Traffic Engineering Using Extended Bandwidth Accounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
As networks grow in size and complexity, traffic congestion can occur when links approach maximum bandwidth capacity, leading to delays or dropped packets, and manual manipulation of routing metrics can have unpredictable effects, necessitating a more accurate method to reroute traffic around congested links.
Innovation Solution
Extended traffic accounting techniques that utilize a resource reservation protocol to accurately determine bandwidth availability by tracking reserved and unreserved bandwidth across links, allowing for intelligent path selection and rerouting via a traffic engineering data structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual manipulation of routing metrics is performed to reroute traffic around congested links, then traffic congestion on specific links may be temporarily alleviated, but the network-wide ramifications become unpredictable and may cause congestion on other links
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring actual bandwidth usage on links and using this information to dynamically adjust routing decisions. The system observes the state of network links and feeds this information back to the routing protocol, enabling adaptive traffic engineering that responds to actual network conditions rather than relying on static or manually manipulated metrics
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual manipulation of routing metrics with an automated system that uses extended bandwidth accounting information to make routing decisions. Instead of manually adjusting routing parameters, the system automatically calculates available bandwidth based on monitored traffic statistics and reserved bandwidth, then uses this information to guide traffic engineering decisions
2Quantity of substance
If link capacity is upgraded to handle increased traffic, then bandwidth capacity and throughput are improved, but the upgrade process is lengthy and traffic may reach maximum capacity before completion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by proactively identifying links that are approaching capacity limits and rerouting traffic before congestion occurs. The system continuously monitors bandwidth usage and predicts when links will reach maximum capacity, allowing traffic to be redirected in advance to alternative paths, thus preventing congestion and maintaining throughput during the upgrade process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making routing configurations adaptable and changeable in real-time based on actual network conditions. Rather than static routing tables, the system dynamically adjusts traffic engineering decisions based on current bandwidth availability, allowing the network to flexibly respond to changing traffic patterns and link capacities during the upgrade process
3Measurement precision
If extended bandwidth accounting is implemented to accurately track reserved and unreserved bandwidth, then bandwidth availability information precision is improved, but the complexity of bandwidth calculation and monitoring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing bandwidth accounting into separate components: reserved bandwidth tracking for RSVP-TE traffic and unreserved bandwidth monitoring for LDP and IP traffic. This segmentation allows the system to accurately account for different types of traffic independently, improving measurement precision while managing complexity through modular tracking approaches
Data Source
AI summary
A system distributes extended traffic accounting information of bandwidth availability on links throughout a network. For example, routers within the network utilize an extended reservation protocol to calculate bandwidth availability information for links. In calculating the bandwidth availability information, the extended reservation protocol accounts for not only the amount of bandwidth reserved on each of links via the resource reservation protocol itself, but also for the bandwidth usage by other traffic on the links, such as Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) traffic or Internet Protocol (IP) traffic. The routers exchange bandwidth availability information using a routing protocol to gain network-wide knowledge of bandwidth availability.