IP Library Granted Patent US 9,794,127
Granted Patent B2
US 9,794,127 · App. 15/179,528 · Granted Oct 17, 2017

Virtual bandwidth management deployment architectures

Inventor: Guy Riddle (Los Gatos, CA)
Assignee: Symantec Corporation
H04L41/0896H04L41/0893H04L43/0894H04L47/78H04L47/783H04L47/821H04J2203/0067H04W84/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,794,127
App. No.
15/179,528
Granted
Oct 17, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Control and management of bandwidth at networks remote from the physical bandwidth management infrastructure. Particular implementations allow network equipment at a plurality of data centers, for example, to manage network traffic at remote branch office networks without deployment of network devices at the remote branch office networks.

Claims (164)

1. An apparatus comprising

one or more processors;

a computer-readable medium, comprising computer-readable instructions operative, when loaded and executed, to cause the one or more processors to:

partition network bandwidth across a plurality of partitions, wherein:

a local partition corresponds to a coordinated partition of a node of a remote network site, the remote network site in communication with the apparatus via a wide area network; and

the coordinated partition is associated with coordinated partition configuration information that:

identifies a maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site;

includes a local maximum bandwidth configuration comprising a local maximum bandwidth limit; and

includes a host list identifying one or more network application traffic management devices at respective remote locations across the wide area network;

exchange bandwidth consumption data for the coordinated partition with the one or more network application traffic management devices identified in the host list; and

adjust, for the coordinated partition, the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site and on observed local and remote bandwidth consumption of the coordinated partition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth consumption data comprises a byte count value.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the medium further comprises instructions operative to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition; and

determine the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the medium further comprises instructions operative to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to one or more threshold values to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate; and

determine the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the medium further comprises instructions operative to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to a threshold value to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate;

based on a determination that the aggregate observed rate is greater than a threshold percentage of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site, set the new target aggregate rate to a fraction of the aggregate observed rate; and

determine the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the medium further comprises instructions operative to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to one or more threshold values to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate;

based on a determination that the aggregate observed rate is less than a threshold percentage of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site, set the new target aggregate rate to a fraction of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site; and

determine the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the medium further comprises instructions operative to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to one or more threshold values to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate;

based on a determination that the aggregate observed rate is less than a first threshold percentage, and greater than second threshold percentage, of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site, set the new target aggregate rate to a sum of the aggregate observed rate and a fraction of the aggregate observed rate; and

determine the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein medium further comprises instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for high priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site; and

determine the local maximum bandwidth configuration for the high priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of high priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth management coordination code further comprises instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for high priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site;

determine a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the high priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of high priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

compute an aggregate observed rate of medium priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for medium priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate for medium priority traffic and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site less the aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices; and

determine a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the medium priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of medium priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth management coordination code further comprises instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for high priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site;

determine a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the high priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of high priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

compute an aggregate observed rate of medium priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for medium priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate for medium priority traffic and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site less the aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

determine a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the medium priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of medium priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

compute an aggregate observed rate of low priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for low priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate for low priority traffic and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site less the aggregate observed rate of high and medium priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices; and

determine a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the low priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of low priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices.

11. A method for an apparatus, comprising:

partitioning network bandwidth across a plurality of partitions, wherein:

a local partition corresponds to a coordinated partition of a node of a remote network site, the remote network site in communication with the apparatus via a wide area network; and

the coordinated partition is associated with coordinated partition configuration information that:

identifies a maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site;

includes a local maximum bandwidth configuration comprising a local maximum bandwidth limit; and

includes a host list identifying one or more network application traffic management devices at respective remote locations across the wide area network;

exchanging bandwidth consumption data for the coordinated partition with the one or more network application traffic management devices identified in the host list; and

adjusting, for the coordinated partition, the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site and on observed local and remote bandwidth consumption of the coordinated partition.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the bandwidth consumption data comprises a byte count value.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

computing an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determining a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition; and

determining the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

computing an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determining a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to one or more threshold values to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate; and

determining the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

computing an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determining a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to a threshold value to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate;

based on a determination that the aggregate observed rate is greater than a threshold percentage of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site, setting the new target aggregate rate to a fraction of the aggregate observed rate; and

determining the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

computing an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determining a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to one or more threshold values to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate;

based on a determination that the aggregate observed rate is less than a threshold percentage of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site, setting the new target aggregate rate to a fraction of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site; and

determining the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

computing an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determining a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to one or more threshold values to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate;

based on a determination that the aggregate observed rate is less than a first threshold percentage, and greater than second threshold percentage, of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site, setting the new target aggregate rate to a sum of the aggregate observed rate and a fraction of the aggregate observed rate; and

