Link selection method and apparatus, terminal device, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of network communications, and discloses a link selection method and apparatus, a terminal device, and a storage medium. The method comprises: on the basis of respective network quality parameters of access links, calculating respective network quality values of the access links; sorting the network quality values in descending order, using the access link corresponding to the top-ranked first network quality value as a master link, and using the access links other than the master link as slave links; comparing the first network quality value with a previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result; and on the basis of the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing an external network, selecting from the slave links a target slave link for accessing the external network, and enabling the target slave link and the master link to access the external network. By using the technical solution of the present application, the network communication quality of the network service provided by a multi-WAN communication device can be improved.

Description

Link selection method, device, terminal device and storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 22, 2023, with application number 202311788417.4, and invention name “Link selection method, device, terminal device and storage medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of network communication technology, and in particular to a link selection method, apparatus, terminal device, and storage medium. Background Art

[0003] With the popularization of the Internet, in order to meet users' demand for high-bandwidth and low-latency electronic devices such as 4K TVs and virtual reality, and to provide a network foundation for users' diverse audio-visual life, network communication equipment has gradually shifted from single WAN (Wide Area Network) communication equipment to multi-WAN communication equipment.

[0004] Currently, multi-WAN communication devices on the market typically select a link by detecting the connectivity of the current WAN link. Specifically, a primary link is used to provide network services to users, while the other links remain idle. If the primary link becomes unavailable, network services are switched to the other links. However, this link selection method prevents automatic link switching when the primary link's network quality is poor, as the primary link remains available for network access while the other links remain idle. This results in low link utilization and poor network quality.

[0005] In summary, how to improve the network communication quality of network services provided by multiple WAN communication devices has become a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main purpose of this application is to provide a link selection method, apparatus, terminal device and storage medium, aiming to improve the network communication quality of network services provided by multi-WAN communication devices.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present application provides a link selection method, which includes:

[0008] Calculating a network quality value for each access link according to the network quality parameters of each access link;

[0009] Sort the network quality values ​​in descending order, select the access link corresponding to the first network quality value ranked first as the primary link, and select the other access links except the primary link as slave links;

[0010] Comparing the first network quality value with the previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result;

[0011] According to the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network, a target slave link accessing the external network is selected from the slave links, and the target slave link and the master link are connected to the external network.

[0012] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0013] monitoring link access status in real time, and determining the number of access links according to the link access status;

[0014] If the number of the access links is greater than one, performing the steps of calculating the network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link and the subsequent steps;

[0015] If the number of the access links is equal to one, the access link is connected to the external network.

[0016] Optionally, the step of calculating the network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link includes:

[0017] Periodically acquiring network quality parameters of each access link according to a preset detection frequency, wherein the network quality parameters include latency, packet loss rate, and throughput;

[0018] For each access link, the delay, the packet loss rate, and the throughput corresponding to the access link are weightedly calculated according to their respective weights to obtain a network quality value corresponding to the access link.

[0019] Optionally, before the step of periodically acquiring the network quality parameter of each access link according to a preset detection frequency, the method further includes:

[0020] Real-time monitoring of user configuration data, wherein the user configuration data includes detection frequency, latency priority, packet loss rate priority, and throughput priority;

[0021] The weights of the delay, the packet loss rate, and the throughput are determined according to the priority of the delay, the priority of the packet loss rate, and the priority of the throughput.

[0022] Optionally, the step of selecting a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links according to the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network includes:

[0023] Determine the number of links currently connected to the external network;

[0024] If the number of links is one, and the comparison result shows that the first network quality value is greater than or equal to the previous first network quality value, the number of target slave links selected from the slave links to access the external network is zero;

[0025] If the number of links is one and the comparison result is that the first network quality value is less than the previous first network quality value, a ratio between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value is calculated, and a target slave link for accessing an external network is selected from the slave links based on the ratio and the network quality value of the slave link.

[0026] Optionally, after the step of determining the number of links currently accessing the external network, the method further includes:

[0027] If the number of links is greater than one, obtaining a load percentage of each of a historical master link and a historical slave link currently accessing the external network, and comparing a network quality value of the slave link with a network quality value of the historical slave link to obtain a second comparison result;

[0028] If the comparison result shows that the first network quality value is equal to the previous first network quality value, selecting a target slave link for accessing an external network from the slave links according to the second comparison result;

[0029] If the comparison result is that the first network quality value is greater than or less than the previous first network quality value, the ratio between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value is calculated, and based on the ratio, the load percentage and the second comparison result, a target slave link for accessing the external network is selected from the slave links.

[0030] Optionally, after the step of sorting the network quality values ​​in descending order, the method further includes:

[0031] updating the routing table according to the order of the network quality values, so that the access links in the routing table are arranged according to the order of the network quality values;

[0032] Routing is performed based on the updated routing table.

[0033] In addition, to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application also provides a link selection device, which includes:

[0034] a calculation module, configured to calculate a network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link;

[0035] a sorting module, configured to sort the network quality values ​​in descending order, select the access link corresponding to the first network quality value ranked first as the primary link, and select the other access links except the primary link as slave links;

[0036] a comparing module, configured to compare the first network quality value with a previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result;

[0037] The link selection module is used to select a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links according to the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network, and connect the target slave link and the main link to the external network.

[0038] Among them, each functional module of the link selection device of the present application implements the steps of the link selection method described above during operation.

