Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090080336 | CHARACTERIZATION OF NETWORK PATH QUALITY FOR NETWORK APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES - A service for facilitating a determination of path quality between a first endpoint node and a second endpoint node in a network of nodes is provided. Path quality information is aggregated from across network internet service providers (ISPs), giving authorized endpoints access to path quality information for specified path segments of a path to another endpoint. Path quality information includes one or more metrics that measure available bandwidth, loss rate and/or latency. | 03-26-2009 |
20090092124 | NETWORK ROUTING OF ENDPOINTS TO CONTENT BASED ON CONTENT SWARMS - Using location-independent names to identify content, a service for mapping endpoint requests to requested content. Content requested by an endpoint of the network is mapped to a dynamic “swarm” of server, peer, or other endpoints capable of supporting the content download. Content names are mapped to a dynamically generated content swarm, presenting a current set of hosts, which can provide the requested content. Optionally, varying degrees of explicit visibility into routing paths and the performance tradeoffs between those routing paths is supported. Based on a set of class of service parameters for a given request for content, a host can initiate route selection based on class of service parameters, predicated on routing metrics maintained by the network by cooperating endpoints and/or network routers. | 04-09-2009 |
20090190599 | Sampling Rules for Information Dissemination - Sampling rules for information dissemination are described which may be applied in a system containing a number of nodes arranged into groups. A target address is selected using one of two methods: selection of an address from the entire address space of the system and selection of an address from a part of the address space which corresponds to set of groups of nodes. The set of groups of nodes is updated when information is successfully disseminated to a node at a target address selected using the first of the two methods. Rules to determine which of the two methods are used for any particular selection operation are also described. | 07-30-2009 |
20090290491 | End-Host Based Network Management System - An end-host based network management system and methods are described. The methods are performed independently at each end-host within the network based on data on local flows which is shared between end-hosts. In an embodiment, an end-host shares data on constrained local flows with other end-hosts and receives such data from other end-hosts. Based on this data, the end-host determines which flows from other nodes are competing for a shared resource with a constrained local flow and allocates the capacity of the shared resource between all the competing flows. This allocation is then enforced for the local flow by the end-host. Other end-hosts with competing flows perform similar methods and through an iterative process the contention for the shared resource is resolved and the utilization of the shared resource is optimized. | 11-26-2009 |
20110310735 | Resource Allocation Framework for Wireless/Wired Networks - A resource allocation framework for wireless/wired networks is described. In an embodiment, methods of end host based traffic management are described which operate separately from the underlying access control protocol within the network (e.g. wireless MAC protocol or TCP). The rate limits for each flow are set based on per-flow weights, which may be user specified, and based on an estimate of the utilization of the shared resource and the rate limits are adjusted periodically so that the resource is not underutilized or saturated. Some embodiments compute a virtual capacity of the resource which is adjusted to optimize the value of the utilization and then the virtual capacity is shared between flows according to the per-flow weights. Methods for estimating the utilization of a wireless network and the capacity of a broadband access link are also described. | 12-22-2011 |
20120155265 | Deadline-Aware Network Protocol - A deadline-aware network protocol is described. In an example, data transfer at a transport layer entity of a packet-based communication network is controlled by receiving a request for network resources for a data flow from a network element and allocating network resources to the data flow. The data flow comprises a number of data packets associated with an application, and the request comprises a factor relating to a time deadline associated with the application. The network resources allocated depend on the factor relating to the time deadline. In examples, the network resource can be a bandwidth or data rate allocated to the data flow, and the factor can be a data rate sufficient to complete the data flow within the time deadline. In examples, the network resources are allocated greedily, such that requests are fully satisfied whenever possible, and the network resources are fully utilized. | 06-21-2012 |
20120158858 | Resource Optimization for Online Services - Resource optimization for online services is described. In one example, objects (such as mailboxes or other data associated with an online service) are assigned to network elements (such as servers) by inferring a relationship graph from log data relating to usage of the online service. The graph has a node for each object, and connections between each pair of objects having data items in common. Each connection has a weight relating to the number of common data items. The graph is partitioned into a set of clusters, such that each cluster has nodes joined by connections with a high weight relative to the weight of connections between nodes in different clusters. The objects are then distributed to the network elements such that objects corresponding to nodes in the same cluster are located on the same network element. | 06-21-2012 |
