JP2001156779A - System and method for mapping quality of service between communication systems - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication method and a system that can request quality of service(QOS) independently of that of a transfer/network/link layer and satisfy it. SOLUTION: An inter-terminal system can include a single or a plurality of diversified packet base networks (e.g. IP and APM) each having unique and different QOS classes or criteria. The method and the system map QOS between an applied job/middleware and the transfer/network /link layer and the applied job/middleware QOS requested by an end user remains the sane on the basis between terminals. According to the mapping above, an applied job independent of the transfer provides the QOS of the inter-terminal applied job layer in all networks independently of a kind of a network configuring a communication path between terminations. In other words, the applied job/ middleware QOS is available by all networks independently of whether a terminal of the end user is connected to the same network or to other network.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[Description of Relationship with Related Application] This non-provisional application is
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/1998, filed September 28, 9 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
No. 156,443 entitled "A Framework for Mapping H.323 QOS over Packet-Based Networks". The applicant of the provisional application is Radhika R. Roy (attorney identification number 1999-0
584).

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication system.

At present, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) H. Three
Multimedia standards, such as the 23 Commission Services standard, facilitate multimedia communications over packet-based networks such as the Internet Protocol (IP), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks, frame relay networks, and the like. ing. Although multimedia standards at the application layer can be well established between terminals using the same or similar communication protocols, other layers of the communication system are not standardized. For example, the underlying assumptions of the multimedia standard are extremely flexible, and the transport / network / link layer (OS
General quality of service (QOS) for I layer 4/3/2)
Do not specify parameters. Since it is important that the network layers can communicate with each other in a standardized manner, in current systems, when the QOS parameters for the transport / network / link layers are changed, the application / middleware layer (OSI layer 7 / 6) must also be changed.
Of course, having to change or reconfigure the application / middleware layer every time the transport / network / link layer changes is a very costly and time consuming event.

[0004]

Therefore, there is a need for a new technique for specifying QOS independent of the transport / network / link layer.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a system for managing the quality of service (QQ) between application / middleware and forwarding / network / link layers where the application / middleware QOS required by the end user remains the same on a terminal-to-terminal basis.
(OS) mapping method and apparatus. The transport / network / link layer QOS may be modified to meet its own resources, and many QOS standards (eg, IP / ATM networks) require some direct association with higher application / middleware QOS. It has been defined to meet the needs of its own layer without holding. The present invention relates to application / middleware QOS as a common base that can be used on a terminal-to-terminal basis by all transfer / network / link layer QOSs.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention provides techniques for mapping various levels of quality of service (QOS) between application / middleware and transport / network / link layers. An end-to-end system may include one or more diverse packet-based networks (eg, IP, ATM), where each network may have its own different QOS rating or standard. With such a mapping, independent applications of forwarding can be performed regardless of the type of network constituting the communication path between terminals.
It becomes possible to provide a terminal-to-terminal application service layer QOS through all networks. In other words, the application / middleware layer QOS will be available on all networks, regardless of whether the end user's terminal is connected to the same network or a different network type.

Generally, application / middleware software has only a limited set of QOS grades to meet the audio, video and / or data requirements that end users can demand. In addition, this limited set of QOS grades is relatively stable because these QOS grades are based on the basic traffic characteristics of audio, video, and data used by the application / middleware. I keep it.
For example, H. For the H.323 protocol, each class has a specific set of performance parameters, such as audio, video, and / or guaranteed service classes, controlled service classes, and unspecified service classes. Or there is only a limited set of QOS grades that the end user can select to meet the data requirements.