[0039] In addition, to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application also provides a terminal device, which includes: a memory, a processor, and a link selection program stored on the memory and runnable on the processor, and when the link selection program is executed by the processor, the steps of the link selection method described above are implemented.

[0040] In addition, to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application also proposes a storage medium, which is a computer-readable storage medium and stores a link selection program. When the link selection program is executed by the processor, the steps of the link selection method described above are implemented.

[0041] The present application provides a link selection method, apparatus, terminal device, and storage medium, wherein the link selection method includes: calculating the network quality value of each access link based on the network quality parameters of each access link; sorting the network quality values ​​in descending order, taking the access link corresponding to the first network quality value ranked first as the main link, and taking the other access links except the main link as slave links; comparing the first network quality value with the previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result; selecting a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links based on the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network, and connecting the target slave link and the main link to the external network.

[0042] In this way, the present application selects the main link for connecting to the external network according to the network quality of each access link of the multi-WAN communication device, realizes automatic switching of the link, and evaluates and selects to add slave links according to the changes in the quality status of the main link before and after actual use to optimize the network communication quality. It not only ensures the comprehensiveness of the overall network quality, but also takes into account the flexibility of network switching, thereby improving the network communication quality of the network services provided by the multi-WAN communication device.

[0043] The details of one or more embodiments of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below, and other features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the device structure of the hardware operating environment of the terminal device involved in the embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an implementation flow of an embodiment of a link selection method of the present application;

[0046] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device involved in an embodiment of a link selection method of the present application;

[0047] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a routing selection implementation process involved in an embodiment of a link selection method of the present application;

[0048] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of functional modules of an embodiment of a link selection device of the present application.

[0049] The realization of the objectives, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0051] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0052] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present application (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0053] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connected" and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean fixed, removable, or integrated; it can mean mechanical or electrical; it can mean direct or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean internal communication between two components or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances. Furthermore, references to "first," "second," and the like in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments may be combined, but only if they are achievable by a person of ordinary skill in the art. If a combination of technical solutions contradicts or is unachievable, such combination shall be deemed non-existent and outside the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0054] An embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device.

[0055] It should be noted that the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application can be a network communication device such as a switch, router, gateway or CPE with multiple WAN ports.

[0056] As shown in Figure 1, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the device structure of the terminal device hardware operating environment involved in the embodiment of the present application. In the hardware operating environment of the terminal device, the terminal device may include: a processor 1001, such as a CPU, a network interface 1004, a user interface 1003, a memory 1005, and a communication bus 1002. Among them, the communication bus 1002 is used to realize the connection and communication between these components. The user interface 1003 may include a display screen (Display), an input unit such as a keyboard (Keyboard), and the optional user interface 1003 may also include a standard wired interface and a wireless interface. The network interface 1004 may optionally include a standard wired interface and a wireless interface (such as a WI-FI interface). The memory 1005 may be a high-speed RAM memory, or a stable memory (non-volatile memory), such as a disk memory. The memory 1005 may also be a storage device independent of the aforementioned processor 1001.

[0057] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terminal device structure shown in FIG1 does not constitute a limitation on the device, and may include more or fewer components than shown, or a combination of certain components, or a different arrangement of components.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 1 , the memory 1005 as a computer storage medium may include an operating system, a network communication module, a user interface module, and a link selection program.

[0059] In the device shown in FIG1 , the network interface 1004 is primarily used to connect to a backend server and perform data communication with the backend server; the user interface 1003 is primarily used to connect to a client (user end) and perform data communication with the client; and the processor 1001 may be used to call a link selection program stored in the memory 1005 and perform the following operations:

[0060] Calculating a network quality value for each access link according to the network quality parameters of each access link;

[0061] sorting the network quality values ​​in descending order, selecting the access link corresponding to the first network quality value ranked first as the primary link, and selecting the access links other than the primary link as slave links; comparing the first network quality value with the previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result;

[0062] According to the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network, a target slave link accessing the external network is selected from the slave links, and the target slave link and the master link are connected to the external network.

[0063] Optionally, the processor 1001 may also be configured to call a link selection program stored in the memory 1005 and perform the following operations:

[0064] monitoring link access status in real time, and determining the number of access links according to the link access status;

[0065] If the number of the access links is greater than one, performing the steps of calculating the network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link and the subsequent steps;

[0066] If the number of the access links is equal to one, the access link is connected to the external network.

[0067] Optionally, the processor 1001 may also be configured to call a link selection program stored in the memory 1005 and perform the following operations:

[0068] Periodically acquiring network quality parameters of each access link according to a preset detection frequency, wherein the network quality parameters include latency, packet loss rate, and throughput;

[0069] For each access link, the delay, the packet loss rate, and the throughput corresponding to the access link are weightedly calculated according to their respective weights to obtain a network quality value corresponding to the access link.

[0070] Optionally, the processor 1001 may also be configured to call a link selection program stored in the memory 1005 and perform the following operations:

[0071] Real-time monitoring of user configuration data, wherein the user configuration data includes detection frequency, latency priority, packet loss rate priority, and throughput priority;

[0072] The weights of the delay, the packet loss rate, and the throughput are determined according to the priority of the delay, the priority of the packet loss rate, and the priority of the throughput.

