Cisco Technology, Inc.

Uwe Sellentin

Frank Gerard Bordonaro

Paul Aloysius Schmidt

John P Fussell

Bernie P Pearce

Wayne Taylor

Scott Allan Bales

Arun G Khanna

Randal Latta Dunn, Jr

Arunkumar Bhushappagala Thippeswamy

Scott Allen Bales

Manjari Asawa

Jagdish Venkata Sonti

Tmima Koren

Amitava Das

John Lautmann

Richard Brian Livingston

Andrew Joseph Mead

Nitin Karkhanis

Patricia Ann Webster

Alan Lei

Randal L Dunn

Paul A Schmidt

A method for communicating data is provided that includes receiving a plurality of bits associated with a communications flow and determining whether one or more samples included in the flow should be suppressed. The method also includes suppressing a selected one or more of the samples if the selected samples are similar to previously received samples. The cell site element is further operable to invert one or more selected header bits. In a more particular embodiment, the bits to be inverted are part of a fixed length field and the inverted bits are odd. The inversion of the bits reduces packet overhead that is present in an HDLC communications environment.

System and method for mitigating the effects of bit insertion in a communications environment

An apparatus for communicating data is provided that includes a cell site element associated with a base transceiver station and operable to receive a plurality of packets associated with a communications flow, the packets including a plurality of subrates. The cell site element is further operable to detect a congestion condition via a measurement of a level in a receive jitter buffer. When the congestion condition exists, individual subrates can be dropped from subsequent backhaul packets until congestion subsides. In more particular embodiments, the cell site element can be informed that congestion exists, whereby a congestion level is assigned to a collection of the subrates. In addition, the cell site element prioritizes the subrates and removes individual samples from one or more of the packets; high priority calls and critical radio control information are not affected during the congestion condition.

System and method for detecting and regulating congestion in a communications environment

A multi-homed endpoint, having multiple interfaces with respective source addresses, selects a source address for transport of a message according to a prescribed multi-homed transfer protocol, based on source-destination address pair metrics, each source-destination address pair metric identifying link performance between a corresponding source address and a corresponding destination address. Each source-destination address pair is assigned a counter for tracking respective acknowledgements to messages output via the corresponding source-destination address pair. The multi-homed endpoint selects a source-destination address pair, for transport of messages, based on the corresponding metric identifying the highest relative link performance. Heartbeat messages are periodically sent for unselected source-destination pairs to maintain updated link performance metrics between the respective source-destination address pairs. Hence, the multi-homed endpoint can ensure selection of a link having opimum link performance based on the corresponding counter specifying the highest relative link performance for the corresponding source-destination address pair.

Arrangement in a multi-homed transport endpoint for selecting a source address based on source-destination address pair metrics

An apparatus for communicating data is provided that includes a cell site element associated with a base transceiver station and operable to receive a plurality of packets associated with a communications flow, the packets including a plurality of subrates. The cell site element is further operable to detect a congestion condition via a measurement of a level in a receive jitter buffer. When the congestion condition exists, individual subrates can be dropped from subsequent backhaul packets until congestion subsides. Single timeslots of the flow are systematically added back during a configured time interval such that congestion abatement will back-off gradually. In more particular embodiments, the cell site element can be informed that congestion exists, whereby a congestion level is assigned to a collection of the subrates. In addition, the cell site element prioritizes the subrates and removes individual samples from one or more of the packets.

System and method for addressing dynamic congestion abatement for GSM suppression/compression

A method for communicating data is provided that includes receiving a plurality of bits associated with a communications flow and determining whether one or more samples included in the flow should be suppressed. The method also includes suppressing a selected one or more of the samples. The method also includes retransmitting certain samples when a given sample has stopped changing, in comparison to a previously received sample, for a configured time interval.

System and method for implementing a preemptive retransmit for error recovery in a communications environment

A method for communicating data is provided that includes receiving a plurality of bits associated with a communications flow and determining whether one or more samples included in the flow should be suppressed. The method also includes suppressing a selected one or more of the samples if the selected samples are similar to previously received samples. In a more particular embodiment, the method also includes positioning unique samples that are included in the flow in a super-frame to be communicated to a next destination. Additionally, the method may include receiving the unique samples and evaluating the unique samples in order to restore a plurality of bits associated with the communications flow.

System and method for implementing dynamic suppression and recreation of suppressed data in a communications environment

A method for communicating data is provided that includes receiving a plurality of bits associated with a communications flow and applying a variable size codebook for stateful compression or for stateless compression. The method also includes determining if a match exists between the plurality of bits and a selected one of a plurality of bit patterns and communicating a payload present (PP) header bit pattern corresponding to the selected bit pattern in place of the plurality of bits associated with the communications flow.

System and method for implementing a variable size codebook for compression in a communications environment

A method for communicating data is provided that includes receiving a plurality of bits associated with a communications flow and inspecting the bits. The method also includes determining whether one or more samples included in the flow should be suppressed. A portion of the bits is converted to 1 bits such that they are designated for later suppression. A selected one or more of the samples are suppressed if the selected samples are designated for suppression.

