Managed Network QoS Management via Parameterized Flows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Home networks face increased complexity and bandwidth management challenges due to the growing number of devices and services, particularly in multimedia content delivery, where existing Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms struggle to ensure timely and prioritized data transmission, leading to potential delays and interruptions in services like video streaming and gaming.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Parameterized QoS (PQoS) flows managed by a Network Controller (NC) and a Designated QoS Manager Node, which discovers and classifies network nodes, determines PQoS flows, and allocates bandwidth to ensure guaranteed resource availability, preempting existing flows if necessary to maintain network efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of devices and services in home networks increases, then network functionality and service variety improve, but network complexity and bandwidth management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Network Coordinator (NC) as an intermediary device that centralizes the management of network access and Quality of Service. The NC receives reservation requests from multiple network nodes, processes them centrally, and generates Media Access Plans that coordinate transmissions across the entire network. This intermediary approach allows the network to support more devices and services while the NC manages the resulting complexity, preventing network overload and ensuring orderly communication.
2Reliability
If existing QoS mechanisms are used in home networks, then some bandwidth management is provided, but they struggle to ensure timely and prioritized data transmission for critical services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a reservation-based QoS mechanism where network nodes send Reservation Requests (RRs) before actual data transmission. The Network Coordinator processes these requests in advance, allocates specific time slots and bandwidth resources, and generates Media Access Plans that guarantee transmission timing. This preliminary resource allocation ensures that critical services like video streaming and gaming receive prioritized, delay-free transmission by reserving network resources before data arrives.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different Quality of Service levels to different network traffic types and services. The Network Coordinator identifies critical services (such as video streaming, gaming, voice calls) and allocates higher priority, guaranteed bandwidth to them, while allowing best-effort service for less time-sensitive traffic. This differentiated approach ensures that each service receives the appropriate level of network resources and timing guarantees based on its specific requirements.
3Extent of automation
If the Network Coordinator schedules all network communications using Media Access Plans, then centralized control and QoS management are achieved, but network communication overhead and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The Network Coordinator implements partial scheduling by focusing its centralized control efforts on traffic that requires Quality of Service guarantees. Instead of scheduling every single network packet, the NC processes Reservation Requests for time-sensitive and bandwidth-critical traffic, while allowing other best-effort traffic to use the network without detailed coordination. This selective approach maintains centralized control where needed while reducing overall processing overhead and energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for establishing Parameterized QoS flows in a managed network can include a Designated Network Node (like a Network Controller or any network node) discovering a plurality of network nodes. The Designated Network Node discovering one or more of the plurality of network nodes; classifying the discovered network node or nodes based on node type; determining from the classification which node or nodes are designated for supporting Parameterized QoS flows; and invoking a request to a MoCA layer to create Parameterized QoS flows between the network node or nodes classified as designated for Parameterized QoS flows and the source nodes (like BHR and DVRs); wherein the bandwidth designated for the individual Parameterized QoS flows is either a nominal value or actual value specified by the Designated Network Node such that the actual aggregate bandwidth for the Parameterized QoS flows does not exceed the network bandwidth available for actual Parameterized QoS flows; wherein when actual bandwidth is specified for each flow, the Designated Network Node can preempt some PQoS flows in order to release PQoS bandwidth for a new PQOS flow; wherein the Designated Network Node is provisioned with a trusted device list designating nodes for supporting PQoS flows, and preemption rules that can be used for preemption.