[0073] Optionally, the processor 1001 may also be configured to call a link selection program stored in the memory 1005 and perform the following operations:

[0074] Determine the number of links currently connected to the external network;

[0075] If the number of links is one, and the comparison result shows that the first network quality value is greater than or equal to the previous first network quality value, the number of target slave links selected from the slave links to access the external network is zero;

[0076] If the number of links is one and the comparison result is that the first network quality value is less than the previous first network quality value, a ratio between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value is calculated, and a target slave link for accessing an external network is selected from the slave links based on the ratio and the network quality value of the slave link.

[0077] Optionally, the processor 1001 may also be configured to call a link selection program stored in the memory 1005 and perform the following operations:

[0078] If the number of links is greater than one, obtaining a load percentage of each of a historical master link and a historical slave link currently accessing the external network, and comparing a network quality value of the slave link with a network quality value of the historical slave link to obtain a second comparison result;

[0079] If the comparison result shows that the first network quality value is equal to the previous first network quality value, selecting a target slave link for accessing an external network from the slave links according to the second comparison result;

[0080] If the comparison result is that the first network quality value is greater than or less than the previous first network quality value, the ratio between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value is calculated, and based on the ratio, the load percentage and the second comparison result, a target slave link for accessing the external network is selected from the slave links.

[0081] Optionally, the processor 1001 may also be configured to call a link selection program stored in the memory 1005 and perform the following operations:

[0082] updating the routing table according to the order of the network quality values, so that the access links in the routing table are arranged according to the order of the network quality values;

[0083] Routing is performed based on the updated routing table.

[0084] Based on the above hardware structure, the overall concept of each embodiment of the link selection method of this application is proposed. In the embodiments of this application, with the popularization of the Internet, in order to meet the needs of users for high-bandwidth and low-latency electronic devices such as 4K TVs and virtual reality, and to provide a network foundation for users' diverse audio-visual life, network communication devices have gradually transformed from single WAN communication devices to multi-WAN communication devices.

[0085] Currently, multi-WAN communication devices on the market typically select a link by detecting the connectivity of the current WAN link. Specifically, a primary link is used to provide network services to users, while the other links remain idle. If the primary link becomes unavailable, network services are switched to the other links. However, this link selection method prevents automatic link switching when the primary link's network quality is poor, as the primary link remains available for network access while the other links remain idle. This results in low link utilization and poor network quality.

[0086] In summary, how to improve the network communication quality of network services provided by multiple WAN communication devices has become a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved in this field.

[0087] In response to the above problems, an embodiment of the present application proposes a link selection method, which includes: calculating the network quality value of each access link based on the network quality parameters of each access link; sorting the network quality values ​​in descending order, and taking the access link corresponding to the first network quality value ranked first as the main link, and taking other access links except the main link as slave links; comparing the first network quality value with the previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result; based on the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network, selecting a target slave link to access the external network from the slave links, and connecting the target slave link and the main link to the external network.

[0088] In this way, the present application selects the main link for connecting to the external network according to the network quality of each access link of the multi-WAN communication device, realizes automatic switching of the link, and evaluates and selects to add slave links according to the changes in the quality status of the main link before and after actual use to optimize the network communication quality. It not only ensures the comprehensiveness of the overall network quality, but also takes into account the flexibility of network switching, thereby improving the network communication quality of the network services provided by the multi-WAN communication device.

[0089] Based on the above-mentioned overall concept of the link selection method of the present application, various embodiments of the link selection method of the present application are proposed.

[0090] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the link selection method of the present application. It should be noted that although the logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be performed in a different order than here.

[0091] In this embodiment, for ease of understanding and explanation, a multi-WAN communication device is used as the direct execution subject in this embodiment, hereinafter referred to as a communication device, to explain the link selection method of this application.

[0092] As shown in FIG2 , in this embodiment, the link selection method of the present application may include:

[0093] Step S10: Calculating the network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link;

[0094] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the communication device includes multiple WAN ports, which are used to connect to external ISP (Internet Service Provider) networks, such as ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), DDN (Digital Data Network), Ethernet and other access lines. The access link refers to the WAN port link that has opened network services. The access link can access the external network to provide network services to users, or it can temporarily not access the external network and be idle only as a backup for the link that is connected to the external network.

[0095] In this embodiment, the communication device obtains the network quality parameters of the access links of the respective WAN interfaces, and calculates the network quality values ​​of the respective access links according to the network quality parameters.

[0096] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the network quality parameters of the link may include network quality parameters such as link delay, packet loss, and throughput. The network quality value is the quality score of each link calculated by the communication equipment based on the value of the network quality parameters of each link. The scoring system of the network quality value can be a percentage, a tenth system, a percentage system, etc. The specific scoring system is not limited in this embodiment and can be set according to the actual scenario.

[0097] Step S20: sorting the network quality values ​​in descending order, taking the access link corresponding to the first network quality value ranked first as the primary link, and taking the other access links except the primary link as slave links;

[0098] In this embodiment, the communication device arranges the calculated network quality values ​​in descending order, and uses the access link corresponding to the first network quality value ranked first as the main link, and uses other access links except the main link as slave links, that is, the access link with the largest network quality value and the best network quality is used as the main link, and uses other access links as slave links, thereby effectively improving the network quality of the network service provided by the communication device by selecting the main link for accessing the external network according to the network quality.

[0099] Step S30: Compare the first network quality value with the previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result;

[0100] In this embodiment, after the communication device determines the main link with the best network quality based on the network quality values ​​of each access link, it compares the first network quality value of the main link with the previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result of the two values, where the previous first network quality value refers to the network quality value of the main link determined by the communication device last time based on the network quality parameters of each access link, that is, the network quality value of the main link currently accessing the external network.

