Application Wire Mapping Across Pseudowires for MPLS QoS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing MPLS networks struggle to guarantee Quality of Service (QoS) for individual applications generating data at Layer-3 or above, as they only allow one-to-one mapping of Layer-1 or Layer-2 connections to Pseudowires, failing to account for varying bandwidth demands of different applications.
Innovation Solution
Application Wires emulate virtual circuits that map application flows to Pseudowires, considering application-specific bandwidth and traffic requirements, allowing one-to-one, distributed, or aggregated mappings, and utilize an application flow engine to manage and reassemble packets, ensuring QoS without modifying intermediate nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing MPLS networks use one-to-one mapping of Layer-1 or Layer-2 connections to Pseudowires, then the system structure is simple, but the system cannot guarantee QoS for individual applications with varying bandwidth demands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mapping relationship into multiple levels: Layer-1/Layer-2 connections are mapped to Pseudowires in one-to-one relationships, while multiple Pseudowires are then mapped to a single Application Wire in one-to-many relationships. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simple underlying infrastructure while achieving complex application-level QoS guarantees through the Application Wire abstraction layer.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the IntServ/RSVP model is used to identify connections by applications, then QoS can be guaranteed for individual flows, but intermediate nodes require deep packet inspection and extensive QoS mechanisms which are not scalable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces Application Wires as an intermediary layer between the network infrastructure and application flows. The Application Wire engine at network edges performs flow identification, classification, and mapping to Pseudowires, acting as a mediator that eliminates the need for deep packet inspection at intermediate nodes. This intermediary approach maintains per-flow QoS guarantees while improving network scalability by centralizing complex processing at edge devices.
3Productivity
If DiffSery model is used to classify applications into traffic classes, then scalability is improved, but QoS cannot be guaranteed for individual flows and network bandwidth must be over-provisioned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different QoS treatment for different application flows within the same traffic class. While DiffSery provides macro-level scalability through traffic class classification, the Application Wire mechanism enables micro-level customization by mapping specific flows to dedicated Pseudowires with guaranteed bandwidth and QoS parameters, eliminating the need for network-wide over-provisioning.
4Adaptability or versatility
If Application Wires map multiple application flows to Pseudowires with different bandwidth demands, then QoS for individual applications can be guaranteed, but the mapping and packet management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex packet management functions from intermediate network nodes and concentrates them in Application Wire engines at network edges. These edge devices perform packet assembly, disassembly, sequencing, and reassembly operations, taking out the complexity from the network core. This allows intermediate nodes to remain simple MPLS forwarding devices while edge devices handle the sophisticated packet management required for multi-flow Application Wires.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes, at a node associated with a multiprotocol label switching system (MPLS) network, identifying information associated with an application flow based on one or more unencapsulated packet headers of the application flow or based on an ingress data stream that includes the application flow. The method further includes, in response to identifying the information, and based on stored data that maps application flows with psuedowires, determining a number of pseudowires corresponding to paths through the MPLS network, where the stored data indicates, for a sending device application, a distributed mapping of the application flow via at least one of the number of psuedowires, and communicating data related to the sending device application via at least one of the number of pseudowires.