[0008] In contrast, the transport / network / link layer not only varies widely depending on the type of network, but also one network has a different QOS class from the viewpoint of its own resource management and its own resource. Have a definition of QOS that can be constantly changing to control Transport / Network / Link Layer QO
The S parameter is not necessarily the application / middleware layer Q
They are not the same as the parameters of the OS. There is no unique relationship or one-to-one mapping between application / middleware and transport / network / link layer QOS. However, it is important to point out that it is the application / middleware QOS required by the end user that needs to be satisfied on an end-to-end basis by all networks traversed along the source-destination path. It is. For example, IP network A may provide QOS utilizing the Resource Conservation Protocol (RSVP), which allows one router to reject or reserve certain bandwidth for a particular transfer to another router. Requesting router-to-router protocol. RSVP uses parameters such as peak speed, delay, and change in delay to provide QOS over an IP network. In addition, IP network B
Services differentiated based on hop behavior (PHB)
A differentiated service (DiffServ) utilizing code points (DSCP) may be used, in which case the peak rate, delay, and delay changes are DS
Characterized by a combination of CP and PHB. In another situation, IP network C may utilize multi-protocol level switching (MPLS), where different performance parameters (eg, peak speed,
Different types of services are used to characterize QOS based on delay and changes in delay). In another example, the ATM link layer network D sends information via virtual circuits and estimates the throughput and bandwidth requirements, such as peak cell rate, minimum cell rate, and cell loss rate. ATM QO using parameters
QOS may be provided based on S-grade.

Therefore, in order to satisfy the requirements for the standardized application / middleware QOS by the end user, the application / middleware and transfer / network /
It is necessary to be able to use a standardized QOS mapping mechanism with the link layer, and this standardized application / middleware QOS can be used on a terminal end basis even if the transfer / network / link layer QOS is different. Must stay the same. Further, this may be used in a single network or in multiple networks where each transport / network / link layer may use a different QOS mechanism.

The present invention provides a framework for a method of mapping application / middleware layer QOS grades through various transport / network / link layer QOSs defined by packet-based networks such as IP and ATM. To provide. H. An application such as H.323 can be considered a part of the application (OSI layer 7) or middleware layer (OSI layer 6) depending on the interpretation or viewpoint. In the present invention, the QOS of this layer is defined as the application / middleware layer QOS. The transport layer is usually associated with the TCP or UDP protocol,
Note that the extraction of is not directly applicable. In other words, the transport layer is considered to be transparent to the application / middleware or network / link layer.
However, network layer related to IP (OSI layer 3)
Has many QOS signaling protocols such as RSVP, DiffServ, and MPLS. On the other hand, the ATM network is related to the QOS signal protocol in the link layer (OSI layer 2), and has a constant bit rate (CBR), a real-time variable bit rate (rt-VER), and a non-real-time variable bit. Transmission rate (nrt-VBR), available bit rate (AB
R) and unspecified bit rate (UBR).

FIG. 1 shows the quality of service (Q
1 is a typical block diagram of an (OS) system 100. FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, system 100 includes a network-based application / middleware signaling entity 111, such as a gatekeeper with a back-end server, along with a terminal 102 coupled to a network 101 via a communication link 110 and 104. A QOS mapping entity 114 is also associated with each device (eg, terminal, application / middleware layer entity). The physical implementation of the QOS mapping entity will depend on the particular system implementation. For example, this can be achieved using either software or hardware devices, but can also be configured exclusively for the mapping function.

Terminals 102 and 104 may be any type of device capable of transmitting and / or receiving communication signals. For example, terminals 102 and 104 may be landline telephones, cellular telephones, computers, H.264. 323 terminals, personal
Digital assistants, video phones, video conferencing devices, smart or computer-based televisions, W
eb TV and the like. For the purposes of the following description of the invention, terminals 102 and 104 are personal computers.
Assume that it is a computer.

Terminals 102 and 104 are adapted to communicate with network 101 via communication link 110 along with their QOS mapping entity 114. These communication links 110 may be any type of connection capable of transmitting information. Some examples include conventional telephone lines, digital transmission facilities, fiber optic lines, direct serial /
Parallel connection lines, cellular telephone connection lines, satellite communication links,
Radio frequency (RF) links, local area networks (LA
N) and an intranet.

The network 101 may be a single network or a plurality of networks of the same or different types. For example, the network 101 is (AT &
It may include a local exchange carrier's local telephone network connected to the interchange carrier's long distance network (such as T's long distance telephone network). Further, the network may be a data network such as a Frame Relay (FR) network, an Asynchronous Mode Transfer (ATM) network, or an Internet Protocol (IP) network. Any combination of telecommunications and data networks may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For purposes of explanation, it is assumed that network 101 includes two or more data networks.

