A system for managing internet connections

ES 2 218 971 T3

DESCRIPTION

Systems to manage internet connections.

This invention relates to a system for managing internet connections channeled through an internet communications network comprising two or more domains, and to a domain manager and a domain boundary controller to support the management of internet connections. channeled through an internet communications network comprising two or more domains.

The invention is based on the current standardized management of Internet connections on the Internet, in which the quality of service of Internet connections is ensured by introducing new protocols that influence the channeling and switching of Internet connections. internet partly up to layer 3 of the OSI protocol stack (OSI = Open System Interconnection = Open Systems Interconnection).

Also known are service platforms, such as the TINA service platform (TINA = Telecommunication Information Network Architecture), described, for example, in the article entitled "TINA Service Architecture" by A. Conchon and others, published in the magazine "Alcatel Telecommunication Review", in its number corresponding to the first quarter of 1998.

In addition to providing an IT (IT = Information Technology) platform for telecommunications services, a TINA service and service architecture, TINA also provides a business model. This business model allows the development of different roles supported by the TINA architecture to be assigned to the various participants in the provision of a service. As a result, the dosing of the load of the services provided by the various participants is also supported by the TINA architecture. The TINA platform therefore offers a type of market for services and networks.

Stefani J: in the publication entitled "Open distributed processing: an architectural basis for information networks" appeared in COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS, NL, ELSEVIER SCIENCE PUBLISHERS Bv, AMSTERDAM, Vol. 18, N ° 11, November 1, 1995 (1995-11-01), pages 849-862, ISSN: 0140-3664, describes a domain manager to support the management of internet connections channeled through an internet communications network that comprises one or more domains, where the domain manager is designed to manage the quality of service of the Internet connections, but where the transfer of service parameters between the domain manager and the domain boundary controllers is not mentioned.

The object of the invention is to facilitate the provision of a specific quality of service for specific internet connections, within an internet communication network.

This object is achieved by a system for managing internet connections according to claim 1, a domain manager according to claim 11 to support the management of internet connections, and a domain boundary controller according to claim 14, to support the management of internet connections.

Each domain is provided with a domain manager assigned to it to manage the quality of service for internet connections within the particular domain and with one or more domain boundary controllers to monitor the particular domain boundary. The domain manager is designed in such a way that, to ensure the quality of service of internet connections, it communicates with the domain limit controllers of the particular domain to which it is assigned and, through transfer service parameters, authorizes those domain boundary controllers to allow the establishment and maintenance of special internet connections under special conditions, across the domain boundary within the domain. Domain boundary controllers are designed in each case in such a way that they monitor the establishment of internet connections through the boundary of their particular domain, within their particular domain, and allow the establishment and maintenance of internet connections through of your domain limit within your domains only for those special internet connections, and under those special conditions, for which they have been authorized by the domain manager assigned to your domain.

This concept is not limited to the internet as a network technology, but can be applied to any connectionless network technology (eg X.25).

The advantage of the invention is that it facilitates an effective and general security of the quality of service for Internet connections. The invention makes it possible for quality of service for internet connections to be introduced on a broad basis on the internet, without having to accept the disadvantage of allocating all available resources for that purpose.

In addition, the distributed architecture of the system according to the invention facilitates an improvement in the quality of the average service available for internet connections, optimizing the use of resources while, however, minimizing the calculation and coordination effort involved. is required for this purpose.

Advantageous developments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

It is particularly advantageous to develop the domain manager as a TINA component that interacts with another TINA component on a TINA platform. If both ends of an internet connection are assigned the roles to be played by the parties in a TINA service session of initiating the provision of the resources for that internet connection, it is possible to assign all users of an internet connection. internet charges incurred in the general system for the quality of service they have required.

It is also advantageous to initiate the provision of a specific quality of service for a specific internet connection via a TINA service session assigned to that internet connection. It is also advantageous to manage the infrastructure and the allocation of the resource allocation load through the TINA business model.

It is also advantageous for the domain manager to manage all the resources required for internet connections within the domain to which it is assigned. This enables dynamic allocation of network resources to users, as well as running veri3

ES 2 218 971 T3 fications of security and dosage of the loads for these resources.

It is also advantageous that by means of this concept other TMN tasks (TMN = Telecommunication Network Management) other than those of configuration and management of the accounting can be carried out. Such tasks are, for example, defect management, execution management, and security management.

