Multiple criteria based load balancing

• US 20070206762A1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Chandra, Neeraj, Espinosa, Gerardo
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/220.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

This invention provides the ability to load balance calls in a communications network using a certain criterion, such as a user-specified call priority, or the call service category. The method is applied when selecting a route for a new call or for re-balancing the calls across a network. When the user-specified call priority is used, the aggregated number of calls with the same priority or service category is calculated for all possible routes the new call may use. The aggregated number of calls is then divided by the number of hops in the respective routes; the route with the smallest ratio is selected for the new call. Re-balancing is performed by re-routing the calls in such a way as to obtain a similar number of calls of the same priority, or service category along all possible routes.

Claims

1. A method of routing calls across a communication network with per-call load balancing, comprising:

a) identifying at least two possible alternate routes for a new call;

b) determining a route performance value for each said possible route, for a call attribute corresponding to a user-defined load balancing criterion; and

c) selecting a route for carrying said new call based on said route performance value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating steps a) to c) for an additional attribute corresponding to an additional user-defined criterion, whenever a plurality of possible routes have the same route performance value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the order of determining said route performance value for said user defined criterion and said further user-defined criterion is user-defined.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said call attribute is one of a user-defined call priority and a service category.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein step b) comprises, for each said possible route:

counting for each link of said respective possible route the number of calls-in-progress that have said call attribute;

calculating an aggregated attribute by summing the number of calls-in-progress counted in step b1) for said respective possible route; and

determining said route performance value by dividing said aggregated attribute to the number of hops along said respective possible route.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said user-defined attribute is call bandwidth.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein step b) comprises, for each said possible route:

calculating an aggregated bandwidth by summing the bandwidth consumed by all calls-in-progress along each link of said respective possible route; and

determining said route performance value by dividing said aggregated bandwidth to the number of hops along said respective possible route.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein step b) comprises:

calculating for each link of said respective possible route a consumed link bandwidth by summing the bandwidth consumed by all calls-in-progress along said link;

calculating a link bandwidth value by dividing said consumed link bandwidth to link bandwidth capacity; and

determining said route performance value by summing said link bandwidth values for all links of said respective possible route.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising d) re-routing a call-in-progress established along a current route across said network between a source and a destination based on said call attribute.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein step d) comprises:

identifying at least an additional possible route for said call-in-progress between said source and destination;

determining a route performance value for said current route and each said additional possible route, based on said call attribute corresponding to said user-defined criterion;

comparing the route performance values for said current route and each said additional possible route, to determine a best route; and

re-routing said call-in-progress along said best route.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said route performance value for said current route is determined without considering said call attribute for said current route.

12. A method of re-routing a call-in-progress established along a current route across said network between a source and a destination across a communication network, comprising:

identifying at least an additional possible route for said call-in-progress between said source and destination;

determining a route performance value for said current route and said additional possible route, based on a call attribute corresponding to a user-defined load balancing criterion;

comparing the route performance values for said current route and said additional possible route, to determine a best route; and

re-routing said call-in-progress along said best route.

13. A system for load balancing calls between within a communication network using a user-defined load balancing criterion, comprising:

a routing module for selecting a plurality of possible alternate routes between user-specified source and destination;

a load balancing criteria module for establishing a call attribute based on said criterion defined over an user interface;

a link attribute processing unit for determining a link performance value for each link of each said possible route based on said call attribute;

an aggregated attribute calculation unit for determining a route performance value for each said possible route, based on said link performance values; and

a route selector for selecting a route for a new call from said possible alternate routes, based on said route performance value.

14. A system for load balancing calls between a source and a destination within a communication network, based on a set of user-defined criteria, comprising:

a routing module for selecting all possible alternate routes between said source and said destination;

a load balancing criteria module for establishing a set of call attributes based on said set of user-defined criteria received over an user interface;

a link attribute processing unit for determining a link performance value for each link of each said possible route and for each call attribute of said set;

a plurality of aggregated attribute calculation units, each aggregated attribute calculation unit for determining a route performance value for a given call attribute of said set for all said possible routes, based on said link performance values for said respective call attribute and said respective possible route;

a scoring unit for each said possible routes, each scoring unit for providing a route score, based on said route performance for each said call attribute of said set; and

a route selector for selecting a route for a new call to be routed between said source and destination, based on said route score.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said set of attributes includes one or more of a user-defined call priority, a service category, call bandwidth, a route cost, and the number of hops along a route.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said aggregated attribute calculation units provide a weighted route performance value, for biasing the load balancing process based on user-specified preferences.