In this embodiment, each device has its own QO
It has an S mapping entity 114. If the terminals 102, 104 request a standardized application / middleware QOS on a terminal-to-terminal basis, the request must include a conversion of which transport / network / link layer QOS parameters to use. . Accordingly, the QOS mapping entity 114 converts the application / middleware layer QOS to the corresponding network layer QOS 101 available at the lower layers. Furthermore,
In order to know which QOS grades are available in the network 101, together with the appropriate price criterion to be able to request the desired QOS, the terminals 102, 104 are connected to the network-based application / middleware signal entity 1
It can also be said that 11 may be referred to.

As mentioned above, the QOS required by the terminals 102, 104 at the application / middleware layer is:
It may not have a QOS directly corresponding to the transport / network / link layer. Therefore, the QOS mapping
Entity 114 translates the required QOS from the application / middleware layer of terminals 102 and 104 into the required transport / network / link layer QOS for communication.
(And vice versa).

The terminals 102 and 104 are connected to the gatekeeper 11
Network / link layer QOS service, or criteria (eg, RSVP / DiffServ / MP for IP networks) available from network-based application / middleware layer entities such as 1.
CBR / rt-VB for LS and ATM networks
R / nrt-VBR / ABR / UBR). Next, the gatekeeper 11 sends the application / middleware layer QO via the mapping entity 114.
Map S to the corresponding network / link layer QOS service. Network / layer devices (eg IP
A rear-end server communicating with a router in the case of a network or a switch in the case of an ATM network) determines the QOS service available in the network (for example, IP, ATM) using the mapped network / link layer QOS. The server then also determines the costs associated with the various QOS services. This information (eg, QOS cost) is then returned to terminals 102, 104 so that the end user can determine what type of QOS to request based on cost-QOS criteria. it can.

The network 101 can be used, or communication can be established with the required QOS, and if the terminal accepts some conditions of the network 101, that is, the cost, the terminal 101 and the terminal 104 A connection can be established.

In this manner, communication having the required QOS can be established between two or more terminals 102 and 104. As described above, since the QOS mapping device 114 can convert between the application / middleware layer QOS and the network layer QOS, the QOS requested by the terminals 102 and 104 needs to directly correspond to the QOS definition of the network 101. There is no.

As described above, the QOS mapping and mapping in each device (eg, terminal, gatekeeper, etc.)
Entity 114 may be used to determine or monitor one or more networks for communication requests from terminals 102, 104. The communication request may include a request for a QOS service class at the application / middleware layer from the end user. By using such a mapping entity, the required QOS service can be defined at the application / middleware layer and standardized for all end users. The reason that it is particularly useful is that terminal 1
QOS requested by the application / middleware layer via the network / link layer Q
This is because they are not understood by the protocol of the OS or are not necessarily defined at the network / link layer.

As an example of operation, assume that calling terminal 102 wants to communicate with called terminal 104. Network-based gatekeeper 111 (via a back-end entity in communication with network / link-layer entity router / switch)
The terminal application / middleware can send a query to the gatekeeper on behalf of the end user to know what kind of QOS service is available. Therefore, the gatekeeper sends a reply to the terminals 102 and 104. The communication request can be created by software running on the calling terminal 102. Further, the communication request can include a communication information portion and a required QOS portion.

The communication information portion may include information necessary for performing communication between the calling terminal 102 and the called terminal 104. For example, the communication information part includes the terminal IDs of both the calling terminal 102 and the called terminal 104.
Can be included. Further, the communication information portion can include billing information such as an account number of the calling terminal and a billing address of the calling terminal.

The required QOS portion of the communication request can include an indication of which QOS the calling terminal 102 wants to communicate with. Further, as noted above, the required QOS may be any indication of end-user terminals 102, 104, or QOS specific to the application / middleware layer. For example, the terminals 102 and 104
Require high, medium, or low quality video services and high, medium, or low quality audio services that use some performance parameters based on class of service be able to.

As mentioned above, all application / middleware entities (eg terminals, gatekeepers)
Can establish a communication with the requested QOS service, with the function of the QOS mapping entity 114 (eg, an OSI layer 3 network such as an IP network, an OSI layer 2 network such as an ATM network). Q available via network
A gatekeeper 111 having knowledge of the OS service. In another scenario, the terminals 102, 104 can communicate directly with each other without utilizing the gatekeeper 111, while the mapping from the application / middleware QOS to the network layer QOS (and vice versa) -Through the entity 114.
To accomplish this, the QOS mapping entity 114 can receive a communication request from the end user, and the network / link layer device (eg, router, switch) then switches to the network (single or A plurality of communication paths. In other words, based on the communication request, the QOS mapping entity 114 can translate the requested QOS into various network QOS services. Once the communication path is determined by the network / link layer device, the QOS mapping entity 114 can convert the requested QOS to a network QOS, and the network / link layer device can convert each of the communication paths. Queries the networks, and those networks request the QOS requested by terminals 102, 104
It is determined whether the communication request can be satisfied at the level.

