Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

Francesco Lazzeri

Gianmarco Bruno

Jeroen Nijhof

Daniele Ceccarelli

Manuela Scarella

Marco Marchesini

Carlo Giovanni Perocchio

A method () of end-to-end path computation across a plurality of domains () in a communication network comprises receiving () a request for a path across the plurality of domains. The method comprises computing () in a network control entity () the end-to-end path across the plurality of domains as part of a hierarchical path computation. Computing the end-to-end path comprises determining if a stored path corresponding to at least a part of the end-to-end path matches one or more criteria of the end-to-end path, and if so, using the stored path for the end-to-end path computation. The method further comprises transmitting () information indicating at least part of the stored path to a domain control entity () configured to control a said one of the plurality of domains involved in the end-to-end path.

Determining a path in a communication network

Aspects of embodiments provide methods and network criticality managers for controlling data traffic in a network. The method may include: obtaining network topology information from a plurality of physical resources used to transfer data traffic in the network; determining priority levels for data traffic in the network; using the network topology information and the determined priority levels to calculate criticality values for physical resources from among the plurality of physical resources, wherein the criticality values for the physical resources indicate the relative importance of the physical resources in the network; and controlling the data traffic in the network based on the calculated criticality values.

Methods and apparatus for data traffic control in networks

Apparatus and methods are provided for path computation for a service in a telecommunications network. In one aspect, a method comprises receiving a request to schedule the service utilizing the network in a time period determining that a path for the service is not available for the whole of the time period, and determining a plurality of paths for the service, each of the plurality of paths being available during a respective portion of the time period, such that at least one of the plurality of paths is available for the service at any time during the time period.

Methods and apparatus for path computation in a telecommunications network

Apparatus and methods are provided for scheduling services in a traffic-engineered communications network. In one aspect a method comprises: receiving a request to schedule a second service utilizing the network in a second time period, wherein the second time period overlaps a first time period in which a first service utilizing the network has already been scheduled; and computing a path for the second service through the network. The step of computing the path for the second service through the network comprises: responsive to a determination that the request is received less than the threshold period of time before the start of the first time period, disallowing the second service from pre-empting the first service.

Methods and apparatus for scheduling of services in a traffic-engineering network

A method of managing a virtual network, VN, comprising a plurality of VN members comprises associating () one or more of the VN members with a first group, the first group including VN members requiring dedicated resource allocations for their corresponding network tunnels, and associating () others of the VN members with a second group, the second group comprising VN members that may share resource allocations with other VN members of the second group. Paths are assigned () through the one or more physical network domains for the VN members such that the assigned paths for the VN members of the first group provide dedicated resource allocations to each VN member of the first group and such that at least one pair of VN members of the second group traversing a common physical link share a bandwidth allocation for the common physical link.

ACTN virtual network augmentation for resource sharing

A path computation method involves receiving () a request for computation of a new path in the network, the request indicating a future time interval when the path is desired. Subsequently a future network status is generated (), having a representation of availability of path resources at the future time interval, based on selected paths already reserved at that future time interval. Then there is a step of computing () which of the path resources to select for the new path according to the future network status. By generating this future network status when the future time interval is known, it can be generated in respect of a limited time interval rather than covering all possible future reservable times. Thus the benefits of time aware path computation can be achieved without the need for maintaining a huge database of availability at all future times, of all the path resources.

Time aware path computation

A path computation method for use by a control entity () of a tenant () in a multi-tenant communications network () receives a request for computation of a path in the communications network () and obtains a current virtual topology of the communications network from a shared topology store () which is shared by the tenants. The virtual topology is a topology of the communications network which is available for use by the tenant (). The virtual topology is used to service the request. The method may create the path. The path computation may be in respect of a future time interval.

Path computation in a multi-tenant network

A method of path computation in a segment routing network, the network comprising a set of nodes. The method comprises receiving a request for computation of a path between end nodes in the network, the request including a constraint. The method further comprises determining a segment identifier-optimised path defined by a stack of one or more segment identifiers, wherein the segment identifier-optimised path meets the constraint. The determining of the segment identifier-optimised path comprises analyzing a topology of the network comprising: at least a sub-set of the nodes, links between adjacent nodes indicative of possible paths between the nodes, and virtual links between pairs of nodes indicative of possible paths between the pairs of nodes. The method further comprises outputting at least one segment identifier which defines the determined path.

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Genoa, Italy

Francesco Lazzeri