Application aware traffic shaping service node positioned between the access and core networks
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- enforcing a per subscriber, per application traffic policy on network traffic flowing through a network device between a set of one or more subscribers communicatively coupled through an access network and a set of one or more services communicatively coupled through a core network by;
classifying the network traffic at the network device located between the access network and the core network into application level subscriber flows, the classifying including identifying a particular subscriber associated with a given packet, identifying a particular application associated with the given packet, and identifying a control protocol if the given packet contains control protocol data for the particular application;
generating real-time statistics at the network device on the application level subscriber flows and overall network element congestion, wherein the real-time statistics are generated at least in part based on deep packet inspection of the network traffic;
updating, in real-time, at the network device, the per subscriber, per application traffic policy based on the real-time statistics and the classifying, wherein the updating is triggered by the real-time statistics and by identified control protocols; and
restricting bandwidth for the application level subscriber flows at the network device to enforce the updated per subscriber, per application traffic policy.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for an application aware traffic shaping service node positioned between the access and core networks is described. One embodiment of the invention enforces a per subscriber, per application traffic policy for network traffic between one or more subscribers communicatively connected through an access network and a set of one or more service providers communicatively connected through a core network. According to another embodiment of the invention enforcement of the per subscriber, per application traffic policy comprises classifying the network traffic into application level subscriber flows, maintaining real-time statistics on the application level subscriber flows and overall network element congestion, updating, in real-time, the per subscriber, per application traffic policy based on the real-time statistics and restricting bandwidth and dropping packets on the application level subscriber flows as necessary to enforce the per subscriber, per application traffic policy. Another embodiment of the invention is a passthrough mode where the data traffic is transmitted by the traffic in the same manner as received by the traffic shaping service node. Yet another embodiment of the invention is a combined service node with integral edge routing and traffic aggregator.
140 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
enforcing a per subscriber, per application traffic policy on network traffic flowing through a network device between a set of one or more subscribers communicatively coupled through an access network and a set of one or more services communicatively coupled through a core network by; classifying the network traffic at the network device located between the access network and the core network into application level subscriber flows, the classifying including identifying a particular subscriber associated with a given packet, identifying a particular application associated with the given packet, and identifying a control protocol if the given packet contains control protocol data for the particular application; generating real-time statistics at the network device on the application level subscriber flows and overall network element congestion, wherein the real-time statistics are generated at least in part based on deep packet inspection of the network traffic; updating, in real-time, at the network device, the per subscriber, per application traffic policy based on the real-time statistics and the classifying, wherein the updating is triggered by the real-time statistics and by identified control protocols; and restricting bandwidth for the application level subscriber flows at the network device to enforce the updated per subscriber, per application traffic policy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
6. A traffic shaping network device comprising:
-
a first set of interfaces to couple to an access network through which a plurality of subscribers are communicatively coupled; a second set of interfaces to couple to a core network through which a plurality of service providers are communicatively coupled; classifying modules distributed across at least the first and second set of interfaces to classify network traffic between the access and the core networks into application level subscriber flows; statistics modules distributed across at least the first and second set of interfaces and coupled to receive results of the classifying modules and coupled to maintain real-time statistics on individual subscribers, individual applications, and overall network element congestion based on the results of the classifying modules, wherein the real-time statistics are generated at least in part based on deep packet inspection of the network traffic; a policy module coupled to receive the real-time statistics and to update the per subscriber, per application traffic policies in real-time based on the real-time statistics; and a set of traffic modules distributed across the first and second set of interfaces, the traffic modules coupled to receive the updated per subscriber, per application traffic policies in real-time and to enforce the updated per subscriber, per application traffic policy by restricting bandwidth and dropping packets on the application level subscriber flows flowing between the first and second set of interfaces. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification