Load balancing of committed information rate service sessions on TDMA inroute channels
View Patent ↗Systems and methods provide load balancing on time division multiple access (TDMA) inroute channels of a satellite network. A bandwidth allocation manager or module can employ smart admission techniques to admit new terminals based upon the available bandwidth capacities of TDMA inroute channels including committed information rate (CIR) bandwidth requirements of already admitted terminals and current and CIR bandwidth requirements of the new terminals. Attempts are made to fully load a first TDMA inroute channel before providing admission to a second TDMA inroute channel. Additionally, an already admitted terminal requesting increased bandwidth or one or more other already admitted terminals may be reassigned to one or more alternative TDMA inroute channels to accommodate the requested increase in bandwidth.
1. A method, comprising:
determining available bandwidth capacity of each channel in a network;
determining bandwidth requirements of a terminal seeking admission to the network;
determining all channels in the network that are capable of admitting the terminal based on their respective bandwidth capacity and the bandwidth requirements of the terminal;
selecting the channel capable of admitting the terminal and having the least available bandwidth capacity; and
admitting the terminal to the selected channel.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network is a satellite network.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channels in the network are time division multiple access (TDMA) inroute channels.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the bandwidth capacity of each channel in the network comprises calculating the number of slots on each of the channels that are being utilized to serve current bandwidth demands of already admitted terminals and the number of slots on each of the channels that are reserved to accommodate committed information rate (CIR) bandwidth requirements of the already admitted terminals.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining the bandwidth capacity of each channel in the network further comprises subtracting the number of slots on each of the channels that are being utilized to serve current bandwidth demands of the already admitted terminals and the number of slots on each of the channels that are reserved to accommodate CIR bandwidth requirements of the already admitted terminals from a total number of slots on each of the channels.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bandwidth requirements of the terminal comprise a minimum bandwidth requirement and a CIR bandwidth requirement.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selected channel comprises an alternative channel capable of supporting at least the minimum bandwidth requirement of the terminal and that has the greatest amount of available bandwidth capacity to maximize partial satisfaction of the CIR bandwidth requirement of the terminal if no channel in the network can fully satisfy the minimum bandwidth requirement, the current bandwidth requirement to satisfy a current session, and the CIR bandwidth requirement of the terminal.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the minimum bandwidth requirement includes a current bandwidth requirement to satisfy a current session.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the bandwidth requirements further comprises a maximum information rate (MIR) bandwidth requirement.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein admitting the terminal to the selected channel is performed pursuant to reassignment of one or more terminals already admitted to the selected channel to one or more alternative channels.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more alternative channels to which the one or more terminals are reassigned have bandwidth capacity to satisfy minimum bandwidth requirements, current bandwidth requirements, and CIR bandwidth requirements of the one or more terminals.
12. A method, comprising:
receiving a request for increased bandwidth demand from a terminal admitted to a first channel in a network;
determining bandwidth capacity of each channel in the network;
determining all channels in the network that are capable of accommodating the increased bandwidth demand from the terminal based on their respective bandwidth capacity and the bandwidth requirements of the terminal including the increased bandwidth demand;
selecting a second channel in the network having the least available bandwidth capacity out of the channels determined to be capable of accommodating the increased bandwidth demand from the terminal; and
reassigning the terminal to the second channel.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the network is a satellite network.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the channels in the network are time division multiple access (TDMA) inroute channels.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the bandwidth capacity of each channel in the network comprises calculating the number of slots on each of the channels that are being utilized to serve current bandwidth demands of already admitted terminals and the number of slots on each of the channels that are reserved to accommodate committed information rate (CIR) bandwidth requirements of the already admitted terminals.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the bandwidth capacity of each channel in the network further comprises subtracting the number of slots on each of the channels that are being utilized to serve current bandwidth demands of the already admitted terminals and the number of slots on each of the channels that are reserved to accommodate CIR bandwidth requirements of the already admitted terminals from a total number of slots on each of the channels.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bandwidth requirements of the terminal further comprise a current bandwidth requirement to satisfy a current session and a CIR bandwidth requirement.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising selecting a third channel upon a determination that a channel capable of fully satisfying the current bandwidth requirement, the increased bandwidth demand, and the CIR bandwidth requirement of the terminal is non-existent and that reassignment of the terminal to the second channel cannot be performed, the third channel being capable of supporting the current bandwidth requirement of the terminal, the increased bandwidth demand and that has the greatest amount of available bandwidth capacity to maximize partial satisfaction of the CIR bandwidth requirement of the terminal.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising selecting one or more alternative terminals to reassign to one or more alternative channels upon a determination that a channel capable of supporting the current bandwidth requirement of the terminal and the increased bandwidth demand of the terminal is non-existent.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising denying the increased bandwidth demand upon a determination that the one or more alternative terminals cannot be reassigned to the one or more alternative channels due to the one or more alternative channels being incapable of supporting the bandwidth requirements of the one or more alternative terminals.
21. A system, comprising:
a shared access network; and
a bandwidth allocation module configured to balance load across time division multiple access (TDMA) inroute channels in the shared access network by performing the following:
determine available bandwidth capacity of each TDMA inroute channel in the shared access network;
determine bandwidth requirements of a terminal;
determine all TDMA inroute channels in the shared access network that are capable of admitting the terminal based on their respective bandwidth capacity and the bandwidth requirements of the terminal;
select one of the TDMA inroute channels to admit the terminal based upon a sequence of determinations comprising:
a determination that a TDMA inroute channel exists that is capable of supporting the bandwidth requirements of the terminal and has the least available bandwidth capacity;
upon determining that no TDMA inroute channel exists that is capable of supporting the entirety of the bandwidth requirements of the terminal, a determination that a TDMA inroute channel exists that is capable of supporting a guaranteed minimum aspect of the bandwidth requirements of the terminal and has the most available bandwidth capacity to support growth towards the greatest portion of a guaranteed committed information rate (CIR) aspect of the bandwidth requirements of the terminal.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the terminal comprises a to-be-admitted terminal seeking admission to the shared access network.
23. The system of claim 21 , wherein the terminal comprises an already-admitted terminal seeking increased bandwidth allocation to support a committed information service session commensurate with the guaranteed CIR aspect of the bandwidth requirements of the terminal.
24. The system of claim 21 , wherein the terminal comprises an already-admitted terminal to be reassigned to accommodate admission of a to-be-admitted terminal seeking admission to the shared access network.
25. The system of claim 21 , wherein the terminal comprises an already-admitted terminal to be reassigned to accommodate admission of an already-admitted terminal seeking increased bandwidth allocation to support a committed information service session commensurate with the guaranteed CIR aspect of the bandwidth requirements of the terminal.