Method, system and computer readable medium for affecting bit rate

1. A method for affecting a bit rate of a session, the method comprising:

determining, by a bandwidth management module, to introduce a desired change in a bit rate allocated by a bit rate allocator for streaming a portion of a first stream;

wherein the first stream flows from a source entity to a target entity;

wherein the source and target entities are coupled to the bit rate allocator and to the bandwidth management module; wherein the bit rate allocator to sets the bit rate allocated to the streaming of the portion in response to a bit rate associated with the first stream; wherein the bandwidth management module (a) differs from the bit rate allocator, (b) is coupled to the bit rate allocator, and (c) is located between the target entity and the bit rate allocator;

modifying, by the bandwidth management module, a value of the bit rate associated with the first stream to provide a modified value; wherein when the desired change is an increase in the bit rate, the modifying comprises sending, by the bandwidth management module, a message that indicates that the network has more available bandwidth than the network actually has; wherein when the desired change is a decrease in the bit rate, the modifying comprises sending, by the bandwidth management module, a message that indicates a false state of congestion in the network; wherein the modifying causes the bit rate allocator to introduce the desired change in the bit rate allocated for streaming the portion; and

causing the bit rate allocator module to be aware to the modified value without instructing the bit rate allocator to introduce the desired change.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the modifying comprises modifying a value of metadata indicative of the bit rate associated with the first stream.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the metadata comprises congestion control metadata or flow control metadata.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining is responsive to bit rates allocated for streaming portions of other streams that are destined to at least one entity that differs from the target entity.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining is responsive to at least one out of a source entity attribute and a target entity attribute.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining is responsive to a quality of service level assigned to the first stream.

7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising modifying the value of the bit rate associated with the first stream such as to cause the bit rate allocator to increase the bit rate allocated by the bit rate allocator to the streaming of the portion.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the modifying comprises modifying a timing of a transmission of acknowledgements sent by the bandwidth management module to the bit rate allocator so that the timing of the transmission of the acknowledgements fits a desired round trip time (RTT) and thereby affecting the bit rate allocation applied by the bit rate allocator.

9. The method according to claim 1 , comprising selecting, by the bit rate allocator a version of the portion out of multiple versions of the portions, the multiple versions differ from each other by bit rate.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions for: determining to introduce a desired change in a bit rate allocated by a bit rate allocator for streaming a portion of a first stream; wherein the first stream flows from a source entity to a target entity; wherein the source and target entities are coupled to the bit rate allocator and to a bandwidth management module;

wherein the bit rate allocator sets the bit rate allocated to the streaming of the portion in response to a bit rate associated with the first stream; modifying a value of the bit rate associated with the first stream to provide a modified value; wherein when the desired change is an increase in the bit rate, the modifying comprises sending, by the bandwidth management module, a message that indicates that the network has more available bandwidth than the network actually has; wherein when the desired change is a decrease in the bit rate, the modifying comprises sending, by the bandwidth management module, a message that indicates a false state of congestion in the network; wherein the modifying causes the bit rate allocator to introduce the desired change in the bit rate allocated for streaming the portion; wherein the bandwidth management module (a) differs from the bit rate allocator, (b) is coupled to the bit rate allocator, and (c) is located between the target entity and the bit rate allocator; and causing the bit rate allocator module to be aware of the modified value without instructing the bit rate allocator to introduce the desired change.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for modifying a value of metadata indicative of the bit rate associated with the first stream.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 11 , wherein the metadata comprises congestion control metadata or flow control metadata.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for determining in response to bit rates allocated for streaming portions of other streams that are destined to at least one entity that differs from the target entity.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for determining in response to at least one out of a source entity attribute and a target entity attribute.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for determining in response to a quality of service level assigned to the first stream.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for modifying the value of the bit rate associated with the first stream such as to cause the bit rate allocator to increase the bit rate allocated by the bit rate allocator to the streaming of the portion.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for modifying a timing of a transmission of acknowledgements sent by the bandwidth management module to the bit rate allocator so that the timing of the transmission of the acknowledgements fits a desired round trip time (RTT) and thereby affecting the bit rate allocation applied by the bit rate allocator.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for selecting a version of the portion out of multiple versions of the portions, the multiple versions differ from each other by bit rate.

19. A system comprising a bandwidth management module that comprises: a processor arranged to determine to introduce a desired change in a bit rate allocated by a bit rate allocator for streaming a portion of a first stream; wherein the first stream flows from a source entity to a target entity; wherein the source and target entities are coupled to the bit rate allocator and to the bandwidth management module; wherein the bit rate allocator sets the bit rate allocated to the streaming of the portion in response to a bit rate associated with the first stream;

a modifier arranged to modify a value of the bit rate associated with the first stream to provide a modified value; wherein when the desired change is an increase in the bit rate, the modifying comprises sending, by the bandwidth management module, a message that indicates that the network has more available bandwidth than the network actually has; wherein when the desired change is a decrease in the bit rate, the modifying comprises sending, by the bandwidth management module, a message that indicates a false state of congestion in the network; wherein the modifying causes the bit rate allocator to introduce the desired change in the bit rate allocated for streaming the portion; wherein the bandwidth management module (a) differs from the bit rate allocator, (b) is coupled to the bit rate allocator, and (c) is located between the target entity and the bit rate allocator; and an interface arranged to cause the bit rate allocator module to be aware of the modified value without instructing the bit rate allocator to introduce the desired change.