Application Server QoS Management via Layer-2 Link Modification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing approaches for managing quality of service (QoS) in network communications rely heavily on device intelligence, leading to compatibility issues and cumbersome updates when QoS levels or policies change, requiring centralized management to reduce these limitations.
Innovation Solution
An application server-centric approach that modifies existing communications sessions via layer-2 changes to communications links, allowing centralized management of QoS based on policies, business rules, and subscription data, reducing the need for intelligence in devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If devices select QoS levels based on local configuration data and application requirements, then QoS selection can be performed autonomously at the device level, but compatibility problems arise when software is provided by different vendors and updates become cumbersome when QoS levels or policies change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a QoS selection agent as an intermediary component that mediates between applications and the network. This agent is responsible for selecting appropriate QoS levels based on application requirements and translating them into network-friendly QoS parameters. By centralizing the QoS selection logic in this agent rather than embedding it directly in device software, the system achieves better vendor compatibility while maintaining autonomous QoS selection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the QoS selection intelligence from device-specific software and relocates it to a centralized QoS selection agent. This extraction allows the QoS selection logic to be separated from vendor-specific device implementations, thereby improving cross-vendor compatibility. The agent can be updated independently of device software, making policy changes simpler and more flexible.
2Ease of manufacture
If QoS levels and policies are configured in devices, then QoS can be managed at the device level, but updates to QoS levels or policies require changes to all devices which is very cumbersome and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a QoS selection agent that performs preliminary QoS selection and parameter translation before network resources are allocated. This agent is pre-configured with QoS policies and can be updated centrally without requiring changes to individual devices. The agent proactively selects and applies appropriate QoS levels based on current policies, enabling rapid updates across the network without time-consuming device-by-device reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The QoS selection agent serves as a universal component that can be updated centrally to reflect new QoS policies across the entire network. Instead of maintaining device-specific QoS configurations, the system uses a single centralized agent that handles QoS selection for all devices. This universal approach allows policy changes to be deployed network-wide through a single update operation, significantly reducing update time and effort.
3Extent of automation
If QoS management intelligence is built into devices, then devices can independently manage their own QoS, but the complexity of device software increases and compatibility issues arise from multi-vendor environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a QoS selection agent as an intermediary that handles QoS management intelligence externally to devices. This agent performs QoS selection, parameter translation, and policy enforcement without requiring complex QoS management software to be built into device operating systems. The agent acts as a mediator between applications and the network, simplifying device software while maintaining automated QoS management capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts QoS management intelligence from device software and consolidates it in a centralized QoS selection agent. This extraction reduces the complexity of device operating systems by removing QoS-related software components. The agent handles all QoS management tasks externally, including QoS selection based on application requirements, parameter translation to network formats, and enforcement of QoS policies, thereby simplifying devices while maintaining automation.
Data Source
AI summary
An application server-centric approach for managing quality of service in network communications involves an application server causing the modification of an existing communications session with a device, via a layer-2 change to a communications link used by the session, so that the session supports a different quality of service level for the device. The process starts when a request to initiate a communications session is received from a device. A session is initiated with the device, wherein the session supports a first quality of service level. In response to detecting the occurrence of an event, an application server determines that a second quality of service level is to be supported based upon the detected event and service criteria data. The application server then causes the existing session to be modified, via a layer-2 change to the communications link, so that the existing session supports the second quality of service level for the device.