Multiplex communications – Data flow congestion prevention or control – Control of data admission to the network
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-12
2003-04-15
Olms, Douglas (Department: 2732)
Multiplex communications
Data flow congestion prevention or control
Control of data admission to the network
C370S235000, C370S437000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06549515
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to telecommunication systems and methods for their management, and in particular to methods of managing networks, operating under varying traffic loads and to telecommunication systems in which varying demands for bandwidth are managed effectively.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The ever-growing traffic load in communication networks has been realized for some time as a problem that requires an urgent solution, as the growing traffic loads threatens the collapse these networks. To date, some solutions were suggested to the problem, among which is a solution suggested in IESS-501 (Rev. 3) entitled “Digital Circuit Multiplication Equipment Specification 32 kbit/s ADPCM with DSI and Facsimile Demodulation/Remodulation”, 1992. The solution suggested in pp. 27-29 was to decrease the number of bits in the voice channels under overload conditions of the network. When the demand cannot be met by the network, the algorithms will first lose one bit, and then if the demand is still not met, the algorithms may lose a further bit.
Another solution known in the art is a method described in standard G.763 which defines the management of a communication network under varying traffic loads. Essentially, according to this solution a bit is dropped from every algorithm applied in the bearer, and all these dropped bits are collected to a “bank” of bits. When the system load increases, the bits available in the bank can be used. However, if the requirement for bits is further increased and exceeds the number of bits available, each algorithm must “contribute” a further bit to the “bank”. The process continues as described above, until the network requirements are met.
As may be appreciated, these solutions are directed to provide a solution to the overload problems and are not particularly concerned with system efficiency. In other words, the prior art solutions are directed towards ensuring that traffic will be transmitted through the network, even if the transmission is not carried out in the best possible mode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for improving the managing of networks under varying traffic load in synchronous and asynchronous transfer modes, IP networks, IP frame relating networks or any other applicable communication networks.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a system and an apparatus capable of managing telecommunication traffic load in accordance with the availability of the system resources.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method for managing varying traffic load in a telecommunication network, comprising the steps of:
(i) establishing an instantaneous demand for bandwidth at a pre-defined location of the telecommunication network, by calculating a total number of bits, N, required for conveying transmissions by all active channels connected at that pre-defined location of the telecommunication network, wherein the instantaneous demand may arise from more than one type of algorithms, each associated with at least one active channel;
(ii) comparing the total number of bits required, N thus obtained, with a number of bits M available for use in the pre-defined location of the telecommunication network;
(iii) applying a bit rate adjusting mechanism to each one of the algorithms associated with the active channels when the number of bits M available for use in the pre-defined location of the telecommunication network is different from the total number of bits N required by all the active channels; and
(iv) repeating steps (i) to (iii) periodically.
The term “telecommunication network” as will be used hereinafter, should be understood to encompass the various types of networks known in the art, such as synchronous and asynchronous transfer networks, IP networks, IP frame relaying networks and the like.
The term “algorithm” as will be used hereinafter, refers to various types of handling transmission. Such types of transmission encompass demodulation/remodulation, native data transmission, various types of compression, silence (0 bit/s), non-compressible clear channel (64 kbit/s) and the like.
In accordance with the present invention, the bit rate adjusting mechanism is applied when M the number of bits available is different from the total number of bits N required. However, as can be appreciated by a man skilled in the art, for practical purposes such a mechanism is applied, when M is substantially different than N. Furthermore, the convergence method applied while implementing the bit adjusting mechanism is likely to result with updating the number of bits to be allocated for each active channel in a way that the overall number of allocated bits will not be exactly equal to M, the number of bits available, but based on practical considerations, be less than but essentially close to M.
By a first embodiment of the present invention, the method provided is carried out according to the following steps:
(i) establishing a network instantaneous demand for bandwidth by calculating N, the total number of bits required for the operative algorithms in all the active channels connected to the telecommunication network, wherein said network instantaneous demand may arise from more than one type of algorithms;
(ii) comparing N, the total number of bits required thus obtained, with the number of bits, M, available for use in the telecommunication network;
(iii) if the number of bits available for use in the telecommunication network M is smaller than the network instantaneous demand N, the bit rate adjusting mechanism is used for dropping bits from one or more of the operative algorithms, whereas if the number of bits available for use in the telecommunication network M is greater than the network instantaneous demand N, the bit rate adjusting mechanism may be used for adding bits to one or more of the operative algorithms; and
(iv) repeating steps (i) to (iii) periodically.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bit rate adjusting mechanism is based on the individual load function of each one of the algorithms applied in the active channels, where the individual load function is defined as the number of bits to be transmitted in the telecommunication network per unit of time, under a given value of load. According to the present invention, the load is determined at a pre-defined location in the telecommunication network. Such a pre-defined location can be for example the bearer, a router, a switch or any other critical point in the network. However, the present invention should also be understood to provide a more comprehensive management by managing loads on a network scale or in a part of such a network. Most preferably, the construction of each algorithm load function is based upon the following (i) assuming that when there is no load at the network (the network load value is practically zero) there are no other algorithms competing with the algorithm for which the load function is being constructed, on the availability of the bearer, and (ii) quantifying the significance of that algorithm in the operation of the specific network (i.e. under what value system load, should bits be dropped from this algorithm when taking into account all types of algorithms that are active in the bearer).
To demonstrate the above, let us assume that a load function is to be constructed for a fax algorithm, In one network the load function may be defined as having a constant value of 15 kbit/s (algorithm with Forward Error Correction, “FEC”) as long as the network load does not exceed a certain value, say v
1
. Thereafter, the value of the load function drops to 9.6 kibts/s (without FEC). In another network, a similar shift in the function value from 15 kbit/s to 9.6 kbit/s might also take place, but under a different value for the system load, v
2
. The difference between v
1
and v
2
is derived from the signific
Litvak Oleg
Sourani Sason
Berkowitz Marvin C.
ECI Telecom Ltd.
Olms Douglas
Sam Phirin
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