Traffic Engineering Using Link Buffer Status

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing traffic engineering techniques in network communications fail to effectively manage buffer build-ups across multiple links, leading to traffic congestion and delayed data delivery, especially in real-time services, as they optimize routing on a single path basis without considering overall network buffer status.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves obtaining and modifying input parameters for traffic engineering based on link buffer status, reserving capacity and resources across wired and wireless links, and using these modified inputs with a TE engine to determine simultaneous traffic splitting across multiple paths, thereby reducing buffer build-ups.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If traffic engineering routes more traffic through nodes with less buffered data on a single path basis, then data delivery delay is reduced for that path, but buffer build-ups occur on other links causing network congestion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata delivery delayVSAvoidnetwork throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the network routing problem into multiple paths and distributes traffic across these paths based on buffer status. Instead of optimizing a single path in isolation, the system divides traffic flow into multiple segments that can be routed through different nodes and links, preventing buffer build-ups on any single link while maintaining overall network productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If traffic is routed through nodes with larger buffer capacity, then network resource utilization is improved, but data delivery delay increases for real-time services

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork resource utilizationVSAvoiddata delivery delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making routing decisions based on local buffer status conditions at each node and link. Different parts of the network receive different treatment based on their specific buffer conditions - nodes with low buffer usage are prioritized for real-time traffic, while nodes with high buffer usage receive less traffic. This localized optimization ensures that real-time services get low-latency paths while overall network resources are efficiently utilized.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Device complexity

If single path optimization is used for traffic engineering, then routing complexity is reduced, but buffer build-ups occur on other links

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverouting complexityVSAvoidnetwork buffer utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple path optimizations into a unified traffic engineering approach. Instead of optimizing each path independently, the system combines buffer status information from multiple paths and nodes, then makes coordinated routing decisions that optimize the entire network. This merging of optimization scope maintains manageable complexity while preventing buffer build-ups across the whole network.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3063969B1System and method for traffic engineering using link buffer status
Publication Date: 2019.01.30 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3063969B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3063969B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3063969B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Embodiments are provided for implementing traffic engineering (TE) using link buffer status. The link buffer status for each link is used to identify links with buffer build-ups. One or more of the capacity and resource parameters at the links with buffer build-ups are then reserved. This is achieved by modifying the capacity and resource input parameters to the TE model according to the level of build-ups in the link buffers, as reflected by the buffer status information from the links and nodes. The modified input capacity or resource parameters are then fed to a TE engine to calculate the routing of traffic across all links and paths. As such, the reserved capacity or resource is considered in the TE routing technique to route the traffic accordingly, leading to the depletion of link buffers with build-ups at all or multiple considered paths at the same time.