20120309358 | Decentralized Relaying Algorithm for Mobile Devices - A decentralized relaying algorithm for mobile devices is described. In an embodiment, a mobile device acts as a relay within a network of mobile devices and on contact with a source device downloads messages from the source according to a locally stored relaying probability for each channel of information within the network. These messages are subsequently downloaded to another device which is the end user of the message. Where the relay does not download the message from the source as a result of the decision made based on the relaying probability, a virtual message is downloaded which comprises metadata only and not the payload of the message. The relay updates the stored relaying probabilities for each channel based on locally observable information which includes feedback received from mobile devices to which the relay has downloaded messages. The feedback identifies unique paths for the payload of messages through the network. | 12-06-2012 |
20130014101 | Offering Network Performance Guarantees in Multi-Tenant Datacenters - Methods of offering network performance guarantees in multi-tenant datacenters are described. In an embodiment, a request for resources received at a datacenter from a tenant comprises a number of virtual machines and a performance requirement, such as a bandwidth requirement, specified by the tenant. A network manager within the datacenter maps the request onto the datacenter topology and allocates virtual machines within the datacenter based on the available slots for virtual machines within the topology and such that the performance requirement is satisfied. Following allocation, stored residual capacity values for elements within the topology are updated according to the new allocation and this updated stored data is used in mapping subsequent requests onto the datacenter. The allocated virtual machines form part of a virtual network within the datacenter which is allocated in response to the request and two virtual network abstractions are described: virtual clusters and virtual oversubscribed clusters. | 01-10-2013 |
20130219068 | PREDICTING DATACENTER PERFORMANCE TO IMPROVE PROVISIONING - Methods of predicting datacenter performance to improve provisioning are described. In an embodiment, a resource manager element receives a request from a tenant which describes an application that the tenant wants executed by a multi-resource, multi-tenant datacenter. The request that has been received is mapped to a set of different candidate resource combinations within the datacenter, where each candidate resource combination can be used to execute the application in a manner which satisfies a high level constraint specified within the request. This mapping may, for example, be performed using a combination of benchmarking and an analytical model. In some examples, each resource combination may comprise a number of virtual machines and a bandwidth between those machines. Data relating to at least a subset (and in some examples, two or more) of the candidate resource combinations is then presented to the tenant. | 08-22-2013 |
20140157274 | OFFERING NETWORK PERFORMANCE GUARANTEES IN MULTI-TENANT DATACENTERS - Methods of offering network performance guarantees in multi-tenant datacenters are described. In an embodiment, a request for resources received at a datacenter from a tenant comprises a number of virtual machines and a performance requirement, such as a bandwidth requirement, specified by the tenant. A network manager within the datacenter maps the request onto the datacenter topology and allocates virtual machines within the datacenter based on the available slots for virtual machines within the topology and such that the performance requirement is satisfied. Following allocation, stored residual capacity values for elements within the topology are updated according to the new allocation and this updated stored data is used in mapping subsequent requests onto the datacenter. The allocated virtual machines form part of a virtual network within the datacenter which is allocated in response to the request and two virtual network abstractions are described: virtual clusters and virtual oversubscribed clusters. | 06-05-2014 |
20140330937 | END-TO-END CLASSIFICATION OF STORAGE TRAFFIC STREAMS - Methods of classifying a storage traffic stream in a shared storage network are described. In an embodiment, an identifier for the entity generating the stream is generated, where this entity may, for example, indicate a virtual machine, program, session, physical machine, user or process. The identifier is then shared with at least one processing layer along a path of the storage traffic stream between the generating entity and the storage device which stores the file to which the traffic stream relates. In various embodiments, the identifier may then be used by any processing layers which receive it, to selectively handle traffic streams based on the generating entity. The identifier may be shared when the traffic stream is created or subsequently and in various embodiments, the identifier is shared in a second exchange of messages, following the creation of the traffic stream and prior to any other traffic. | 11-06-2014 |
20150081948 | CONTROLLING DATA STORAGE INPUT/OUTPUT REQUESTS - Controlling data storage input/output requests is described, for example, to apply a policy to an end-to-end flow of data input/output requests between at least one computing entity and at least one store. In various examples a plurality of queues are configured at one or more stages of the end-to-end flow and controlled to adhere to a policy. In examples, each stage has a control interface enabling it to receive and execute control instructions from a controller which may be centralized or distributed. For example, the control instructions comprise queuing rules and/or queue configurations. In various examples queues and queuing rules are dynamically created and revised according to feedback about any of: flow behavior, changes in policy, changes in infrastructure or other factors. In examples, high level identifiers of the flow endpoints are resolved, on a per stage basis, to low level identifiers suitable for use by the stage. | 03-19-2015 |