[0101] Step S40: According to the comparison result and the number of links currently connected to the external network, a target slave link for accessing the external network is selected from the slave links, and the target slave link and the master link are connected to the external network.

[0102] In this embodiment, the communication device selects a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links based on a comparison result between the first network quality value and the historical first network value and the number of links currently accessing the external network. The communication device specifically selects the number of target slave links for accessing the external network, and determines the service load percentage of the target slave link and the service load percentage of the main link. After determining the number of links and the service load percentage, the target slave link and the main link are connected to the external network, and network services are provided to users through the main link and the target slave link, thereby increasing bandwidth and improving network service quality.

[0103] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, when selecting a target slave link for accessing an external network, selection is made from high to low according to the network quality value of each slave link, so as to ensure the best quality of the accessed network.

[0104] Furthermore, in a feasible embodiment, the link selection method of the present application may further include:

[0105] Step A10: monitoring the link access status in real time, and determining the number of access links according to the link access status;

[0106] In this embodiment, after the communication device is turned on, it monitors the WAN link access status of each of its WAN ports in real time through its own WAN link monitoring module. The link access status can be divided into WAN link access and disconnection, and the number of accessed WAN links is counted based on the monitored link access status. If there is access, the number is increased by one, and if an existing WAN link is disconnected, the number is reduced by one.

[0107] Step A20: If the number of the access links is greater than one, performing the steps of calculating the network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link and the subsequent steps;

[0108] In this embodiment, the communication device determines whether the number of access links is greater than one. If the number of access links is greater than one, the network quality value of each access link is calculated based on the network quality parameters of each access link. Then, the network quality values ​​are sorted in descending order, and the access link corresponding to the first network quality value ranked first is used as the main link, and the access links other than the main link are used as slave links. The first network quality value is compared with the previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result. Finally, based on the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network, a target slave link for accessing the external network is selected from the slave links, and the target slave link and the main link are connected to the external network.

[0109] Step A30: If the number of the access links is equal to one, connect the access link to the external network.

[0110] In this embodiment, the communication device determines whether the number of access links is greater than one. If the number of access links is equal to one, it means that only one WAN link can be used as an Internet access interface, and then the access link is connected to the external network.

[0111] In this way, the communication equipment counts the number of currently connected WAN links in real time, and flexibly selects the link with better network quality from these multiple links for network switching when there are multiple links, so as to optimize the network environment and bring better Internet experience to users. When there is only one link, the only link is used as the Internet interface, and there is no need to calculate the network quality value of the link, saving the computing resources of the device.

[0112] For example, in a feasible embodiment, as shown in FIG3 , the communication device includes a WAN link monitoring module, a link parameter acquisition module, a link quality scoring module, and a routing selection module, wherein the WAN link monitoring module is responsible for monitoring and counting the access and disconnection of WAN links. When a WAN link is connected or disconnected, the module counts the number of WAN links connected to the network by the device in real time and sends an event notification to the link parameter acquisition module; the link parameter acquisition module is responsible for periodically acquiring the three network quality parameters of latency, packet loss, and throughput of each WAN link, and recording them in a data table for use by the link quality scoring module; the link quality scoring module is responsible for calculating the quality score of each WAN link, i.e., the network quality value, through weighted operations based on the above three network quality indicators and user configuration, and then sorting and recording them as the basis for updating the routing selection module; the routing selection module is responsible for maintaining and updating the routing table of the communication device to ultimately decide which WAN link to access the external ISP network.

[0113] In this embodiment, the embodiment of the present application calculates the network quality value of each access link based on the network quality parameters of each access link; sorts the network quality values ​​in descending order, and uses the access link corresponding to the first network quality value ranked first as the main link, and uses other access links except the main link as slave links; compares the first network quality value with the previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result; based on the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network, selects a target slave link to access the external network from the slave links, and connects the target slave link and the main link to the external network.

[0114] In this way, the embodiment of the present application selects the main link for connecting to the external network according to the network quality of each access link of the multi-WAN communication device, realizes automatic switching of the link, and evaluates and selects to add slave links according to the changes in the quality status of the main link before and after actual use to optimize the network communication quality. It not only ensures the comprehensiveness of the overall network quality, but also takes into account the flexibility of network switching, thereby improving the network communication quality of the network services provided by the multi-WAN communication device.

[0115] Furthermore, based on the above-mentioned first embodiment of the link selection method of the present application, a second embodiment of the link selection method of the present application is proposed.

[0116] In this embodiment, the above step S10: calculating the network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link includes:

[0117] Step S101: periodically acquiring network quality parameters of each access link according to a preset detection frequency, wherein the network quality parameters include latency, packet loss rate, and throughput;

[0118] In this embodiment, after being turned on, the communication device periodically obtains the network quality parameters of each of its own access WAN links according to a preset detection frequency. The network quality parameters include the link's latency, packet loss rate, and throughput. Latency, packet loss rate, and throughput are all performance indicators for detecting network quality.

[0119] Specifically, in this embodiment, a network testing tool is pre-installed in the communication device. Currently, there are many network testing tools, such as ping, speedtest, tracerouter, and iperf. Because the iperf tool can simultaneously detect network latency, packet loss rate, and throughput, it is comprehensive and powerful. In this embodiment, iperf is used as an example. After the communication device is turned on, it uses its own configured timer to count. When the time reaches a preset detection frequency, iperf is started to detect network quality parameters such as latency, packet loss rate, and throughput of each WAN link and record them, forming a network quality parameter detection table for each WAN link.

