System, apparatus, and method for communication in a tactical network

• US 8,761,008 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Meier, John L., Ayyagari, Arun, Smith, Brian James, Zamith, Fernando Afonso, Hanks, Carl Joseph, Howard, Ronald J., Zuver, Christopher K., Gray, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blanton, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRUTCHFIELD, CHRISTOPHER M
• Application Number:
  US12/608,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20110103393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1004 Server selection for load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/088 among core entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method are described for communication in a tactical network. A gateway is communicatively couplable to one or more tactical nodes and to one or more other gateways. The gateway is programmed to transmit information to and/or receive information from other gateways. Information exchanged includes gateway attributes, link attributes, service availability, and/or data availability. The gateway optionally provides quality of service, distributed persistence, load balancing, and/or transformation services. Services are provided in a modular, service-oriented architecture (SOA) to accommodate the addition of services and/or applications.

Claims

1. A communication gateway comprising:

a communication interface communicatively couplable to a remote gateway; and

a processor programmed to;

provide a first instance of a service;

determine a first gateway attribute for said gateway;

receive from the remote gateway, via said communication interface, a service availability message describing a second instance of the service provided by the remote gateway;

receive from the remote gateway, via said communication interface, a gateway attribute message comprising a second gateway attribute of the remote gateway; and

in response to an execution request for the service, calculate a cost of execution at each of said gateway and the remote gateway to select an execution target from said gateway and the remote gateway based on the first gateway attribute and the second gateway attribute.

2. The gateway of claim 1, wherein said processor determines a first gateway attribute by determining one or more of the following:

a processing capacity indicator, a processing usage indicator, a memory capacity indicator, and a memory usage indicator.

3. The gateway of claim 2, wherein said processor receives a second gateway attribute by receiving one or more of the following:

a processing capacity indicator, a processing usage indicator, a memory capacity indicator, and a memory usage indicator.

4. The gateway of claim 1, wherein said processor is further programmed to initiate a service execution at the selected execution target based on the execution request.

5. The gateway of claim 1, wherein said processor calculates the cost by calculating one or more of the following:

an estimated duration of execution and an incremental resource usage indicator.