Burst-Trailer Train Network Capacity Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for estimating network capacity, such as BART and TOPP, are limited by low-resolution clocks, which restrict send rates in systems with higher capacities, preventing accurate monitoring of utilization in high-capacity networks like LTE systems.
Innovation Solution
The method involves transmitting a sequence of data packets in a burst-trailer pattern, where a first set of packets is sent back-to-back with a time stamp, followed by a trailer packet after a predetermined interval, allowing for varying send rates without requiring precise timing for intermediate packets, thus achieving higher send rates with low-resolution clocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the packet interval is varied to achieve higher send rates, then the network capacity monitoring accuracy is improved, but the clock resolution requirement increases beyond what low-resolution clocks can provide
Solution Approach 1:
The probe train is segmented into a burst of packets sent back-to-back followed by a trailer packet sent after a predetermined interval. This segmentation allows the system to use coarse clock resolution only for the interval between burst and trailer, while the burst itself provides the necessary rate information without requiring precise timing between individual packets within the burst.
Solution Approach 2:
The burst of packets is sent immediately back-to-back without waiting for timer intervals, performing the transmission action preliminarily before the interval elapses. This eliminates the need for precise timing control during the burst transmission, as the packets are sent as quickly as possible rather than at precisely spaced intervals.
2Productivity
If the send rate is increased to match high-capacity networks, then the network utilization monitoring becomes effective, but the system requires precise timing control that low-resolution clocks cannot provide
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission sequence is divided into two distinct parts: a burst of packets sent back-to-back and a single trailer packet sent after a predetermined interval. This segmentation allows high send rates to be achieved through the burst without requiring precise timing control, as the interval measurement only needs to capture the time from the start of the burst to the transmission of the trailer packet.
Solution Approach 2:
The timing control requirement is extracted from the packet transmission process itself and placed solely on the interval measurement between burst and trailer. This removes the need for continuous precise timing control during packet transmission, as the system only needs to measure the interval between two specific events rather than control the timing of multiple individual packets.
3Measurement precision
If precise timing is applied to each packet in the sequence, then the send rate accuracy is improved, but the CPU resources are consumed excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The timing measurement function is extracted from the packet transmission loop and applied only to the interval between burst and trailer packet. This eliminates the need for CPU-intensive timing operations for each individual packet, reducing CPU resource consumption while maintaining sufficient accuracy for send rate calculation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying precise timing control to every packet in the sequence, the system applies timing measurement only partially - specifically to the interval between the burst and trailer packet. This partial application of timing measurement provides sufficient accuracy for send rate calculation without the excessive CPU resource consumption of full packet-by-packet timing control.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to methods and devices (11, 12, 14) for transmitting a sequence of data packets in a network. To this end, a send rate with which the sequence is to be transmitted is selected. Then, a first set of data packets of the sequence is transmitted and the transmission is associated with a time stamp. Finally a last data packet of the sequence is transmitted after a predetermined time interval has elapsed from the time stamp associated with the first set of data packets, where said predetermined time interval is the time required for transmitting the sequence of data packets with the selected send rate.