[0120] Step S102: For each access link, perform weighted calculation on the delay, the packet loss rate, and the throughput corresponding to the access link according to their respective weights to obtain a network quality value corresponding to the access link.

[0121] In this embodiment, for each access WAN link, the communication device calculates the network quality parameters such as the link delay, packet loss rate and throughput according to their respective weights to obtain the network quality value corresponding to the link. The network quality value S T =ω1S1+ω2S2+ω3S3, where S1, S2 and S3 represent the scores of a WAN link in terms of latency, packet loss rate and throughput, ω1, ω2 and ω3 represent the weights of each score, S T It represents the weighted total score, that is, the network quality value of the link. This allows the network quality scoring algorithm to take into account the three core network indicators and determine the impact of the three indicators based on network requirements. This ensures the comprehensiveness of the overall network quality while also taking into account the flexibility of network quality.

[0122] It should be noted that in this embodiment, after obtaining the network quality parameters of each access link, the communication device needs to preprocess these parameters so as to perform weighted calculation on these parameters to obtain a network quality value. The preprocessing steps specifically include:

[0123] Latency preprocessing steps: Based on the commonly used network latency levels, latency can be divided into four levels: 0-10ms, 10ms-50ms, 50ms-100ms, and greater than 100ms. The corresponding latency scores can be set to 10, 8, 5, and 3, representing good, normal, average, and poor latency, respectively. The smaller the latency, the more stable the network.

[0124] Preprocessing steps for packet loss rate: According to the common network packet loss rate levels, it can be divided into four levels: 0-0.1%, 0.1%-1%, 1%-5% and greater than 5%. The corresponding scores can be set to 10, 8, 5 and 3, representing good, normal, average and poor packet loss rates. The lower the packet loss, the higher the data reliability.

[0125] Throughput: Throughput measures the actual amount of data a WAN link can send and receive per unit time. Throughput is categorized into four levels: greater than 100 Mbps, 50-100 Mbps, 20-50 Mbps, and less than 20 Mbps. These levels are scored as 10, 8, 5, and 3, representing good, normal, fair, and poor throughput, respectively. Higher throughput indicates faster data acquisition.

[0126] Furthermore, in a feasible embodiment, before the above step S101, the link selection method of the present application may further include:

[0127] Step S103: real-time monitoring of user configuration data, wherein the user configuration data includes detection frequency, priority of latency, priority of packet loss rate, and priority of throughput;

[0128] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the user configuration data is the data configured by the user in the user configuration interface of the communication device. Usually, the user can enter the user configuration interface of the communication device in the user terminal and make relevant settings for the WAN port in the interface.

[0129] In this embodiment, the communication device monitors user configuration data in real time. The monitored data specifically includes detection frequency of link network quality parameters, priority of link delay, priority of link packet loss rate, and priority of link throughput.

[0130] Specifically, the detection frequency initially defaults to 1 hour, with configurable values ​​of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours, and so on. When there are multiple WAN links, after the timer configured on the communication device starts and the configured duration is reached, the communication device will perform link quality detection and switching. Users can adjust this value according to actual needs. For the priorities of latency, packet loss rate, and throughput, the initial default priority of the three is the same, and the weight ratio of the three is 1:1:1. Users can adjust the priorities of the three according to actual needs. For example, when the user configures latency priority, the weight ratio of the three is switched to 2:1:1.

[0131] Step S104: Determine the respective weights of the delay, the packet loss rate, and the throughput according to the priority of the delay, the priority of the packet loss rate, and the priority of the throughput.

[0132] In this embodiment, the communication device determines the weights of latency, packet loss rate, and throughput based on the priority of link latency, the priority of link packet loss rate, and the priority of link throughput. For parameters with higher priorities, the communication device increases their weights.

[0133] For example, in a feasible embodiment, the communication device calculates the network quality value based on the detection frequency and network quality parameter priority configured by the user. The communication device provides the user with multiple configuration options. Taking the communication device having three access links as an example, when the network quality parameter of each link is unique, the network quality values ​​and arrangement order of each of the three links are obtained based on the different priorities configured by the user as shown in the following table:

[0134] In this way, based on different user configurations, even if the network quality parameters of the multiple WAN links of the communication device remain unchanged, the network quality values ​​of each link will change, which will cause the link for the device to access the external network to switch. When the user configuration is to prioritize latency, the communication device can better support real-time services such as live broadcasts and online games. When the user configuration is to prioritize packet loss rate, the communication device can better support services such as video conferencing and HDTV. When the user configuration is to prioritize throughput, the communication device can better support services such as downloading and web browsing, thereby meeting the different network needs of users and bringing users a better Internet experience.

[0135] Furthermore, based on the first embodiment and / or second embodiment of the link selection method of the present application, a third embodiment of the link selection method of the present application is proposed.

[0136] In this embodiment, the step of "selecting a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links according to the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network" in step S40 includes:

[0137] Step S401: Determine the number of links currently connected to the external network;

[0138] In this embodiment, the communication device determines the number of links currently connected to the external network, that is, the number of links connected to the external network determined after the last ranking of network quality values.