It is assumed that the equipment of the network / link layer entity (eg, router, switch) determines that it is possible to satisfy the communication request and that there is sufficient network capacity with the translation from the mapping entity 114. If so, the network / link layer entity replies to the appropriate application / middleware entity (eg, terminal, gatekeeper) that the desired QOS is available.

If the various networks cannot meet the requirements, the QOS from the mapping entity
The network / link layer entity with the translated information of can instead query another network combination in an attempt to satisfy the communication request. These additional actions include determining whether an alternative path exists, translating the requested QOS service to correspond to the parameters of the network QOS, or querying other networks for any other alternatives. To be included.

The gatekeeper 111 with the QOS mapping entity 114 and the backend server may be configured to provide additional services. For example, the gatekeeper 111 provides the terminal with the bandwidth available on the network 101 or the terminal 102, 1
04 may indicate various upgrades or downgrades to the requested QOS service that they wish to utilize. QOS mapping entity 114
The gatekeeper 111 with the backend server may also provide the terminal 102, 104 with additional information, such as a cost / time comparison for a particular connection. For example, the gatekeeper 111 is the terminal 10
For 2,104, the charge for communication with medium quality of service is $ 10 / min, while the charge for the same communication with high quality of service is $ 1.00 / min. Can be notified.

The QOS mapping entity 114 is a logical function and can be mounted on a terminal, gatekeeper, etc. Further, it may be contemplated that the QOS mapping entity 114 is physically implemented as a separate entity. However, regardless of whether these entities are in a terminal or a gatekeeper, the logic functions remain the same, or may be distributed throughout the communication network. For example, the QOS monitor 114 may be configured as part of various central offices, routers, or servers distributed throughout the network 101 and used by the network 101. Any configuration for monitoring communications over the network 101 can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The monitoring status of the network / link layer QOS is:
It can be returned to the application / middleware layer QOS for correlation on a terminal-by-terminal basis after appropriate conversion by the QOS mapping entity.

FIG. 2 illustrates each entity (eg, terminal,
2 shows a logical OSI layer for each gatekeeper. Each entity may have all seven layers of the communication protocol, but each protocol can only communicate within its boundaries. For example, if the terminals 202 and 204
When using the H.323 communication protocol, this terminal is a layer 7
H. covering / 6/5 Know only the protocol of the H.323 layer. Layers 7, 6, and 5 are "middleware" between each other
Note that a single layer may be configured to be combined as 206. In this case, the terminals 202, 204 and the gatekeeper 211 communicate with each other as entities of the application / middleware 206. In contrast, a router (not shown in this figure) communicates via the OSI layer 3 (ie, IP layer). However, the terminal 20
The 2, 204 or gatekeeper 211 needs to have an interface connected to the router and thus able to communicate using the IP protocol. In other words, terminal 2
02, 204 or the gatekeeper 211 is unaware of the lower layer functions in that it needs to have information to manage or control the lower layer resources. Rather, terminals 202, 204 or gatekeeper 211 manage or control only the resources of application / middleware layer 206. FIG. 2 shows how communication takes place between communicating entities. However, forwarding / network /
Link layer entity 208 is not shown. In the case of a router, it involves communication through layers 3, 2, and 1, while the ATM switch communicates through layers 2 and 1.

