Network Controller Layer 2 Discovery for QoS Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In home networks, especially those using MoCA, ensuring uniform quality of service (QoS) becomes challenging due to varying device capacities and capabilities, as devices are often unaware of each other's capabilities, leading to difficulties in meeting QoS requirements.
Innovation Solution
Nodes on the network are programmed to request and share capability information with a network controller, which then disseminates this information to other nodes, allowing them to determine communication capabilities such as bandwidth, packet size, and node personality, enabling better QoS management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized network controller is used to manage QoS parameters, then QoS management capability is improved, but network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized network controller as an intermediary that manages QoS parameters and coordinates communication between network nodes. The controller collects capability information from all nodes, determines appropriate QoS parameters, and enforces them across the network, thereby centralizing control to improve QoS management while the controller handles the complexity of coordination
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where network nodes report their capability information (such as receive capacity, transmit capacity, and supported features) to the network controller. The controller uses this feedback to make informed decisions about QoS parameter allocation and to adjust network communications dynamically based on actual node capabilities
2Reliability
If uniform QoS standards are enforced across all devices, then service quality consistency is improved, but compatibility with diverse device capabilities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing QoS parameters to be customized for individual nodes based on their specific capabilities. Each node's QoS configuration is tailored to its receive capacity, transmit capacity, and supported features, rather than enforcing a single uniform standard across all devices. This enables service quality consistency within each node's capability constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts QoS parameters (such as bandwidth allocation, packet size, and transmission rate) based on the capability information reported by each node. The network controller modifies these parameters to match the actual capabilities of transmitting and receiving nodes, thereby maintaining service quality consistency while adapting to diverse device capabilities
3Loss of information
If capability discovery requests are broadcast to all nodes, then information completeness is improved, but network traffic overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by allowing nodes to selectively respond to capability discovery requests based on their interest or relevance. Instead of requiring all nodes to respond to every discovery request, the system allows subset responses where only relevant nodes provide information, reducing network traffic overhead while maintaining sufficient information completeness for QoS management
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for enhanced communication capabilities discovery in managed networks. A network controller network node in a network may receive from a first network node a request for information regarding communication capabilities of one or more other network nodes; may obtain in response to the request communication capabilities related information corresponding to the one or more other network nodes; and may send the obtained communication capabilities related information to a second network node. In some instances, at least some of the communication capabilities related information may be obtained directly from one of the one or more network nodes. In some instances, at least some of the communication capabilities related information may be obtained based on broadcast of requests by the network controller network node to all network nodes. The network controller network node may store information relating to discovered communication capabilities of all network nodes.