[0139] Step S402: If the number of links is one, and the comparison result shows that the first network quality value is greater than or equal to the previous first network quality value, the number of target slave links selected from the slave links to access the external network is zero;

[0140] In this embodiment, if it is determined that the number of links currently accessing the external network is 1, and the comparison result between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value is that the first network quality value is greater than or equal to the previous first network quality value, it indicates that the network quality of the main link has a trend of optimization or maintaining stability, then the communication device only needs to provide network services by the main link to meet the user's Internet access needs, and there is no need to add a slave link to connect to the external network.

[0141] Step S403: If the number of links is one and the comparison result is that the first network quality value is less than the previous first network quality value, then calculate the ratio between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value, and select a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links based on the ratio and the network quality value of the slave link.

[0142] In this embodiment, if it is determined that the number of links currently accessing the external network is 1, and the comparison result between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value is that the first network quality value is less than the previous first network quality value, it indicates that the network quality of the main link has a trend of deterioration and the network load is heavy. The communication device calculates the ratio between the first network quality value and the historical first network value, and selects a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links based on the ratio and the network quality value of the slave link.

[0143] For example, in this embodiment, the ratio between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value is 4:5, which means that the network quality value of the main link decreases by 20%. The communication device can hand over 20% of the business load to the slave link for processing according to the decrease ratio, and 80% of the business load is still processed by the main link. However, according to the network quality value of the slave link, it is determined whether the 20% network load is processed by one target slave link or multiple target slave links. The specific slave link load balancing method will not be elaborated here.

[0144] Furthermore, in a feasible embodiment, after the above step S401, the link selection method of the present application may further include:

[0145] Step S404: If the number of links is greater than one, obtaining the load percentages of the historical master link and the historical slave link currently accessing the external network, and comparing the network quality value of the slave link with the network quality values ​​of the historical slave links to obtain a second comparison result;

[0146] In this embodiment, if it is determined that the number of links currently accessing the external network is greater than 1, that is, the links currently accessing the external network by the communication device include a main link and at least one slave link, the communication device obtains the load percentages of the main link and the slave link currently accessing the external network, and compares the network quality value of the slave link determined this time with the network quality value of the historical slave link to obtain a second comparison result.

[0147] Step S405: If the comparison result shows that the first network quality value is equal to the previous first network quality value, then according to the second comparison result, a target slave link for accessing an external network is selected from the slave links;

[0148] It should be noted that in the following embodiments, for ease of understanding and explanation, the main link determined this time is called L1, the first network quality value is S1, the slave link determined this time is called L2, the second network quality value is S2, the main link currently connected to the external network is called L1', the last first network quality value is S1', the slave link currently connected to the external network is called L2', and the historical second network quality value is S2'. Among them, there can be multiple slave links determined this time, and there can also be multiple slave links currently connected to the external network, and each slave link corresponds to a network quality value.

[0149] In this embodiment, when the number of links currently accessing the external network is greater than 1 and the comparison result between S1 and S1' is S1=S1', the communication device selects a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links according to the second comparison result between S2 and S2'.

[0150] Specifically, when there is only one slave link currently connected to the external network, if S2=S2', the slave link corresponding to S2 is used as the target slave link to connect to the external network. If there are multiple slave links currently connected to the external network, the network quality value S2 of L2 determined this time is also compared with the network quality values ​​S2' of multiple L2's in turn, and the number of target slave links and the load percentage of each are determined based on the comparison results.

[0151] Step S406: If the comparison result is that the first network quality value is greater than or less than the previous first network quality value, the ratio between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value is calculated, and based on the ratio, the load percentage and the second comparison result, the target slave link for accessing the external network is selected from the slave links.

[0152] In this embodiment, when the number of links currently accessing the external network is greater than 1 and the comparison result between S1 and S1' is S1>S1' or S1<S1', the communication device selects a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links based on the ratio between S1 and S1', the load percentages of L1' and L2', and the size comparison result between S2 and S2'.

[0153] Furthermore, in a feasible embodiment, after the step of “sorting the network quality values ​​in descending order” in the above step S20, the link selection method of the present application may further include:

[0154] Step B10: updating the routing table according to the ranking of the network quality values, so that the access links in the routing table are arranged according to the ranking of the network quality values;

[0155] Step B20: performing routing selection based on the updated routing table.

[0156] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the routing table stores the path to a specific network address (in some cases, the routing metric of the path is also recorded). The routing table contains topological information surrounding the network. The routing table is used to implement routing protocols and routing selection. Routing refers to the network-wide process of determining the end-to-end path for a packet from a source to a destination.

[0157] In this embodiment, the communication device updates the routing table according to the ranking of the network quality values ​​of each access link, so that the access links recorded in the routing table are arranged in descending order according to the network quality value. The communication device then performs routing selection based on the routing table to provide network services to users.

[0158] For example, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG4 , after the communication device is started, it monitors in real time whether there are any WAN link access states. When a WAN link is connected or disconnected, the number of connected WAN links is counted. If the number of connected links is greater than one, a timer is started. When the timer expires, network quality parameters of each connected WAN link are obtained. If the number of connected links is not greater than one, a unique WAN link is selected as the Internet access interface. After obtaining the network quality parameters of each connected WAN link, the communication device detects whether the user has configured the priority of each parameter. If so, the link is scored based on the user configuration and the parameters to obtain a network quality value for the link. If not, the default configuration is used to score the network quality value of the link. After obtaining the scores for each link, the WAN link with the highest score is selected. Then, it is determined whether the current routing table (i.e., routing selection table) corresponds to the WAN link with the highest score. If so, the current routing table is maintained. If not, the routing table is updated based on the WAN link with the highest score. The communication device selects a route based on the updated routing table, i.e., connects the link with the highest network quality value to the external network. The above process is repeated periodically by the timer to ensure that the communication device provides the user with the highest network quality network service.

