IP Library Granted Patent US 6,874,032
Granted Patent B2
US 6,874,032 · App. 09/999,348 · Granted Mar 29, 2005

Method and system for burst congestion control in an internet protocol network

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,874,032
App. No.
09/999,348
Granted
Mar 29, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and system for controlling congestion in an IP network comprises the steps of preallocating, for a predetermined interval of time, a set of burst access parameters to a set of predetermined routes between a set of source node and destination node pairs in the IP network, and controlling, at the burst level, the traffic at each source node based on the preallocated set of burst access parameters and without communicating with other nodes in the IP network. Specifically, a network controller, for a predetermined interval of time, determines a set of routes between each source-destination node pair in the network, preallocates a set of maximum permitted rates to the predetermined set of routes, respectively, and pre-assigns a set of burst access thresholds to a set of service classes, respectively, in the predetermined routes, where the pre-assigned burst access thresholds are less than or equal to the corresponding preallocated maximum permitted rates. Based on the maximum permitted rates and the burst access thresholds, each source node in the network then controls, at the burst level, the traffic accessing the network and reserves for each admitted burst the burst peak packet rate on a predetermined route, without communicating with other nodes in the network. A source node admits an arrived burst onto a predetermined route when a total reserved peak packet rate for all bursts on the predetermined route that are in progress at the source node plus a peak packet rate of the burst is less than the identified burst access threshold. Otherwise, the source node prevents the burst from accessing the network.

Claims (18)

1. A congestion control method for a network, said method comprising the steps of:

preallocating, for a predetermined interval of time, a set of burst access parameters to a set of predetermined routes between a set of source node and destination node pairs in the network and a set of thresholds for the allocated set of burst access parameters;

identifying the network topology; and

controlling, at burst level, traffic at each source node in the network based on the previously allocated set of burst access parameters and the previously allocated set of thresholds such that each source node routes to at least one of the set of predetermined routes when values for the allocated set of burst access parameters do not exceed corresponding values for the allocated set of thresholds without requiring approval from other nodes within the network.

2. A congestion control method for a network, said method comprising the steps:

determining for a predetermined interval of time, a set of routes between a set of source node and destination node pairs in the network;

preallocating, for the predetermined interval of time, a set of maximum permitted rates to the determined set of routes, respectively;

assigning, for the predetermined interval of time, a set of burst access thresholds to a set of service classes, respectively, wherein the assigned burst access thresholds are less than or equal to the corresponding allocated maximum permitted rates;

identifying the network topologly; and

controlling, at burst level, traffic accessing each of the source nodes based on the previously allocated set of maximum permitted rates and the previously assigned set of burst access thresholds without requiring approval from other nodes within the network.

3. A method for avoiding congesting in a network, said method comprising the steps:

determining, for a predetermined interval of time, a set of routes between a set of source node and destination node pairs in the network;

preallocating, for the predetermined interval of time, a set of maximum permitted rates to the determined set of routes, respectively;

identifying the network topology; and

controlling, at burst level, traffic accessing each of the source nodes based on the previously allocated set of maximum permitted rates without requiring approval from other nodes within the network.

4. A system for controlling congestion in a network, said system comprising:

a network controller for preallocating, for a predetermined interval of time, a set of burst access parameters to a set of predetermined routes between a set of source node and destination node pairs in the network and for identifying the network topology; and

a burst level controller for controlling, at burst level, traffic at each source node in the network based on the preallocated set of burst access parameters without requiring approval from other nodes within the network.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 12, 2007
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 018989/0678 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 6, 2006
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; ICG COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: MERRILL LYNCH CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 018207/0120 →