Packet Forwarding Control Using Delay and Importance Classes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for controlling packet forwarding in communication networks fail to efficiently manage different types of data traffic with varying delay sensitivity and importance, leading to inadequate bandwidth sharing and throughput degradation.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where forwarding nodes extract delay requirements and importance levels from data packets, assigning them to classes and discarding packets based on congestion and importance thresholds to prioritize higher importance packets while managing delay requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If delay sensitive traffic is strictly prioritized over other data traffic, then delay requirement is improved, but bandwidth sharing efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments traffic into multiple delay classes (first delay class with stricter delay requirement, second delay class with less strict delay requirement) and applies different handling policies to each class. This segmentation allows the system to prioritize delay-sensitive traffic while still allocating bandwidth to other traffic types, thereby resolving the contradiction between meeting delay requirements and achieving efficient bandwidth sharing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of delay requirement by introducing multiple delay classes with different delay thresholds. By assigning packets to different delay classes based on their delay sensitivity, the system can dynamically adjust bandwidth allocation parameters, ensuring that delay-sensitive traffic receives priority while non-critical traffic can utilize available bandwidth, thus improving overall bandwidth sharing efficiency.
2Productivity
If all traffic is treated with same delay requirement, then bandwidth sharing is improved, but delay sensitive traffic quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different delay class labels to different packets based on their specific delay sensitivity requirements. Instead of treating all traffic uniformly, the system applies differentiated quality handling at the packet level, where delay-sensitive packets are assigned to the first delay class and receive priority forwarding, while non-sensitive packets are assigned to the second delay class. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining good bandwidth sharing while ensuring delay-sensitive traffic receives appropriate priority treatment.
3Loss of time
If low delay is provided for all traffic, then delay requirement is improved, but throughput deteriorates due to larger buffer requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic buffer management by creating different buffer configurations for different delay classes. The first buffer associated with the first delay class is configured with smaller size and stricter delay requirements, while the second buffer for the second delay class can be larger and more flexible. This dynamic buffer allocation allows the system to maintain low delay for priority traffic without requiring all buffers to be oversized, thereby preserving overall system throughput.
Data Source
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AI summary
A node (120) receives data packets. For each of the received data packets, the node (120) extracts a first value from the data packet. The first value indicates a delay requirement of the data packet. For each of the received data packets, the node (120) also extracts a second value from the data packet. The second value indicates a level of importance assigned to the data packet. Depending on the first values and the second values, the node (120) controls forwarding of the received data packets.