[0159] Thus, in this embodiment, by balancing the load of the main link and the slave link, the load pressure of the main WAN link is reduced, and the utilization rate of each WAN link is improved, which fully utilizes the idle bandwidth of the slave network and effectively improves the network quality.

[0160] In addition, an embodiment of the present application also provides a link selection device.

[0161] Referring to FIG. 5 , the link selection device of the present application includes:

[0162] A calculation module 10, configured to calculate a network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link;

[0163] A sorting module 20 is configured to sort the network quality values ​​in descending order, select the access link corresponding to the first network quality value ranked first as the primary link, and select the access links other than the primary link as slave links;

[0164] A comparison module 30, configured to compare the first network quality value with the previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result;

[0165] The link selection module 40 is configured to select a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links according to the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network, and connect the target slave link and the master link to the external network.

[0166] Optionally, the link selection device of the present application may also include: a status monitoring module, used to monitor the link access status in real time, and determine the number of access links based on the link access status; if the number of the access links is greater than one, then executing the steps of calculating the network quality value of each access link based on the network quality parameters of each access link and subsequent steps; if the number of the access links is equal to one, then connecting the access link to the external network.

[0167] Optionally, the calculation module 10 includes:

[0168] A parameter acquisition unit, configured to periodically acquire network quality parameters of each access link according to a preset detection frequency, wherein the network quality parameters include latency, packet loss rate, and throughput;

[0169] The calculation unit is used to perform weighted calculation on the delay, the packet loss rate and the throughput corresponding to each access link according to their respective weights to obtain a network quality value corresponding to the access link.

[0170] Optionally, the link selection device of the present application may further include:

[0171] A user configuration monitoring module is used to monitor user configuration data in real time, wherein the user configuration data includes detection frequency, delay priority, packet loss rate priority and throughput priority; and the respective weights of the delay, packet loss rate and throughput are determined according to the delay priority, packet loss rate priority and throughput priority.

[0172] Optionally, the link selection module 40 includes: a link quantity determination unit, configured to determine the number of links currently accessing the external network; 10

[0173] a first link selection unit, configured to select, if the number of links is one and a comparison result shows that the first network quality value is greater than or equal to the previous first network quality value, a target slave link of zero to be connected to the external network from the slave links;

[0174] A second link selection unit is configured to calculate a ratio between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value if the number of links is one and a comparison result shows that the first network quality value is less than the previous first network quality value, and select a target slave link for accessing an external network from the slave links based on the ratio and the network quality value of the slave link.

[0175] Optionally, the link selection module 40 further includes:

[0176] an acquiring unit, configured to, if the number of links is greater than one, acquire a load percentage of each of a historical master link and a historical slave link currently accessing the external network, and compare a network quality value of the slave link with a network quality value of the historical slave link to obtain a second comparison result;

[0177] a third link selection unit, configured to select, if a comparison result shows that the first network quality value is equal to the previous first network quality value, a target slave link for accessing an external network from the slave links according to the second comparison result;

[0178] a fourth link selection unit, configured to calculate a ratio between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value if the comparison result shows that the first network quality value is greater than or less than the previous first network quality value, and select a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links based on the ratio, the load percentage, and the second comparison result.

[0179] Optionally, the link selection device of the present application may further include:

[0180] The routing module is configured to update the routing table according to the order of the network quality values ​​so that the access links in the routing table are arranged according to the order of the network quality values; and perform routing selection based on the updated routing table.

[0181] The functional implementation of each module in the above-mentioned link selection device corresponds to each step in the above-mentioned link selection method embodiment, and its functions and implementation processes are not repeated here one by one.

[0182] In addition, the present application also proposes a storage medium, which is a computer-readable storage medium. A link selection program is stored on the storage medium. When the link selection program is executed by a processor, the steps of the link selection method of the present application as described above are implemented.

[0183] The specific embodiments of the storage medium of the present application are basically the same as the embodiments of the link selection method described above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0184] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising the element.

[0185] The serial numbers of the embodiments of the present application are for description only and do not represent the advantages and disadvantages of the embodiments. Through the description of the above implementation modes, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, a magnetic disk, an optical disk), and includes a number of instructions for enabling a terminal device (which can be a mobile phone, a computer, a server, an air conditioner, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present application.

[0186] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and do not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A link selection method, wherein: The method comprises: Calculating the network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link; The network quality values ​​are sorted in descending order, an access link corresponding to a first network quality value ranked first is used as a primary link, and other access links except the primary link are used as secondary links; Compare the first network quality value with the previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result; According to the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network, a target slave link accessing the external network is selected from the slave links, and the target slave link and the master link are connected to the external network.

2. The link selection method according to claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises: monitoring the link access status in real time, and determining the number of access links according to the link access status; If the number of the access links is greater than one, performing the steps of calculating the network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link and the subsequent steps; If the number of the access links is equal to one, the access link is connected to an external network.

3. The link selection method according to claim 1, wherein: The step of calculating the network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link comprises: Periodically acquiring network quality parameters of each access link according to a preset detection frequency, wherein the network quality parameters include latency, packet loss rate, and throughput; For each of the access links, the delay, the packet loss rate, and the throughput corresponding to the access link are weightedly calculated according to their respective weights to obtain a network quality value corresponding to the access link.

