Method and system of assigning access connections

• US 8,199,676 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Virgilio, Angelo, Haarsma, Michael B., Baines, Jeffrey F., Côté, Benoit
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US13/047,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20110167157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers

Abstract

A method and system for load balancing network access solutions, for example Provider Edger (PE) routers and network interface cards within said routers, based on characteristics of the destination device to which the assigned network access solutions connect. This enables a service provider to load balance access connections of a particular customer across a number of different network access solutions, based on who the customer is and where the customer is located. In addition, such a system can balance network access solutions based on capacity and utilization of the network access solutions.

Claims

1. A method of assigning a network access solution to satisfy a communication request to connect to a customer device, the method comprising:

a) evaluating a characteristic of said customer device;

b) determining potential network access solutions to satisfy the communication request;

c) determining which of the potential network access solutions have the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristic; and

d) assigning a network access solution with the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristic to satisfy said communication request.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said characteristic comprises at least one of (i) an identity of the customer associated with said customer device and (ii) a location of the customer device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communication request comprises an indication of at least one of (i) a type of service being requested, (ii) bandwidth being requested, and (ii) a customer-specific requirement.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein determining potential network access solutions to satisfy the communication request comprises determining potential network access solutions to satisfy the communication request based on at least one of (i) the type of service being requested, (ii) bandwidth being requested.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein determining potential network access solutions to satisfy the communication request comprises determining potential network access solutions which satisfy said customer-specific requirement.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining potential network access solutions to satisfy the communication request further comprises qualifying potential network access solutions based on proximity of potential network access solutions to the customer device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein determining potential network access solutions to satisfy the communication request further comprises determining potential network access solutions which satisfy additional business rules.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining potential network access solutions to satisfy the communication request further comprises determining potential network access solutions which are below a maximum current utilization threshold.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining which of the potential network access solutions have the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristic comprises determining that a plurality of potential network access solutions has the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristics, determining which of said plurality of potential network access solutions should be assigned based on a secondary criteria.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said secondary criteria comprises a business rule associated with a service provider.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said secondary criteria comprises a load balancing consideration.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining which of the potential network access solutions have the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristic comprises determining that a plurality of potential network access solutions has the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristics, said method further comprises, prior to assigning a network access solution with the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristic to satisfy said communication request:

a) transmitting a list of said a plurality of potential network access solutions to a user; and

b) receiving from said user an indication of which of said plurality of potential network access solutions to assign.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said user comprises one of an operator associated with a service provider and said customer.

14. A method of assigning a Provider Edge (PE) port to satisfy a communication request to connect to a Customer Edge (CE) port, the method comprising:

a) evaluating a characteristic of said CE port;

b) determining potential PE routers to satisfy the communication request;

c) determining which of the potential PE routers have the least number of connections to a CE port with said characteristic; and

d) assigning a PE port from the PE with the least number of connections to a CE port with said characteristic to satisfy said communication request.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein, in the event of more than one PE having the least number of connections to a CE port with said characteristic, assigning a PE port from the PE with the least number of connections to a CE port with said characteristic to satisfy said communication request comprises assigning a PE port from a network interface card with the least number of connections to a CE port with said characteristic to satisfy said communication request.

16. A system for assigning a network access solution to satisfy a connection request to a Customer Edge (CE) device, the system comprising:

a processor, and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium which stores instructions executable by said processor, the execution of which cause said processor to provide;

a) a user interface for receiving the connection request from a user for a new connection to said CE device;

b) a customer rules and assignments database subsystem;

c) a network utilization information database subsystem; and

d) a decision engine which is configured to utilize data provided by said user interface, said customer rules and assignments database subsystem, and said network utilization information database subsystem to;

i. evaluate a characteristic of said CE device;

ii. determine potential network access solutions to satisfy the connection request;

iii. determine the number of CE devices with said characteristic which are already connected to each of said potential network access solutions;

iv. determine the network utilization of each of said potential network access solutions; and

v. assign a network access solution to said CE device which balances equalizing the network utilization across the potential network access solutions with minimizing the number of CE devices with said characteristic connected to each of said potential network access solutions.

17. The system for assigning the network access solution as claimed in claim 16 wherein said characteristic comprises at least one of (i) an identity of the customer associated with said customer device and (ii) a location of the customer device.

18. The system for assigning the network access solution as claimed in claim 16 wherein said connection request comprises an indication of at least one of (i) a type of service being requested, (ii) bandwidth being requested, and (ii) a customer-specific requirement.

19. The system for assigning the network access solution as claimed in claim 18 wherein to determine potential network access solutions to satisfy the connection request comprises determining potential network access solutions to satisfy the connection request-based on at least one of (i) the type of service being requested, and (ii) bandwidth being requested.

20. The system for assigning the network access solution as claimed in claim 19 wherein to determine potential network access solutions to satisfy the connection request further comprises determining potential network access solutions which satisfy said customer-specific requirement.

21. The system for assigning the network access solution as claimed in claim 16, wherein to determine potential network access solutions to satisfy the connection request comprises qualifying potential network access solutions based on proximity of potential network access solutions to the customer device.

22. The system for assigning the network access solution as claimed in claim 21 wherein to determine potential network access solutions to satisfy the connection request further comprises determining potential network access solutions which satisfy additional business rules.

23. The system for assigning the network access solution in claim 16, wherein to determine potential network access solutions to satisfy the connection request comprises determining potential network access solutions which are below a maximum current utilization threshold.

24. The system for assigning the network access solution as claimed in claim 16, wherein to determine which of the potential network access solutions have the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristic comprises determining that a plurality of potential network access solutions has the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristics, determining which of said plurality of potential network access solutions should be assigned based on a secondary criteria.

25. The system for assigning the network access solution as claimed in claim 24, wherein said secondary criteria comprises a business rule associated with a service provider.

26. The system for assigning the network access solution as claimed in claim 24, wherein said secondary criteria comprises a load balancing consideration.

27. The system for assigning the network access solution as claimed in claim 16, wherein to determine which of the potential network access solutions have the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristic comprises determining that a plurality of potential network access solutions has the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristic, and wherein said decision engine, prior to assigning a network access solution with the least number of connections to a customer device with said characteristic to satisfy said connection request, is further configured to:

a. transmit a list of said a plurality of potential network access solutions to a user; and

b. receive from said user an indication of which of said plurality of potential network access solutions to assign.

28. The system for assigning the network access solution as claimed in claim 27, wherein said user comprises one of an operator associated with said service provider and said customer.