Dynamic Egress Traffic Thresholds for Peer Network Cost Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communications networks face inefficiencies in managing egress traffic to peer networks, leading to unnecessary charges based on 95th percentile bandwidth usage, even when the network is not fully utilizing the bandwidth, due to bursts in traffic during events like sporting events or game releases.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a load balancer to set dynamic logical egress traffic thresholds, such as the 95th percentile, to optimize egress traffic distribution across peer networks, diverting traffic when thresholds are reached to avoid increased costs, and utilizing settlement-free or lower-cost peers when possible.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a threshold amount of egress traffic is directed to a peer communications network to allow for traffic bursts, then traffic burst capacity is improved, but bandwidth cost increases because the network pays for unused bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic threshold adjustment by continuously monitoring actual egress traffic patterns and modifying the threshold amount accordingly. The system transitions from a static threshold to a dynamic one that adapts to real-time traffic conditions, ensuring the threshold reflects actual usage needs rather than provisioning for worst-case scenarios, thereby reducing wasted bandwidth capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback mechanisms where traffic monitoring components continuously report actual egress traffic volumes back to the threshold management system. This feedback loop enables the system to learn from historical data and adjust thresholds optimally, balancing the need to accommodate bursts with the goal of minimizing payments for unused bandwidth capacity
2Reliability
If a fixed threshold amount of egress traffic is provisioned for peer network capacity, then quality of service is maintained during bursts, but effective bandwidth utilization decreases when traffic is below threshold
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of traffic patterns and establishes optimized thresholds before traffic bursts occur. By proactively adjusting thresholds based on historical data and predicted usage patterns, the system ensures quality of service is maintained during bursts while avoiding over-provisioning during low-traffic periods, thus improving overall bandwidth utilization efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes systems, methods, and devices related to managing egress traffic from a network to one or more peer networks. A method may include generating, using a load balancer of a network, a dynamic logical egress traffic threshold for a peer network; determining, using the load balancer, that first traffic from the network to the peer network is below the logical egress traffic threshold; directing second traffic from the network to the peer network based on the determination that the first traffic is below the logical egress traffic threshold; determining, using the load balancer, that the second traffic from the network to the peer network has reached the logical egress traffic threshold; and directing third traffic from the network away from the peer network based on the determination that the second traffic has reached the logical egress traffic threshold.