, each of which limits bandwidth consumption by a cable modem of a user to a bandwidth allowance of that user equaling to the respective bandwidth allocation; (b) sending the configuration files to a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) Server of the DOC Network; and (c) sending a command either to each user'"'"'s cable modem, or to a cable modem termination system to which each user'"'"'s cable modem is connected, to cause the cable modem to implement the respective new configuration file.

Claims

1. A method of providing network access across a DOCSIS 1.0 compliant cable network of a data-over-cable (DOC) network to at least two users competing for bandwidth, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining for each user a respective first bandwidth allowance for a first future time interval;

(b) generating a first set of cable modem configuration files, each of which limits bandwidth consumption by a cable modem (CM) of a respective user to that user'"'"'s first bandwidth allowance;

(c) sending the configuration files to a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) Server of the DOC Network;

(d) sending a command either to each user'"'"'s CM or to a cable modem termination system (CMTS) to which each user'"'"'s CM is connected to cause each CM to acquire its new respective configuration file of the first set for the first time interval;

(e) determining for each user a respective second bandwidth allowance for a second future time interval, a second bandwidth allowance of at least one of the users differing from that user'"'"'s first bandwidth allowance; and

(f) for each user having a second bandwidth allowance different from that user'"'"'s first bandwidth allowance,

(i) generating a second cable modem configuration file which limits bandwidth consumption of that user'"'"'s CM to a value representative of that user'"'"'s second bandwidth allowance;

(ii) sending the second configuration file for that user to the TFTP Server of the DOC Network; and

(iii) sending a command either to that user'"'"'s CM or to the CMTS to which that user'"'"'s CM is connected to cause the CM to acquire the second configuration file for that user for the second time interval.

2. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the steps of monitoring bandwidth of each user for a time interval and, based on said monitored bandwidth, determining each user'"'"'s second bandwidth allowance.

3. The method of

claim 2

, wherein said step of determining each user'"'"'s second bandwidth allowance includes prioritizing each user and allocating bandwidth to each user according to such priority.

4. The method of

claim 3

, wherein said step of prioritizing includes comparing said monitored bandwidth with respective values specified by service level agreements (SLAs) of the users.

5. The method of

claim 3

, wherein said step of prioritizing includes comparing said monitored bandwidth of each user with an established minimum quality of service value.

6. The method of

claim 2

, wherein said step of determining each user'"'"'s second bandwidth allowance includes forecasting each user'"'"'s bandwidth for the second future time interval.

7. The method of

claim 6

, wherein said step of determining each user'"'"'s bandwidth allowance includes prioritizing the users for allocation of bandwidth based on said forecasting.

8. The method of

claim 2

, wherein said step of monitoring comprises monitoring the bandwidth that is consumed by each CM in the upstream direction during time intervals of one minute to fifteen minutes.

9. The method of

claim 2

, wherein said step of monitoring comprises monitoring the bandwidth that is requested by each CM in the upstream direction during time intervals of one minute to fifteen minutes.

10. The method of

claim 2

, wherein said step of monitoring comprises monitoring the bandwidth that is consumed by each CM in the downstream direction during time intervals of fifteen minutes to sixty minutes.

11. The method of

claim 2

, wherein said step of monitoring includes collecting data representative of the number of logical data units transmitted from and to each user during a time interval.

12. The method of

claim 2

, wherein said step of monitoring includes collecting data representative of the number of bytes and data packets transmitted from and to each user during a time interval.

13. The method of

claim 2

, wherein said step of monitoring includes collecting data representative of the number of logical data units of the user that are dropped during a time interval.

14. The method of

claim 2

, wherein said step of monitoring includes collecting data representative of the number of bytes and data packets of the user that are dropped during a time interval.

15. The method of

claim 2

, wherein said step of monitoring includes collecting data representative of the number of logical data units of the user that are requested to be transmitted in the upstream direction during a time interval.

16. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the first time interval and the second time interval are consecutive time intervals.

17. The method of

claim 1

, wherein each of the first time interval and the second time interval has a period of one to sixty minutes.

18. The method of

claim 1

, wherein for each user, the first bandwidth allowance of that user differs from the second bandwidth allowance of that user.

19. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the first bandwidth allowance for each user differs from the first bandwidth allowance of all other users.

20. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the second bandwidth allowance for each user differs from the second bandwidth allowance of all other users.

21. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the first bandwidth allowance of each user is determined by allocating bandwidth to each user on a per user basis for the first time interval in accordance with a first selected allocation policy.

22. The method of

claim 21

, wherein the second bandwidth allowance of each user is determined by allocating bandwidth to each user on a per user basis for the second time interval in accordance with a second selected allocation policy.

23. The method of

claim 22

, wherein the first and second allocation policies differ.

24. The method of

claim 22

, wherein the first and second allocation policies are the same.

25. A method of continuously providing network access across a cable network of a data-over-cable (DOC) network to at least two users competing for bandwidth, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining for each user during present time intervals bandwidth allowances of such user for respective future time intervals, each bandwidth allowance of such user for a future time interval representing a maximum level of bandwidth consumption for such user during the future time interval, but not necessarily representing the amount of bandwidth that will be consumed by such user during such future time interval, the bandwidth allowances of each user varying as between time intervals; and

(b) for each user, limiting during each respective future time interval bandwidth consumption of that user'"'"'s cable modem (CM) to that user'"'"'s respective bandwidth allowance for such time interval by implementing a new cable modem configuration file in the CM.

26. The method of

claim 25

, wherein the present and future time intervals have a uniform period of one minute to sixty minutes.

27. The method of

claim 25

, wherein each user'"'"'s bandwidth allowance for each future time interval is determined by allocating bandwidth to the users on a per user basis for such future time interval in accordance with a selected allocation.