In the following, the invention will be explained, by way of example, in the form of a plurality of exemplary embodiments, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a block circuit diagram of an internet communication network with a system according to the invention, for managing internet connections;

Figure 2 is a more detailed block circuit diagram of the system according to the invention, for managing internet connections as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a more detailed block circuit diagram of a part of the system according to the invention for managing internet connections as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a functional diagram of a part of the system according to the invention for managing internet connections as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a functional diagram of a part of the system according to the invention for managing internet connections as illustrated in Figure

1.

Figure 1 illustrates an internet communication network 10 and a system 1 for managing internet connections. Of the components of system 1, in Figure 1 four domain managers 11 to 14 are illustrated (IP LNC = Internet Protocol Layer Network Coordinator = Internet Protocol Layer Network Coordinator).

The internet communication network 10 is formed by a plurality of interconnected physical communication networks using an IP protocol (IP = Internet Protocol = Internet Protocol) as common layer protocol 3.

The internet communication network 10 illustrated in Figure 1 comprises, for example, four domains 21 to 24, each constituting a logical part of the internet communication network 10. Advantageously, the domains 21 to 24 are each formed by a logical secondary network of the communication network 10, which is managed by a network manager or assigned to a network operator.

Each of the domains 21 to 24 is assigned to a respective domain manager, which manages the provision of quality of service for internet connections within the particular domain. The domain managers 11, 12, 13 and 14 are therefore assigned in each case to the domains 21 to 24.

Domain managers 11, 12, 13 and 14 are each made up of one or more computers, which are interconnected by means of a computer network and whose software platforms run application programs that provide and control functions, such as will be described in the following, of a domain manager. It is also possible, of course, that the domain managers 11, 12, 13 and 14 each consist of a virtual software component made up of one or more application programs. These virtual software components can then run, together with other software components that perform, for example, network management functions, on a common hardware platform or distributed among a plurality of computers. A plurality of software components, each representing a domain manager assigned to a different domain, can also be run on a common hardware platform.

Domain managers 11, 12, 13 and 14 communicate with each other in each case via identical standard reference points 31 to 33 (IP LNGrf Reference Point = IP Layer Network Federation Reference Point = Reference Point of Federation of Network Federation Internet Protocol Layers). Reference points 31 to 33 describe here all the interfaces and the necessary information exchange between managers of adjacent domains, for the management of common internet connections and the initiation of internet connections across domain boundaries. Domain managers 11, 12, 13 and 14 therefore communicate with each other in accordance with reference points 31 to 33 using one or more first protocols.

The construction and operation of the system 1 for managing internet connections will now be explained in detail, by way of example, on the basis of domain 22, with reference to Figure 2.

Figure 2 shows the domains 21 to 23, the domain manager 12 and two domain limit controllers (DBCs) 41 and 42, which are also part of the system 1 to manage internet connections.

Domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 are assigned to domain 22 and monitor the domain boundary of this domain. The number of domain limit controllers has been selected by means of an example in Figure 2. The domain limit controllers 41 and 42 are each made up of one or more physical as well as logical distributed units. The software platform of these units runs application programs that provide the functions, which will be described below, of the domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 by controlling the peripheral assemblies of the units.

The domain manager 12 communicates in each case with the domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 through identical standard reference points 51 and 52 (IP LNW Resource Adapter = IP Layer Network Resource Adapter = Network Layer Resource Adapter). Internet Protocol). Reference points 31 to 33 here describe all possible interfaces and information exchange between a domain manager and domain resources. Communication between domain manager 12 and the other resources in domain 22 may therefore also take place through such a reference point. Domain manager 12 therefore communicates with resources in domain 22, for example, domain boundary controllers 41 and 42, in accordance with reference points 51 and 52, using one or more second protocols.

The domain manager 12 serves to support the management of the internet connections channeled through the internet communications network 10. Here, the

ES 2 218 971 T3 domain manager 12 manages the quality of service of internet connections within domain 22, to which it is assigned, of internet connection 10.

It is also advantageous for the domain manager 12 to communicate with the domain managers 11 and 13 of the adjacent domains 21 and 22 and exchange information with them for the management of the common internet connections that are channeled both through the domain 22 of the manager. of domain 12 as through domains 21 and 23 of the, in each case, managers of adjacent domains 11 and 13. Since the domain manager 12 communicates with the domain manager of an adjacent domain, for example, with the domain manager 13 of domain 23, it can initiate the establishment of an internet connection through the domain boundary within the domain. domain of that domain manager.

If we consider only the IP packets up to layer 3 - therefore, not taking into account any information related to the session or the application - a connection is defined as a set of IP packet header parameters. To establish a connection we have to configure the domain limit controllers of one or more domains to allow IP packets belonging to the same connection to pass through. Due to the connectionless nature of IP, it is however not certain that all those packets follow the exact configured route. That is, establishing an internet connection in this context means that all domain boundary controllers are configured in such a way that whatever route individual IP packets follow (within QoS limitations and for connection security, of course) are recognized as belonging to the connection and are treated in accordance with the connection's quality of service specification.

