Virtual Bandwidth Bottleneck Management for IP Telephony
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network bandwidth management techniques are inadequate for managing bandwidth across multiple devices from different vendors, leading to inefficient bandwidth reservation, missed call blocks, and unnecessary call blocks, especially in IP telephony applications, due to lack of standardized interfaces and complex deployment requirements.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of virtual bottleneck points, represented as Zone Transit Points (ZTPs), which model bandwidth usage across the network, allowing for flexible management and policy application, enabling Call Admission Control and optimizing bandwidth allocation independently of the underlying infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If blind bandwidth reservation is used for various devices, then bandwidth management is simplified, but unused bandwidth results in inefficient resource utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing network devices to automatically report their actual bandwidth usage and requirements to the bandwidth manager. Instead of requiring manual configuration or blind reservation, devices autonomously provide information about their traffic patterns, enabling dynamic bandwidth allocation that matches actual needs without waste.
2Device complexity
If bandwidth management is based on predicting the path using only the destination telephone number, then call routing is simplified, but call forwarding and other features cause missed call blocks or unnecessary blocks
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by establishing the complete call path and identifying all bottleneck points before the call is actually set up. The bandwidth manager proactively determines the media path considering all possible features like call forwarding and transfer, then pre-reserves bandwidth along the entire predicted path. This ensures that when the call connects, bandwidth is already available, preventing both missed blocks and unnecessary blocks.
3Loss of information
If call controllers or endpoints directly interact with network infrastructure to extract bandwidth information, then bandwidth visibility is improved, but standardized interfaces are lacking and deployment becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bandwidth manager as an intermediary component that centralizes bandwidth information collection and management. Instead of requiring direct interactions between multiple call controllers/endpoints and network infrastructure elements, the bandwidth manager acts as a single point of contact that aggregates bandwidth status from all network elements and provides unified information to calling parties, simplifying the interface and deployment.
4Measurement precision
If multiple network elements are queried for bandwidth information during call setup, then accurate bandwidth determination is achieved, but considerable messaging traffic increases call setup time
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the bandwidth information from multiple network elements into a single aggregated view maintained by the bandwidth manager. Instead of requiring separate queries to each network element during call setup, the bandwidth manager consolidates bandwidth status across all elements and provides a unified response, maintaining measurement precision while dramatically reducing the number of individual queries needed.
5Extent of automation
If network infrastructure is used to manage bandwidth, then centralized control is achieved, but the infrastructure lacks knowledge of traffic meaning and cannot manage application-specific usage
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by having the bandwidth manager continuously monitor actual application traffic patterns and compare them against reserved bandwidth allocations. The bandwidth manager receives information about application types and traffic characteristics, then uses this feedback to dynamically adjust bandwidth reservations and allocations. This enables the centralized infrastructure to adapt to application-specific requirements by learning from observed traffic patterns and making informed adjustments to bandwidth management policies.
Data Source
AI summary
One aspect of the specification is the use of a virtual entity to represent the bandwidth bottleneck point in a network. Areas of the network where bandwidth does not need to be managed can be modeled as zones. This model enables more flexibility as the virtual bottleneck point can represent a collection of components (e.g. routers), or a portion of a real component (e.g. a router could be represented by multiple virtual bottleneck points with different purposes.) This model can also allow a user to decide which points in their network should be managed, independent of the underlying data network infrastructure. These virtual entities can be placed between areas of the network, and configured with specific policies. Bandwidth usage across these virtual entities can be tracked and compared to the configured bandwidth limit available to the application at each bottleneck point. When the bandwidth available at the bottleneck point is fully utilized, additional calls can be blocked or rerouted. Policies can be applied to permit certain calls to proceed despite the fact that bandwidth is fully utilized, or to block certain calls when bandwidth usage is approaching the maximum level. Bandwidth management can be distributed or centralized with information shared throughout a distributed network.