Distributed Service Gateway Flow Limiting Threshold Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

In a distributed network environment, there is no effective solution to ensure that the total traffic of flows limited in parallel satisfies an expected threshold after passing through multiple service gateways.

Innovation Solution

Dynamic adjustment of flow limiting thresholds on service gateways for identical destination addresses, using a centralized or distributed control approach, to ensure that the total service transmission rate does not exceed the allocated bandwidth, by calculating and reallocating thresholds based on the ratio of service transmission rates across gateways.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If multiple service gateways limit flows independently in a distributed deployment scenario, then each gateway can control its own service transmission rate, but the total traffic of flows passing through multiple gateways cannot ensure that it satisfies an expected threshold

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindependent flow limiting capabilityVSAvoidtotal traffic threshold satisfaction
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where service gateways report their current service transmission rates to a control device. The control device calculates the total traffic and compares it against the expected threshold, then dynamically adjusts the flow limiting thresholds of individual gateways based on this feedback. This closed-loop control ensures that the total traffic across all gateways satisfies the expected threshold while maintaining independent control capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a control device as an intermediary between multiple service gateways. This intermediary collects transmission rate information from each gateway, performs centralized calculation to determine appropriate flow limiting thresholds, and distributes these thresholds back to the gateways. The intermediary coordinates the independent gateways to work together as a unified system that satisfies the total traffic threshold.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If flow limiting thresholds are statically configured on service gateways, then the configuration is simple and stable, but the total service transmission rate cannot adapt to dynamic traffic conditions and may exceed allocated bandwidth

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethreshold configuration complexityVSAvoidbandwidth utilization adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the static flow limiting threshold configuration into a dynamic system. Instead of fixed thresholds, the control device continuously receives service transmission rate information from gateways, recalculates appropriate thresholds based on current traffic conditions and allocated bandwidth, and updates the gateways in real-time. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to adapt to changing traffic patterns while preventing bandwidth overload.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the flow limiting threshold parameter from a static configured value to a dynamically adjusted value. The control device modifies this parameter based on real-time monitoring of service transmission rates and comparison with allocated bandwidth, allowing the system to adapt its limiting behavior to current network conditions while maintaining simple operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3355538B1Method, apparatus and system for controlling service transmission rate
Publication Date: 2021.07.21 ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD
  • EP3355538B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3355538B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3355538B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention discloses a method, an apparatus and a system for controlling a service transmission rate. The method includes acquiring service transmission rate information reported by service gateways in a service gateway group in a distributed environment, the service gateways being gateways that transmit service data in parallel to an identical destination address and limit a transmission rate of service data based on respective flow limiting thresholds; adjusting a flow limiting threshold allocated to each service gateway to a specified value to obtain a specified threshold when a service transmission rate indicated by the service transmission rate information is greater than a flow limiting threshold corresponding to the service gateway, the specified values satisfying that a sum of the specified values on the service gateways is not greater than a bandwidth allocated by an operator to the destination address; and sending the specified thresholds to the service gateways. The present invention solves a technical problem that there is no technical solution effectively ensuring that a total traffic of flows limited in parallel satisfies an expected threshold after the flows pass through multiple service gateways in a distributed environment.