The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 14, 2007
Filed:
Jul. 30, 2001
Zhi-li Zhang, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Yiwei Thomas Hou, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Zhenhai Duan, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Zhi-Li Zhang, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Yiwei Thomas Hou, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Zhenhai Duan, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Fujitsu Limited, Kawasaki, JP;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for allocating bandwidth within a network domain. A centralized bandwidth broker maintains a link-level database including detailed flow data for individual links in a network domain and a path-level database including summarized flow data for individual paths in the network domain. The bandwidth broker determines bandwidth allocations at a path-level by allocating discrete amounts of bandwidth, termed quotas, based on flow requests. If a flow request cannot be satisfied by allocating quotas, then the bandwidth broker uses the link-level database to recover bandwidth from unused bandwidth by other paths on the same link in order to satisfy the flow request. In another embodiment of a bandwidth broker, the centralized bandwidth broker is replaced by a distributed bandwidth broker including a central bandwidth broker and one or more edge bandwidth brokers. An edge bandwidth broker conducts path-level allocations and requests or releases quotas from and to the central bandwidth broker. The central bandwidth broker conducts link-level allocations and allocates or de-allocates quotas to and from the path maintained by the edge bandwidth broker.