determining the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

computing an aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determining a new target aggregate rate for high priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site; and

determining a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the high priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of high priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

computing an aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determining a new target aggregate rate for high priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site;

determining a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the high priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of high priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

computing an aggregate observed rate of medium priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determining a new target aggregate rate for medium priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate for medium priority traffic and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site less the aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices; and

determining a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the medium priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of medium priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

computing an aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determining a new target aggregate rate for high priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site;

determining a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the high priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of high priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

computing an aggregate observed rate of medium priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determining a new target aggregate rate for medium priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate for medium priority traffic and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site less the aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

determining a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the medium priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of medium priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

computing an aggregate observed rate of low priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determining a new target aggregate rate for low priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate for low priority traffic and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site less the aggregate observed rate of high and medium priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices; and

determining a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the low priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of low priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions operative, when loaded and executed, to cause one or more processors of an apparatus to:

partition network bandwidth across a plurality of partitions, wherein:

a local partition corresponds to a coordinated partition of a node of a remote network site, the remote network site in communication with the apparatus via a wide area network; and

the coordinated partition is associated with coordinated partition configuration information that:

identifies a maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site;

includes a local maximum bandwidth configuration comprising a local maximum bandwidth limit; and

includes a host list identifying one or more network application traffic management devices at respective remote locations across the wide area network;

exchange bandwidth consumption data for the coordinated partition with the one or more network application traffic management devices identified in the host list; and

adjust, for the coordinated partition, the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site and on observed local and remote bandwidth consumption of the coordinated partition.

22. The medium of claim 21 , wherein the bandwidth consumption data comprises a byte count value.

23. The medium of claim 21 , further comprising instructions to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition; and

determine the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

24. The medium of claim 21 , further comprising instructions to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to one or more threshold values to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate; and

determine the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

25. The medium of claim 21 , further comprising instructions to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to a threshold value to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate;

based on a determination that the aggregate observed rate is greater than a threshold percentage of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site, set the new target aggregate rate to a fraction of the aggregate observed rate; and

determine the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

26. The medium of claim 21 , further comprising instructions to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to one or more threshold values to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate;

based on a determination that the aggregate observed rate is less than a threshold percentage of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site, set the new target aggregate rate to a fraction of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site; and

determine the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

27. The medium of claim 21 , further comprising instructions to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate across the network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for the coordinated partition by comparing the aggregate observed rate to the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site relative to one or more threshold values to conditionally increase or decrease the new target aggregate rate;

based on a determination that the aggregate observed rate is less than a first threshold percentage, and greater than second threshold percentage, of the maximum bandwidth limit for the node of the remote network site, set the new target aggregate rate to a sum of the aggregate observed rate and a fraction of the aggregate observed rate; and

determine the local maximum bandwidth configuration based on the new target aggregate rate and a remote aggregate rate observed across the network application traffic management devices.

28. The medium of claim 21 , further comprising instructions to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for high priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site; and

determine a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the high priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of high priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices.

29. The medium of claim 21 , further comprising instructions to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for high priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site;

determine a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the high priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of high priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

compute an aggregate observed rate of medium priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for medium priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate for medium priority traffic and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site less the aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices; and

determine a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the medium priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of medium priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices.

30. The medium of claim 21 , further comprising instructions to cause the processors to:

compute an aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for high priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site;

determine a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the high priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of high priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

compute an aggregate observed rate of medium priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for medium priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate for medium priority traffic and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site less the aggregate observed rate of high priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

determine a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the medium priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of medium priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices;

compute an aggregate observed rate of low priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices for the coordinated partition based on the exchanged bandwidth consumption data;

determine a new target aggregate rate for low priority traffic of the coordinated partition based on the aggregate observed rate for low priority traffic and the maximum bandwidth limit of the node of the remote network site less the aggregate observed rate of high and medium priority traffic across the one or more network application traffic management devices; and

determine a local maximum bandwidth configuration for the low priority traffic based on the new target aggregate rate and the remote aggregate rate of low priority traffic observed across the one or more network application traffic management devices.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 21, 2019
From: SYMANTEC CORPORATION
To: CA, INC.
Reel/Frame 051144/0918 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2016
From: RIDDLE, GUY
To: PACKETEER, INC.
Reel/Frame 039878/0922 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2016
From: PACKETEER, INC.
To: BLUE COAT SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 039879/0258 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 27, 2016
From: BLUE COAT SYSTEMS, INC.
To: SYMANTEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 039851/0044 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 12050316 · Mar 18, 2008
Related Publication 20160294628A1 · Oct 6, 2016