To ensure the quality of service of Internet connections, the domain manager 12 communicates with the domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 of the domain 22 to which it is assigned. By transferring service parameters, domain manager 12 authorizes domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 to allow the establishment and maintenance of special internet connections under special conditions across the boundary of domain 22, within domain 22. The service parameters passed from domain manager 12 to domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 here specify the conditions under which a special internet connection can be established and maintained across the boundary of domain 22 within domain 22.

An internet connection is specified here by cdd 21 by means of its regular IP properties (eg source IP, sink IP, protocol, source gate, sink gate). However, it is also possible to further specify internet connections by higher-level information, for example by your specific type of URL (URL = Unified Resource Locator = Unified Resource Locator) or MIME. By means of such additional parameters, which serve, for example, to configure higher-level resources, such as pipelines, firewalls or "proxies" (surrogates), such resources can be configured by the domain manager 12 for the connection of internet specified by those parameters.

It is also advantageous that, in addition to controlling the domain boundary controllers 41 and 42, the domain manager 12 also manages if possible all the resources required by the internet connections within the domain 22 to which it is assigned. The domain manager 12 controls the allocation of these resources, which it manages, to the internet connections according to the quality of service agreed for the particular internet connection. This provides the domain manager 12 with additional means to ensure quality of service for those internet connections in the domain 22 to which it is assigned.

It is also advantageous that the domain manager 12 communicates by means of a first protocol with the other domain managers 11, 13 and 14 assigned to the other domains, and by means of a second different type of protocol with the domain boundary controllers. 41 and 42 of the domain 22 to which it is assigned.

The domain limit controllers 41 and 42 serve to support the management of Internet connections channeled through the Internet communications network 10. The domain limit controllers 41 and 42 monitor the domain limit of the domain 22 in each case. to which they are assigned, from the internet communication network 10. Here, the domain boundary controller 41 watches over the domain boundary between domain 22 and domain 21. Domain boundary controller 42 monitors the domain boundary between domain 22 and domain 23. On the other hand, domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 communicate with domain manager 12 of assigned domain 22 to manage the quality of the Internet connection service within the domain 22 to which they are assigned. Domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 monitor the establishment of internet connections through the boundary of their assigned domain 22, within domain 22. The domain boundary controller 41 here monitors the establishment of internet connections from domain 21 to domain 22. and domain boundary controller 41 monitors the establishment of internet connections from domain 23 to domain 22. Domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 also allow the establishment and maintenance of internet connections through the boundary of their assigned domain 22, within domain 22, only for those special internet connections, and under those special conditions, for which have been authorized by the domain manager 12 of the assigned domain 22.

Domain Boundary Controllers 41 and 42 have two main roles within Domain 22: first, as police officers and second as traffic shapers. The service parameters passed from domain manager 12 to domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 specify the conditions under which a special internet connection can be established and maintained across the boundary of domain 22 within domain 22. Under such conditions, these service parameters describe how domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 are to handle a special internet connection.

The service parameters can specify, for example, the following policing functions for an internet connection, which are then executed by domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 for those internet connections:

ES 2 218 971 T3

- rejection of packets assigned to a specific internet connection when specific limit values ​​are exceeded;

- labeling of all the packets, or of specific ones, of a connection, to facilitate the subsequent differentiation of these packets;

- the rejection of all packets not assigned to an internet connection that is part of a group of internet connections that may cross the domain limit 22.

Furthermore, the domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 may comprise components that ensure a special quality of service for special internet connections, in accordance with the service parameters transferred from the domain boundary controller 12.

Quality of service in this sense may constitute a special traffic quality defined by the service parameters: for example, the service parameters define a specified constant bit rate, maximum delay and maximum jitter or jitters.

To ensure this quality of service, the domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 can influence the memory management of the buffers, which, within the domain 22, serve for the intermediate storage of data packets assigned to connections. from Internet. It is also possible that the domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 are themselves provided with such buffers to serve that purpose. Domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 can control the quality of service of special internet connections, by accessing the memory management of these buffers, in particular the queue control algorithms and the priority of queue packet control.

In this sense, the quality of service can also constitute a special quality of security specified by the service parameters. For this purpose, the domain boundary controllers 41 and 42 make available security functions that ensure different levels of security in the domain 22, for different internet connections, according to the service parameters.

