Decentralized Traffic Management via Peer Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small networks with multiple endpoint devices face challenges in managing bandwidth, particularly when one device occupies excessive bandwidth during large file downloads, impacting delay-sensitive applications like VoIP or video streaming, and existing solutions like traffic management appliances are expensive and introduce additional network failures.
Innovation Solution
A decentralized traffic management method and signalling protocol that allows endpoints to communicate and negotiate access to shared network resources based on policies, using software agents to regulate traffic and allocate bandwidth fairly among endpoints, effectively creating a virtual centralized traffic manager without the need for expensive hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traffic management appliances or sophisticated routers are deployed to manage bandwidth and ensure fair allocation, then bandwidth management capability and quality of service are improved, but device cost and network complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling endpoint devices to autonomously negotiate and manage their own bandwidth allocation through peer-to-peer signaling. Each endpoint runs a bandwidth management agent that communicates directly with other endpoints to establish fair bandwidth sharing agreements, eliminating the need for centralized traffic management appliances or sophisticated routers while maintaining adaptive bandwidth control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses signaling messages as intermediaries to facilitate bandwidth negotiation between endpoints. These standardized signaling messages act as mediators that carry bandwidth requirements, policies, and negotiation states between peer devices, enabling complex bandwidth management functionality through simple message exchanges without requiring sophisticated hardware
2Adaptability or versatility
If traffic management appliances are deployed to prevent one endpoint from occupying excessive bandwidth, then fair bandwidth allocation is improved, but the number of network components and potential failure points increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables endpoints to self-regulate bandwidth usage through autonomous negotiation agents that monitor and enforce fair bandwidth allocation agreements. Each endpoint independently manages its own bandwidth consumption by communicating requirements and constraints to peers, eliminating single-point failures associated with centralized traffic management appliances while maintaining fair bandwidth distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the centralized bandwidth management function into distributed peer-to-peer negotiation capabilities at each endpoint. By dividing the monolithic traffic management role into multiple independent agent instances running on different devices, the system achieves both fair bandwidth allocation and improved reliability through functional distribution and redundancy
3Productivity
If centralized traffic management is implemented using traditional appliances, then bandwidth control capability is improved, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical hardware-based centralized traffic management system with a software-based peer-to-peer signaling mechanism. Instead of using physical traffic management appliances with specialized hardware processors, the system uses standardized signaling messages exchanged between software agents on general-purpose endpoint devices, achieving equivalent bandwidth control efficiency without specialized hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes ordinary endpoint devices universal by enabling them to perform bandwidth negotiation and control functions in addition to their primary computing tasks. The signaling protocol and bandwidth management agents are designed to run on standard endpoint hardware, allowing these devices to serve multiple functions including data processing, application execution, and bandwidth management, thereby eliminating the need for dedicated traffic management hardware
Data Source
AI summary
A network communications protocol to allow endpoints in a computer network to communicate their respective requirements for access to a network resource to each other, and to communicate a policy for access to the network resource by the endpoints. The network protocol may also allow negotiation of access to the network resource for the respective endpoint in accordance with the policy and the requirements information communicated by other endpoints. The network resource may be access to a WAN connection or an Internet connection, or may be a device such as a network printer or network attached storage.