Flow admission control in an IP network

摘要

A flow admission control module for IP traffic types monitors network topology and usage. A new flow is not admitted if it is determined that the flow would push the utilization of available bandwidth reserved for the traffic type on a link in the associated path beyond a predetermined threshold. The admission control module may, as a result of dynamic changes to network topology capacity, re-compute the link utilization for effected active flows The admission control module may also account for protection regimes in flow admission calculations.

主权项

1. A method of operating an Internet Protocol (IP) routed communication network, the IP routed communication network comprising a plurality of network nodes including edge nodes at edges of the IP routed communication network, a plurality of communication links interconnecting the plurality of network nodes, and at least one flow admission controller, the method comprising:
storing a plurality of paths for routing IP packets between the edge nodes as pre-configured paths, each path of the plurality of paths comprising at least one communication link; setting thresholds for a predetermined traffic type for at least two of communication links of the plurality of communication links; monitoring bandwidth allocated to flows of the predetermined traffic type on the at least two of communication links of the plurality of communication links for which the thresholds have been set; selecting, from the pre-configured paths, a selected path between a source edge node and a destination edge node for a new flow having the predetermined traffic type; determining, for each communication link of the selected path for which a respective threshold has been set, whether a bandwidth required by the new flow added to a monitored allocation of bandwidth for the predetermined traffic type on each of the communication links of the selected path for which the respective threshold has been set would exceed the respective threshold for the predetermined traffic type on each respective communication link; indicating that the new flow would push usage beyond the respective threshold for the predetermined traffic type when addition of the new flow would cause the respective threshold for the predetermined traffic type to be exceeded on any respective communication link of the selected path; detecting a change in network topology; determining re-determined paths for routing the IP packets between the edge nodes of the IP routed communication network responsive to the change in the network topology; and storing the re-determined paths as the pre-configured paths.