Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090254654 | COMPUTER NETWORK - A peer-to-peer network operating in accordance with a service-oriented architecture is disclosed. The peers in the network request services from one another and each keep a record of the quality of service they receive from the other peers. The peers can operate in two modes of service provider selection. In a first mode, the selection is so as to favour service providers which have provided the peer with good service in the past. In a second mode, the selection is probabilistic and can therefore select service providers other than those that have provided good service in the past. Each device keeps track of the relative success of adopting the second mode of selection. By occasionally using the second mode of selection and adopting the second mode of selection more frequently should the relative success of adopting the second mode of selection rise, a more rapid adjustment by the network to changing network conditions is enabled. This leads to a better utilisation of the resources of the computers of the network than has hitherto been achieved. The invention finds particular application in distributed applications which dynamically select a Web Service to perform a function at run-time. | 10-08-2009 |
20090310545 | CHANNEL SELECTION IN AD HOC WIRELESS NETWORK - The present invention relates to channel selection in ad hoc wireless networks. The present invention provides a method of selecting a channel for a node in an ad hoc network of nodes, the method comprising: increasing a preference score for a channel (E) in response to receiving a stimulatory control message (hoot x) associated with the channel from another node; decreasing the preference score for the channel (A) in response to receiving an inhibitory control message (hoot y) associated with the channel from another node; selecting a channel dependent on the preference score for the channel. | 12-17-2009 |
20100023623 | ALLOCATION OF NETWORK RESOURCES - Methods and systems for allocating a network resource such as bandwidth between a plurality of network applications, comprising steps of obtaining, for each of said plurality of network applications, parameters defining a quality function indicative of quality of service obtainable as a function of the amount of said network resource available to that network application; and dividing a total available amount of said network resource into respective individual allocations to allocate to each respective network application such as to maximise a combined quality measure derived from a weighted sum of said quality functions. | 01-28-2010 |
20100115085 | COMPUTER NETWORK - A peer-to-peer network operating in accordance with a service-oriented architecture is disclosed. The peers in the network request services from one another and each keeps a record of the quality of service they receive from the other peers. The peers share quality of service information with one another in order to take advantage of the improvement in the overall efficiency of the use of resources in the network offered by such information sharing. However, the invention provides a further improvement in that peers do not report the quality of service offered by the peers they have received the best quality of service from. This is found to increase the overall level of service still further since it prevents the peers converging on a favourite service provider and thereby overloading it. The invention finds particular application in distributed applications which dynamically select a Web Service to perform a function at run-time. | 05-06-2010 |
20110029348 | SCHEDULING USAGE OR PROVISION OF RESOURCES - Methods and systems for obtaining a value indicative of resource-related activity in respect of a plurality of devices using a network of metering means arranged to be in communication with one another, the metering means being associated with resource-consuming or resource-providing devices and being arranged to obtain local resource-related activity data therefrom, the method comprising: a first metering means initiating a circulation procedure by sending a token to a downstream metering means, the token comprising an activity field for carrying a value indicative of resource-related activity data; the circulation procedure continuing, until the token has returned to the first metering means, by each downstream metering means in turn receiving the token, updating the activity field in dependence on its own locally-obtained resource-related activity data, and forwarding the token to a further downstream metering means; and once the token has returned to the first metering means, obtaining a value indicative of the combined level of resource-related activity in respect of devices associated with the metering means in said network in dependence on the value carried by the activity field. | 02-03-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090135729 | Resource Reservation in Network Routing - The present invention relates to network routing and admission control, especially for applications requiring guaranteed quality of service over the Internet. The present invention provides a method of establishing a guaranteed quality of service link over a packet switched network between a source and a destination, the method comprising: determining whether packet traffic from a network node associated with the source to a network node associated with the destination exceeds a predetermined level; signaling an intermediate network node to receive predetermined packets from said source node and forward these to said destination node; forwarding said packets to the intermediate node; the intermediate node receiving said packets and forwarding these to said destination node. | 05-28-2009 |
20090157902 | Virtual Networks - A virtual network has a plurality of nodes. Each node has the capability to provide a service to another node. Each node maintains a list for storing entries each representing a link to another node; each entry contains the address of the other node and a label identifying a service that that other node may provide. Each node also has a store for storing messages received from other nodes, these messages serving to propose a link and containing the identity of the node originating the message, a label identifying a service that that other node may provide and a label identifying a service that that other node requires. When a node needs a service that it is not itself able to provide, it searches the link list for a link having a label that matches the service needed, and in the event that such a link is found it transmits to the node identified by the link a message requesting the service. If, however, no such link is found, it searches the message store for a message identifying another node where the label identifying a service that that other node may provide matches the service needed and the label identifying a service that that other node requires matches the service that the node needing the service has the capability to provide. In the event that such a message is found it initiates the creation of a corresponding entry in the link list. If no such message is found, the node needing the service generates a message serving to propose a link and containing its own identity, a label identifying a service that it has the capability to provide and a label identifying the service that it needs. | 06-18-2009 |