Dynamic Traffic Rate Shaping for Bandwidth Starvation

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Solution Overview

Problem

In communication networks, link failures can reduce bandwidth to levels insufficient to support committed information rates for all classes of traffic, leading to higher-class traffic consuming most of the remaining bandwidth and starving lower-class traffic.

Innovation Solution

A method that monitors available aggregate bandwidth and dynamically adjusts traffic rates for each class, ensuring continued communication by allowing traffic proportional to the available bandwidth when it is insufficient to meet the aggregate committed information rates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If higher-class traffic is allowed to consume available bandwidth first, then higher-class traffic quality is maintained, but lower-class traffic is starved and cannot be communicated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality of service for higher-class trafficVSAvoidcommunication of lower-class traffic

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically changes traffic rate parameters based on available bandwidth conditions. When bandwidth is sufficient, each class receives its committed information rate. When bandwidth is insufficient, the system adjusts the rate parameter for each class proportionally to its committed information rate, ensuring all classes receive some bandwidth rather than starving lower classes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different quality levels to different traffic classes based on their committed information rates. Each class receives service quality proportional to its designated CIR, with higher-CIR classes receiving proportionally more bandwidth than lower-CIR classes during bandwidth constraints, rather than treating all traffic uniformly or prioritizing only the highest class.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If traffic is shaped to guarantee committed information rates for all classes, then service level agreements are met, but system complexity increases due to monitoring and dynamic adjustment requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadherence to committed information ratesVSAvoidbandwidth monitoring and traffic shaping mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the network element monitors available bandwidth conditions and uses this information to dynamically adjust traffic shaping rates. The monitoring component continuously assesses bandwidth availability, and this feedback drives the dynamic rate adjustment to ensure committed information rates are met when possible while preventing lower-class traffic starvation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If dynamic rate adjustment is implemented, then all classes of traffic can communicate during bandwidth reductions, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinued communication of all traffic classesVSAvoiddynamic rate limiting and shaping logic

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically changes the traffic rate parameter for each class based on monitored bandwidth conditions. Instead of static rate limiting, the patent implements dynamic adjustment where the rate for each class is modified in real-time according to available bandwidth, allowing all classes to maintain communication even during bandwidth reductions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from static traffic shaping to dynamic traffic shaping where rate limits are not fixed but adapt to current network conditions. The system continuously monitors bandwidth availability and adjusts the shaping rates dynamically, making the traffic management system flexible and responsive to changing network states.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9054985B2System and method for dynamic rate limiting and shaping of traffic based on available bandwidth

Publication Date: 2015.06.09 FUJITSU LTD

AI summary

A method may include monitoring available aggregate bandwidth of a network element and determining if the available aggregate bandwidth is sufficient to communicate traffic at a rate equal to an aggregate sum of committed information rates for a plurality of classes of traffic. If the available aggregate bandwidth is sufficient to communicate traffic at the rate equal to the aggregate sum of committed information rates for a plurality of classes of traffic, traffic may be communicated for each of the plurality of classes in accordance with the respective committed information rate for each class. Otherwise, traffic may be communicated for each of the plurality of classes in an amount proportional to the respective committed information rate for a particular class and the available aggregate bandwidth.