Virtual Buffer Allocation for Traffic Aggregate Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
As communication systems converge to handle multiple types of data (non-real time, voice, and video), existing routing technologies face challenges in efficiently managing and prioritizing these diverse data types, leading to potential bandwidth congestion and quality of service issues.
Innovation Solution
A system with virtual routing devices and a data manager that allocates buffer space dynamically based on data type, using a combination of physical and virtual buffers to regulate quality of service, allowing for separate yet shared memory allocation, and incorporating admission checks to manage data flow and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single buffer is shared by all data types, then device complexity is reduced, but quality of service cannot be guaranteed for different data types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the buffer into multiple virtual buffers, each dedicated to a specific data type (voice, video, non-real-time). This segmentation allows independent quality of service management for each data type while using a single physical buffer, thus maintaining low device complexity while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic buffer allocation where the amount of buffer space assigned to each virtual buffer can be adjusted in real-time based on current network conditions and traffic demands. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to guarantee quality of service for different data types while efficiently utilizing the shared buffer resource.
2Reliability
If separate buffers are allocated for each data type, then quality of service is guaranteed, but device complexity and bandwidth usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple virtual buffers into a single physical buffer structure. Each virtual buffer is logically separated and managed independently to guarantee quality of service, but physically shares the same memory space, thereby reducing device complexity and avoiding the need for multiple separate physical buffers.
Solution Approach 2:
The single physical buffer is designed to serve multiple data types simultaneously through virtualization. The buffer structure is universal and can handle voice, video, and non-real-time data with different quality requirements, making it multi-functional while maintaining simplicity.
3Reliability
If buffer space is statically allocated, then quality of service is predictable, but bandwidth efficiency decreases when traffic patterns vary
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic buffer allocation that adjusts the amount of buffer space assigned to each virtual buffer in real-time based on actual traffic patterns and network conditions. This allows the system to maintain predictable quality of service while efficiently utilizing bandwidth, as buffer resources are allocated according to actual demand rather than fixed static allocations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the buffer allocation parameters dynamically based on traffic conditions. When traffic for a particular data type increases, its buffer allocation is increased accordingly, and vice versa. This parameter adjustment mechanism maintains quality of service predictability while optimizing bandwidth efficiency.
4Device complexity
If all data types are treated equally in buffer allocation, then device complexity is minimized, but congestion occurs during high traffic periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the buffer allocation mechanism into separate virtual buffers for different data types, allowing independent management and prioritization. This segmentation prevents congestion by ensuring that critical data types like voice and video have dedicated buffer space that is protected from overflow by non-critical data types, even though the overall buffer management remains relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the buffer (different virtual buffers) are allocated with different quality characteristics appropriate to each data type. Voice data receives buffer space optimized for low latency, video data for consistent throughput, and non-real-time data for best-effort service. This local quality differentiation prevents congestion while maintaining manageable complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus comprising a plurality of physical ingress ports configured to receive data, each data having a data type; a plurality of physical egress ports configured to transmit data; a memory configured to buffer data that has been received; a plurality of virtual routing devices, wherein each of the virtual routing devices is associated with a particular data type and each of the virtual routing devices is configured to: virtually buffer data associated with the respective data type, and regulate the quality of service provided to the respective data type; and a data manager configured to manage the receipt and transmission of data.