System and method for determining whether to dynamically suppress data in a communications environment

A signaling network node is configured for identifying a received signaling message as corresponding to one of a plurality of prescribed message classes, based on prescribed message class selection criteria. The signaling network node determines an outbound linkset for the received signaling message based on selected message parameters, for example destination point code, input linkset, service indicator values, etc., where the outbound linkset typically includes at least two links. The signaling network node selects one of the at least two links based on the identified message class.

Arrangement for routing a received SS7 signaling message based on packet classification

A method for communicating data is provided that includes receiving a plurality of bits associated with a communications flow and determining whether one or more samples included in the flow should be suppressed. The method further includes suppressing a selected one or more of the samples if the selected samples are similar to previously received samples and interleaving one or more voice data segments associated with a voice call into outgoing Internet protocol (IP) traffic flows. In more particular embodiments, packets that do not come in from a GSM port on the cell site element are designated as default best effort (BE) traffic.

System and method for implementing quality of service in a backhaul communications environment

A multi-homed endpoint, having multiple interfaces with respective source addresses, selects a source address for transport of a message according to a prescribed multi-homed transfer protocol, based on source-destination address pair metrics, each source-destination address pair metric identifying link performance between a corresponding source address and a corresponding destination address. Each source-destination address pair is assigned a counter for tracking respective acknowledgements to messages output via the corresponding source-destination address pair. The multi-homed endpoint selects a source-destination address pair, for transport of messages, based on the corresponding metric identifying the highest relative link performance. Heartbeat messages are periodically sent for unselected source-destination pairs to maintain updated link performance metrics between the respective source-destination address pairs. Hence, the multi-homed endpoint can ensure selection of a link having optimum link performance based on the corresponding counter specifying the highest relative link performance for the corresponding source-destination address pair.

An originating node is configured for generating a route management signaling message having a signaling link selection (SLS) value that is selected by the originating node based on an affected destination value. The affected destination value, distinct from a destination point code (DPC) that specifies a destination node for the route management signaling message, identifies an affected signaling node that is affected by the route management signaling message. Hence, route management signaling messages related to the affected signaling node are routed along the same signaling path, ensuring that all the related route management signaling messages remain in sequence. Further, different signaling path can be established for respective affected signaling nodes, providing load sharing of route management signaling messages relative to the respective affected signaling nodes.

Arrangement for controlling SS7 message routing by selecting a signaling link selection field based on an affected destination

A signaling network node is configured for generating a routing decision based on selectively masking a point code field from a received SS7 signaling message. The received SS7 signaling message includes a header that includes a point code field having a prescribed bit length. The signaling network node searches its routing table to determine the presence of a matching full-length point code of the prescribed bit length that specifies a prescribed route for the received signaling message. If there is no matching full-length point code, the signaling network node generates a reduced point code by applying a user-selectable mask to the point code. The signaling network node then searches its routing table, based on the reduced point code, for a matching reduced-length point code that specifies a corresponding summary route. If desired different masks may be used until a matching reduced-length point code is located. The signaling network node, upon locating a matching reduced-length point code that matches the reduced point code, outputs the received signaling message based on the corresponding summary route.

Arrangement for routing a received signaling message based on a selected summary route in an SS7 network

A transparently-bridged wide area network connecting Ethernet/IEEE 802.3-based local area networks uses redundant proxy devices one each LAN for internetwork communications. The proxy devices on a given LAN, implemented as data link switching (DLSw) devices, mediate for proxy services by generation and maintenance of a token between the proxy devices capable of providing the corresponding proxy services. In the case of transfer of a data frame, a proxy device having received a frame from an end station determines whether any other proxy device possess a token authorizing the establishment of a circuit connection via a wide area network for transfer of the frame to another local area network. If the proxy devices determines that another proxy device possess the token, the proxy device lacking the token drops the frame. If the proxy device possesses the token, then the frame can be transferred via the wide area network. Multiple tokens may be used for distributing distinct proxy services between multiple proxy devices. In addition, each proxy device lacking a token monitors for the periodic presence of a &ldquo;heart-beat&rdquo; indicating the continued presence of tokens, enabling generation of new tokens if existing tokens are lost. Hence, redundant DLSw-type proxy devices may be implemented on a local area network while maintaining a stable and a robust communications system.

Arrangement for controlling network proxy device traffic on a transparently-bridged local area network using token management

A method for computing an ACK timing interval for an ACK timer in a protocol layer LLC type 2 session first measures a time interval between transmission of a frame by a source computer joined to a to a destination computer by an intermediate link, and receipt of a corresponding acknowledgment frame by the source computer from the destination computer. The two events at the source computer, starting a timer upon commencement of transmission of a frame or sequence of frames and the later reception of an acknowledge message indicating receipt of those frames, permits calculation of a measured time interval. The measured time interval is used to compute the bandwidth of the intermediate link. The required ACK timing interval for the ACK timer is then computed in response to the bandwidth, the number of bytes transmitted after starting the ACK timer, and the return time for an acknowledgment message. The ACK timing interval may be recomputed after every transmission of frames and receipt of a corresponding ACK message. The ACK timing interval is thereby dynamically adjusted to conditions on the intermediate link, including natural bandwidth for either a slow or fast link, congestion due to other traffic on the link, etc. The dynamic adjustment of the ACK timing interval prevents inadvertent timeouts of the ACK timer, and so prevents inadvertent breaking of the LLC type 2 reliable transport connection.

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Woodside, CA, United States of America

Uwe Sellentin