With reference to Figure 3, an alternative construction of domain boundary controller 12 will now be described.

Figure 3 illustrates domain manager 12, child domain managers 121 through 124, domain 22, and three child domains 61 through 63.

Domain manager 12 can also be constructed from a plurality of hierarchically structured secondary domain managers. Such an architecture is illustrated in Figure 3, by way of example.

The architecture illustrated in Figure 3 consists of two stages. Domain 22 is divided into child domains 61 to 63, each of which is assigned a secondary domain manager, namely, secondary domain managers 122, 123, and 124. Secondary domain managers 122 to 124 delegate to turn the responsibility to the secondary domain manager 121, which oversees the entire domain 22.

It is also possible, of course, for the domain manager to be constructed from a hierarchy of secondary domain managers consisting of more than two stages.

The child domain managers thus communicate, on the one hand, with the subordinate child domain managers, who manage the child domains that collectively make up their particular child domain. They also communicate with managers of adjacent domains to negotiate about resources at the boundaries of common child domains. They also communicate with network elements of their assigned secondary domains, to ensure the quality of service of specific internet connections, or of a group of internet connections within the particular secondary network, through the configuration of those elements. of the network.

Figure 4 illustrates how one of the smallest elements of an IP communications network, an IP LAN (LAN = Local Area Network = Local Area Network) is managed by a secondary domain manager to ensure the quality of the network. internet connection service within the secondary network.

Figure 4 illustrates a secondary network 101 of the internet communications network 10, three network elements, 131-133, with assigned IP stacks 141-143, and secondary domain manager 122.

Secondary network 101 is a LAN IP. The IP stacks 141 to 143 of the network elements 131 to 133 are modified in such a way that they can be controlled by the secondary domain manager 122. The secondary domain manager 122 can therefore change the queues and priorities in the queues. from, or to, specified IP addresses, protocols, and ports. This control can take place, for example, through a CORBA interface (CORBA = Common Object Request Broker Architecture = Common Object Request Agent Architecture).

The provision of quality of service for an end-to-end internet connection, in a system according to the invention, as illustrated in Figure 1, will now be explained with reference to Figure 5.

Figure 5 illustrates the internet communication network 10, three terminals 211 to 213 connected through the internet communication network 10, and the system 1 for managing internet connections. The internet communication network 10 is modeled as a thin layer network using IP as the network technology.

System 1 is based on a TINA platform. However, it is also possible that the system is based on a different platform, or on a different type of SW bus (software), for example a DCOM platform.

Of the components of system 1, Figure 5 shows the domain manager 12, three terminal layer adapters (TLAs) 221 to 223, three terminal communication session managers (TCSMs) 231 to 233, a manager session communication (CSM) 250, and a connection coordinator (CC) 240, which communicate with each other.

The domain manager 12 therefore fulfills the function of a component within a TINA architecture, which communicates with other components,

ES 2 218 971 T3 the terminal layer adapters 221, 22, 223 and the connection coordinator 240, according to the TINA architecture, to provide quality of service for internet connections.

Terminal communication session managers 231 to 233 manage resources within respective terminals 211, 212, and 213. These communicate with and control local hardware managers. They analyze available resources and communicate about those resources with the application for service and with the communication session manager 250. The application for service can inform the communication session manager 250 of the end points of an internet connection on a very abstract level, for example, it can provide the communication session manager 250 with a high quality video source as an end point. . This abstract endpoint associates with other endpoints in the service level to form an internet connection.

Communication session manager 250 manages a communication session. It therefore forms the central point of contact for a service that provides the establishment of an end-to-end internet connection. An end-to-end internet connection also includes Layers 4 to 7 of the OSI stack. The main function of the communication session manager 250 is to ensure that these are adapted to all the end points of the application layer. After that, you will recover the determination as to which endpoint of the network those protocol stacks can be hooked to within the terminal. The establishment of the connection between the end points of the terminal network is delegated to the connection coordinator 240. The communication session manager 250 makes a request to the connection coordinator 240 for the establishment of the internet connection at the level of a communication network connection.

Terminal layer adapters 221 to 223 manage the endpoints of the internet connection within terminals 211, 212, and 213.

The domain manager 12 is responsible for establishing an internet connection through his particular domain. For this purpose, it communicates with the end points of an internet connection, and therefore with the terminal layer adapters 221 to 223 when the terminals assigned to those end points are assigned to its domain 22. It also communicates with the managers of adjacent domains when it initiates the establishment of an internet connection through its particular domain. The domain manager 12 illustrated in Figure 2 also communicates with the resources of its domain 22, in order to ensure the quality of the internet connection service within its domain.