EXPLICIT CONGESTION NOTIFICATION BASED RATE ADAPTATION USING BINARY MARKING IN COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

• US 20110170410A1
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Burbidge, Richard Charles, Furbeck, David, Zhao, Xiaoming
• Granted Patent: US 8,416,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for responding to congestion levels in a communication system by rate adaptation. A congestion condition is indicated by marking data packets. In response to receiving an indication of congestion, a data rate is reduced. A rate reduction inhibit timer is started, and further rate reduction is initiated if congestion is indicated after the rate reduction inhibit timer has expired. A rate increase timer is used to initiate a rate increase if no indication of congestion is received during a rate increase time.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for controlling congestion on a network, comprising:

responsive to receiving a first indication of congestion at a node on a network, reducing a data transfer rate on the network;

responsive to reducing the data transfer rate on the network, initiating a timer;

responsive to receiving a second indication of congestion on the network, determining whether the timer has timed out; and

responsive to determining that the timer has timed out, further reducing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate reduction policy.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein reducing the data transfer rate on the network, comprises:

reducing the data transfer rate from a first data transfer rate of a plurality of specified data transfer rates to a second data transfer rate that is a next lower data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates relative to the first data transfer rate.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein further reducing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate reduction policy, comprises:

reducing the second data transfer rate to a third data transfer rate that is a next lower data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates relative to the second data transfer rate.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein further reducing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate reduction policy, comprises:

determining whether to further reduce the data transfer rate; and

responsive to determining to further reduce the data transfer rate, further reducing the data transfer rate.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein further reducing the data transfer rate, comprises one of reducing the second data transfer rate to a third data transfer rate that is a next lower data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates relative to the second data transfer rate, or reducing the second data transfer rate to a lowest data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the timer times out in from about 100 milliseconds to about 200 milliseconds.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the timer comprises a first timer, and further comprising:

responsive to reducing the data transfer rate on the network, initiating a second timer; and

responsive to determining that the congestion on the network has been relieved, and responsive to determining that the second timer has timed out, increasing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate increase policy.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, and further comprising:

specifying a plurality of data transfer rates, wherein increasing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate increase policy, comprises;

increasing the data transfer rate from a first data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates to a second data transfer rate that is a next higher data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates relative to the first data transfer rate.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 7, and further comprising:

receiving an indication of congestion on the network following initiating of the second timer; and

responsive receiving the indication of congestion on the network following initiating of the second timer, one of restarting the second timer upon receiving the indication of congestion or restarting the second timer after the second timer has timed out.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the second timer times out in about 10 seconds or more.

11. A computer implemented method for controlling congestion on a network, comprising:

responsive to receiving an indication of congestion at a node on a network, reducing a data transfer rate on the network;

responsive to reducing the data transfer rate on the network, initiating a timer;

responsive to receiving an indication that the congestion on the network has been relieved, determining whether the timer has timed out; and

responsive to determining that the timer has timed out, increasing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate increase policy.

12. A computer program product in a tangible computer recordable storage medium for controlling congestion on a network, the computer program product having computer usable program code for:

responsive to receiving a first indication of congestion at a node on a network, reducing a data transfer rate on the network;

responsive to reducing the data transfer rate on the network, initiating a timer;

responsive to receiving a second indication of congestion on the network, determining whether the timer has timed out; and

responsive to determining that the timer has timed out, further reducing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate reduction policy.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable program code for reducing the data transfer rate on the network, comprises:

computer usable program code for reducing the data transfer rate from a first data transfer rate of a plurality of specified data transfer rates to a second data transfer rate that is a next lower data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates relative to the first data transfer rate.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer usable program code for further reducing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate reduction policy, comprises:

computer usable program code for reducing the second data transfer rate to a third data transfer rate that is a next lower data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates relative to the second data transfer rate.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer usable program code for further reducing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate reduction policy, comprises:

computer usable program code for determining whether to further reduce the data transfer rate; and

computer usable program code, responsive to determining to further reduce the data transfer rate, for further reducing the data transfer rate.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code for further reducing the data transfer rate, comprises computer usable program code for one of reducing the second data transfer rate to a third data transfer rate that is a next lower data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates relative to the second data transfer rate, or reducing the second data transfer rate to a lowest data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the timer comprises a first timer, and further comprising:

computer usable program code, responsive to reducing the data transfer rate on the network, for initiating a second timer; and

computer usable program code, responsive to determining that the congestion on the network has been relieved, and responsive to determining that the second timer has timed out, for increasing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate increase policy.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer usable program code for increasing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate increase policy, comprises:

computer usable program code for increasing the data transfer rate from a first data transfer rate of a plurality of specified data transfer rates to a second data transfer rate that is a next higher data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates relative to the first data transfer rate.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, and further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving an indication of congestion on the network following initiating of the second timer; and

computer usable program code, responsive to receiving the indication of congestion on the network following initiation of the second timer, for one of restarting the second timer upon receiving the indication of congestion or restarting the second timer after the second timer has timed out.

20. A computer program product in a tangible computer recordable storage medium for controlling congestion on a network, the computer program product having computer usable program code for:

responsive to receiving an indication of congestion at a node on a network, reducing a data transfer rate on the network;

responsive to reducing the data transfer rate on the network, initiating a timer;

responsive to receiving an indication that the congestion on the network has been relieved, determining whether the timer has timed out; and

responsive to determining that the timer has timed out, increasing the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate increase policy.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a communication network;

a sender configured to send data packets on the network;

a congestion response module configured to reduce a data transfer rate of data packets sent on the network by the sender responsive to receiving a first indication of congestion on the network; and

a timer initiated responsive to the data transfer rate being reduced on the network, the congestion response module being configured to further reduce the data transfer rate of data packets sent on the network by the sender in accordance with a data transfer rate reduction policy responsive to receiving a second indication of congestion on the network and responsive to the timer having timed out.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the congestion response module is configured to reduce the data transfer rate from a first data transfer rate of a plurality of specified data transfer rates to a second data transfer rate that is a next lower data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates relative to the first data transfer rate.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the congestion response module configured to further reduce the data transfer rate of data packets sent on the network by the sender in accordance with a data transfer rate reduction policy, comprises:

the congestion response module configured to further reduce the data transfer rate of data packets sent on the network by the sender responsive to a determination to further reduce the data transfer rate.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the congestion response module configured to further reduce the data transfer rate of data packets sent on the network by the sender in accordance with a data transfer rate reduction policy, comprises:

the congestion response module configured to one of reduce the second data transfer rate to a third data transfer rate that is a next lower data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates relative to the second data transfer rate, or reduce the second data transfer rate to a lowest data transfer rate of the plurality of specified data transfer rates.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the timer comprises a first timer, and further comprising:

a second timer initiated responsive to the data transfer rate being reduced on the network, wherein the congestion response module is configured to increase the data transfer rate on the network in accordance with a data transfer rate increase policy responsive to determining that the congestion on the network has been relieved, and responsive to determining that the second timer has timed out.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first timer times out in from about 100 milliseconds to about 200 milliseconds, and the second timer times out in about 10 seconds or more.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

a communication network;

a sender configured to send data packets on the network;

a congestion response module configured to reduce a data transfer rate of data packets sent on the network by the sender responsive to receiving a first indication of congestion on the network; and

a timer initiated responsive to the data transfer rate being reduced on the network, the congestion response module being configured to increase the data transfer rate of data packets sent on the network by the sender in accordance with a data transfer rate increase policy responsive to receiving an indication that congestion on the network has been relieved, and responsive to the timer having timed out.