ALTO Client Evaluating Server Reliability for Network Path Selection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Communications networks face challenges in effectively handling and processing information from multiple ALTO servers, particularly in evaluating the reliability and quality of information provided, which can be biased or incomplete, impacting the accuracy of network path and node selection.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus where an ALTO client collects and evaluates information from multiple ALTO servers using certainty factors based on reliability and quality, combining these factors to select the most trustworthy and detailed information for network map and cost map requests, ensuring neutral and up-to-date data is prioritized.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If information is collected from multiple ALTO servers, then the quantity and diversity of information increases, but the difficulty of evaluating reliability and quality increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary evaluation mechanism that acts as a mediator between multiple ALTO servers and the client. This intermediary systematically assesses the reliability and quality of information from each server using certainty factors, thereby managing the complexity of evaluating multiple information sources without directly burdening the client.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the client evaluates the quality and reliability of received information and communicates this back to the servers. This feedback loop allows servers to adjust their information provision based on their perceived reliability and the client's needs, systematically managing the evaluation process across multiple servers.
2Loss of information
If information from all servers is processed equally, then no information is lost, but the accuracy of network path and node selection decreases due to biased information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different certainty factors to information from different servers based on their individual reliability and quality characteristics. Instead of treating all information uniformly, each server's information is weighted according to its specific quality attributes, allowing the system to maintain completeness while improving accuracy through differentiated evaluation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of information weighting by introducing certainty factors that modify the influence of each server's information. By dynamically adjusting these parameters based on evaluated reliability and quality, the system can prioritize accurate information while still considering all available data sources.
3Reliability
If detailed evaluation of each server's information is performed, then the reliability of selected information increases, but the processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing detailed evaluation only when necessary to achieve the required reliability level. The systematic evaluation process allows the client to stop assessing servers once sufficient reliable information is obtained, rather than exhaustively evaluating all possible sources, thereby reducing unnecessary processing time while maintaining reliability.
4Reliability
If servers provide tendentious information favoring their own nodes, then their own network performance may be optimized, but the overall network neutrality and user perspective are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies anti-weight by introducing certainty factors that counterbalance the inherent bias in server-provided information. When a server's information is evaluated as tendentious, the system automatically reduces its weight or certainty factor, effectively neutralizing the biased influence and allowing the client to make more neutral, user-centric decisions despite servers optimizing for their own performance.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention concerns a method for providing information in a communications network (1) The method comprises collecting by a client (2) information on one or more network nodes (3) from a plurality of servers (4) by means of a protocol for retrieving abstract network information, in particular an ALTO protocol. The present invention concerns further a client (2) adapted to collect information on one or more network nodes (3) from a plurality of servers (4) by means of a protocol for retrieving abstract network information, in particular an ALTO protocol. The present invention concerns further a computer program product, adapted to execute the method according to of one of the claims 1 - 13, when executed on a computer.