Congestion control in a telecommunications network

1. A method of congestion control in a transport network, the method, being performed by a first network node, comprising:

monitoring a buffer state of a buffer of the first network node by dynamically sampling the buffer such that a sampling rate is adjusted in dependence of the buffer state;

determining a condition indicative of congestion in response to a change of the buffer state exceeding a predetermined limit;

in response to determining the condition indicative of congestion, creating a congestion notification message including a combination of:

a flow identifier identifying a flow that contributes to the congestion;

a back-off rate indicating a suitable back-off to compensate for the congestion caused by the flow associated with said flow identifier;

a back-off time indicating a time length to perform the back-off; and

a ramp-up time indicating how fast to ramp back from the back-off; and

transmitting the congestion notification message to a second network node,

wherein the flow identifier includes at least one of a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Flow Identification (FID), a PDCP Group FID, or a PDCP Multicast Group FID.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the buffer state is a buffer fill level and the change of the buffer state is a change of the buffer fill level, the method further comprising:

monitoring the buffer fill level; and

determining the condition indicative of congestion in response to the buffer fill level exceeding the predetermined limit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the buffer state is a buffer change rate at which the buffer changes and the change of the buffer state is a change of the buffer change rate, the method further comprising:

monitoring the rate at which the buffer state changes; and

determining the condition indicative of congestion in response to said buffer change rate exceeding the predetermined limit.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the buffer change rate is a buffer fill rate at which the buffer fills, the method further comprising:

monitoring the rate at which the buffer fills; and

determining the condition indicative of congestion in response to said buffer fill rate exceeding the predetermined limit.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow identifier additionally comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the first network node.

6. A method of congestion control in a transport network, the method, being performed by a second network node, comprising:

receiving, from a first network node, a congestion notification message associated with a buffer of the first network node, wherein the congestion notification message includes a combination of:

a flow identifier identifying a flow that contributes to congestion;

a back-off rate indicating a suitable back-off to compensate for the congestion caused by the flow associated with said flow identifier;

a back-off time indicating a time length to perform the back-off; and

a ramp-up time indicating how fast to ramp back from the back-off; and

adjusting one or more parameters on a basis of the congestion notification message,

wherein the flow identifier includes at least one of a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Flow Identification (FID), a PDCP Group FID, or a PDCP Multicast Group FID.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the flow identifier additionally comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the first network node.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause a first network node to perform operations to control congestion in a transport network comprising:

monitoring a buffer state of a buffer of the first network node by dynamically sampling the buffer such that a sampling rate is adjusted in dependence of the buffer state;

determining a condition indicative of congestion in response to a change of the buffer state exceeding a predetermined limit;

in response to determining the condition indicative of congestion, creating a congestion notification message including a combination of:

a flow identifier identifying a flow that contributes to the congestion;

a back-off indicating a suitable back-off to compensate for the congestion caused by the flow associated with said flow identifier;

a back-off time indicating a time length to perform the back-off; and

a ramp-up time indicating how fast to ramp back from the back-off; and

transmitting the congestion notification message to a second network node,

wherein the flow identifier includes at least one of a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Flow Identification (FID), a PDCP Group FID, or a PDCP Multicast Group FID.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause a second network node to perform operations to control congestion in a transport network comprising:

receiving, from a first network node, a congestion notification message associated with a buffer of the first network node, wherein the congestion notification message includes a combination of:

a flow identifier identifying a flow that contributes to congestion;

a back-off rate indicating a suitable back-off to compensate for the congestion caused by the flow associated with said flow identifier;

a ramp-up time indicating how fast to ramp back from the back-off; and

a back-off time indicating a time length to perform the back-off; and

adjusting one or more parameters on a basis of the congestion notification message,

wherein the flow identifier includes at least one of a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Flow Identification (FID), a PDCP Group FID, or a PDCP Multicast Group FID.

10. A first network node for congestion control in a transport network, the first network node comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the first network node to perform operations to:

monitor a buffer state of a buffer of the first network node by dynamically sampling the buffer such that a sampling rate is adjusted in dependence of the buffer state;

determine a condition indicative of congestion in response to a change of the buffer state exceeding a predetermined limit;

create a congestion notification message in response to determining the condition indicative of congestion, the congestion notification message including a combination of:

a flow identifier identifying a flow that contributes to the congestion;

a back-off rate indicating a suitable back-off to compensate for the congestion caused by the flow associated with said flow identifier;

a back-off time indicating a time length to perform the back-off; and

a ramp-up time indicating how fast to ramp back from the back-off; and

transmit the congestion notification message to a second network node,

wherein the flow identifier includes at least one of a Packet Data Convergence Protocol, PDCP, Flow Identification, FID, a PDCP Group FID or a PDCP Multicast Group FID.

11. The first network node of claim 10 , wherein the buffer state is a buffer fill level and the change of the buffer state is a change of the buffer fill level, the first network node to further perform operations to:

monitor the buffer fill level; and

determine the condition indicative of congestion in response to the buffer fill level exceeding the predetermined limit.

12. The first network node of claim 10 , wherein the buffer state is a buffer change rate at which the buffer changes and the change of the buffer state is a change of the buffer change rate, the first network node to further perform operations to:

monitor the rate at which the buffer state changes; and

determine the condition indicative of congestion in response to said buffer change rate exceeding the predetermined limit.

13. The first network node of claim 12 , wherein the buffer change rate is a buffer fill rate at which the buffer fills, the first network node to further perform operations to:

monitor the rate at which the buffer fills; and

determine the condition indicative of congestion in response to said buffer fill rate exceeding the predetermined limit.

14. The first network node of claim 10 , wherein the flow identifier additionally comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the first network node.

15. A second network node for congestion control in a transport network, the second network node comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the second network node to perform operations to:

receive, from a first network node, a congestion notification message associated with a buffer of the first network node, wherein the congestion notification message includes a combination of:

a flow identifier identifying a flow that contributes to congestion;

a back-off rate indicating a suitable back-off to compensate for the congestion caused by the flow associated with said flow identifier;

a back-off time indicating a time length to perform the back-off; and

a ramp-up time indicating how fast to ramp back from the back-off; and

adjust one or more parameters on a basis of the congestion notification message,

wherein the flow identifier ( 310 ) includes at least one of a Packet Data Convergence Protocol, PDCP, Flow Identification, FID, a PDCP Group FID or a PDCP Multicast Group FID.

16. The second network node of claim 15 , wherein the flow identifier additionally comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the first network node.