4. The link selection method according to claim 3, wherein: Before the step of periodically acquiring the network quality parameter of each access link according to the preset detection frequency, the method further includes: Real-time monitoring of user configuration data, wherein the user configuration data includes detection frequency, latency priority, packet loss rate priority, and throughput priority; The respective weights of the delay, the packet loss rate and the throughput are determined according to the priority of the delay, the priority of the packet loss rate and the priority of the throughput.

5. The link selection method according to claim 1, wherein: The step of selecting a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links according to the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network comprises: Determine the number of links currently connected to the external network; If the number of links is one, and the comparison result is that the first network quality value is greater than or equal to the previous first network quality value, the number of target slave links selected from the slave links to access the external network is zero; If the number of links is one and the comparison result is that the first network quality value is less than the previous first network quality value, the ratio between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value is calculated, and a target slave link for accessing an external network is selected from the slave links based on the ratio and the network quality value of the slave link.

6. The link selection method according to claim 5, wherein: After the step of determining the number of links currently accessing the external network, the method further includes: If the number of links is greater than one, obtaining the load percentages of the historical master link and the historical slave link currently accessing the external network, and comparing the network quality value of the slave link with the network quality value of the historical slave link to obtain a second comparison result; If the comparison result is that the first network quality value is equal to the previous first network quality value, selecting a target slave link for accessing an external network from the slave links according to the second comparison result; If the comparison result is that the first network quality value is greater than or less than the previous first network quality value, the ratio between the first network quality value and the previous first network quality value is calculated, and based on the ratio, the load percentage and the second comparison result, a target slave link for accessing an external network is selected from the slave links.

7. The link selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: After the step of sorting the network quality values ​​in descending order, the method further includes: updating the routing table according to the ranking of the network quality values, so that the access links in the routing table are arranged according to the ranking of the network quality values; Routing is performed based on the updated routing table.

8. A link selection device, wherein: The link selection device comprises: A calculation module, used to calculate the network quality value of each access link according to the network quality parameter of each access link; A sorting module, used to sort the network quality values ​​in descending order, take the access link corresponding to the first network quality value ranked first as the main link, and take other access links except the main link as slave links; A comparison module, configured to compare the first network quality value with the previous first network quality value to obtain a comparison result; The link selection module is used to select a target slave link for accessing the external network from the slave links according to the comparison result and the number of links currently accessing the external network, and connect the target slave link and the main link to the external network.

9. The link selection device according to claim 8, wherein: Also includes: A status monitoring module is used to monitor the link access status in real time and determine the number of access links based on the link access status; if the number of access links is greater than one, the steps of calculating the network quality value of each access link based on the network quality parameter of each access link and the subsequent steps are performed; if the number of access links is equal to one, the access link is connected to the external network.

10. The link selection device according to claim 8, wherein: The computing module comprises: A parameter acquisition unit, used to periodically acquire network quality parameters of each access link according to a preset detection frequency, wherein the network quality parameters include latency, packet loss rate and throughput; The calculation unit is used to perform weighted calculation on the delay, the packet loss rate and the throughput corresponding to each access link according to their respective weights to obtain a network quality value corresponding to the access link.

11. The link selection device according to claim 8, wherein: The link selection device also includes: A user configuration monitoring module is used to monitor user configuration data in real time, wherein the user configuration data includes detection frequency, delay priority, packet loss rate priority and throughput priority; and the weights of the delay, the packet loss rate and the throughput are determined according to the delay priority, the packet loss rate priority and the throughput priority.

12. The link selection device according to claim 8, wherein: The link selection module comprises: A link quantity determination unit, used to determine the number of links currently accessing the external network; A first link selection unit, configured to select a target slave link of zero from the slave links for accessing an external network if the number of links is one and a comparison result shows that the first network quality value is greater than or equal to the previous first network quality value; A second link selection unit is configured to calculate a ratio between the first network quality value and the last first network quality value if the number of links is one and a comparison result shows that the first network quality value is less than the last first network quality value, and select a target slave link for accessing an external network from the slave links according to the ratio and the network quality value of the slave link.

13. The link selection device according to claim 12, wherein: The link selection module further includes: an acquisition unit, configured to acquire, if the number of links is greater than one, respective load percentages of a historical master link and a historical slave link currently accessing an external network, and compare a network quality value of the slave link with a network quality value of the historical slave link to obtain a second comparison result; a third link selection unit, configured to select, if a comparison result shows that the first network quality value is equal to the previous first network quality value, a target slave link for accessing an external network from the slave links according to the second comparison result; a fourth link selection unit, configured to calculate a ratio between the first network quality value and the last first network quality value if the comparison result is that the first network quality value is greater than or less than the last first network quality value, and select a target slave link for accessing an external network from the slave links based on the ratio, the load percentage and the second comparison result.

14. The link selection device according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein: The link selection device of the present application also includes: The routing selection module is used to update the routing selection table according to the ranking of the network quality values, so that each access link in the routing selection table is arranged according to the ranking of the network quality values; and perform routing selection based on the updated routing selection table.

15. A terminal device, wherein: The terminal device comprises: a memory, a processor, and a link selection program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the link selection program implements the steps of the link selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 when executed by the processor.

16. A storage medium, wherein: The storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, and a link selection program is stored on the storage medium. When the link selection program is executed by a processor, the steps of the link selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 are implemented.

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