A METHOD AND SYSTEM OF BANDWIDTH CONTROL

摘要

A method for managing heterogeneous traffic flows accessing a communications network (WN) is described, in which an access node (G) of the network operates an aggregation of traffic flows (fi L3) in at least a real transmission queue (Qi L2) at a predetermined protocol layer (L2) of the network, including allocating a predetermined bandwidth ( ?i max) to the transmission queue (Qi L2) in order to guarantee a related quality of service (QoSi L3) established according to a service level agreement. The method comprises: generating a virtual transmission queue (Qiv L2) in the data plane (UPL2) of the system for managing traffic flows (fi L3) accessing the network, including a current replication of the aggregated traffic flow (/J ) at the real transmission queue (Qi L2) measuring at least a parameter representative of the current quality of service (QoSi L3oL2) obtained on the virtual transmission queue (Qiv L2) in a plurality of predetermined successive observation horizons (OHj(k)); and dynamically estimating the bandwidth need (?*i ) of the virtual transmission queue (Qiv L2) complying with the quality of service as a function of the value assumed by the aforementioned parameter in each observation horizon (OHi(k)); hence according to the estimated bandwidth need ( ?*i) the bandwidth ( ?i max ) allocated to the real transmission queue (Qi L2) for the subsequent observation horizon (OHi(k+1)) is modified or the traffic flow (fi L2) towards the queue (Qi L2) is limited. The method can be carried out at an access node of a communications network, such as a gateway device (G) adapted to interconnect two local and/or wide area networks (TN, WN) having different architecture, arranged for carrying out a process of aggregation of traffic flows (fi L3) at a data link protocol layer (L2), or an edge router adapted to interconnect two portions of the same communication network (TN; WN), arranged for carrying out a process of aggregation of traffic flows (fi L3) at a network protocol layer (L3).