FIG. 3 shows the QOS mapping entity 3
14 shows examples of 14 typical logical concepts. This intelligent QOS mapping entity 3
14 is application / middleware (OSI layer 7/6/5)
Transfer / network / link layer (OSI layer 4/3 /
2) Can be mapped to QOS 308 (and vice versa). QOS mapping entity 314
Can be located in application layer entities such as terminals, gatekeepers, etc. As described above, the QOS of the application layer may be concentrated on the middleware QOS, or may be the QOS of the application layer. In any case, this is called application / middleware QOS. At the transport layer (OSI layer 4) there is no direct concept of QOS like application or network / link layer. Instead, the transfer layer transfers the QOS information from the upper layer to the lower layer (or vice versa). However, the network QOS in each network has distinct features. For example, in an IP network, there may be different types of QOS services. That is, RSV
P, DiffServ, and MPLS. Furthermore,
AT considered as link (OSI layer 2) layer network
There may also be a separate QOS service at the link layer, such as the M network. This also includes CBR, rt-VBR, nr
There are different types of QOS services such as t-VBR, ABR, and UBR. The primary purpose of the QOS entity 314 is between tiers (ie, application / middleware QOS to transfer / network / link layer QOS,
Or vice versa) mapping QOS.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment QOS system 400.
It is a typical block diagram of. As shown in FIG. 4, system 400 includes terminal 402 and terminal 404.
Terminal 402 is connected to first termination network 406 via communication link 410. Terminal 404 is connected to second termination network 408 via communication link 413.

[0032] The first and second terminating networks are connected to network 4 via communication links 411 and 412, respectively.
07. Each network 406-408 additionally has a QOS mapping entity 4
15 is connected via communication link 414 to an application layer entity such as a gatekeeper having a backend server 418 having 15. These terminals also have QOS mapping entities 401,403. Terminal 4
02, 404, communication links 410-414, and networks 406-408 may consist of any of the entities described above with respect to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the QOS mapping entities 401, 403, 415
It belongs to the middleware layer entity. But,
QO as a separate entity separate from the application layer entity, such as a terminal or gatekeeper
It may also have an S mapping entity 314. In this embodiment, the logical communication remains as described above.
As in FIG. 1, (QOS mapping entity 41
A network / link layer entity (such as a router / switch with 5) can monitor the networks 406-408 at terminals 402, 404 to look for any communication requests from end users.
As described above, the communication request is transmitted to two or more terminals 402, 40.
4 establishes a communication path and a specific level of Q for communication.
It can be in the form of a request to provide an OS.

However, at the network layer, each of the networks 406-408 has application / middleware and transfer / network / network defined by various parameters.
It can have a non-standardized QOS service with the link layer. Thus, the QOS mapping entity allows end users at terminals 402, 404 to access various QOs in each network 406-408.
Standardized Q that automatically maps S services and parameters to standardized application / middleware
OS application work can be used.

As an example of the operation, the terminal 40 equipped with the QOS mapping entities 401, 403, 415
Application / middleware layer entities, such as 2, 404 and gatekeeper 418,
Receives a communication request from the end user of the called terminal 404 to communicate with the end user of the called terminal 404, the application / middleware entity uses the communication information portion to determine the IDs of the calling terminal 402 and the called terminal 404. Can be. Further, the QOS mapping entity 401
Receives the requested QOS portion of the communication request by the end user at terminal 402, and recognizes the network / link layer QOS as a network / link layer entity such as a router or switch. Determine the ideal communication path across networks 406-408 to establish a link to meet the demand. Networks 406 through 408 are Q
Since different parameters are used to provide the OS, the Q in the application / middleware entity
OS mapping entity 401 maps QOS services standardized at the application layer requested by the end user at terminal 402 to equalize the QOS parameters of networks 406-408. The same network / link layer QOS information is sent to the network / link layer QOS entity.

QOS mapping entity 401
Performs this function in a manner transparent to terminals 402, 404 or gatekeeper 418. Furthermore, QOS
The terminal or gatekeeper equipped with mapping entity 415 queries networks 406-408, each of which is sent by the end user at terminal 402 with the help of network / link layer entities such as routers / switches. It is determined whether the QOS request can be provided. Application / Middleware ・
Entity QOS Mapping Entity 415
Network / link layer entities with the help of
If it determines that the requested QOS service is not available, it will send another QOS to provide a similar QOS.
Query the network for possibilities or alternatives. A network / link layer entity with the help of the network / link layer QOS mapping entity 415 may be able to satisfy the request from the end user at the terminal 402 based on the QOS information received from each of the networks 406-408. If determined, this notifies the calling terminal 402 that it is available and assists the end user at terminals 402, 404 in establishing communication. Application / Middleware Q
The network / link layer entity with the help of the OS mapping entity 415 may additionally provide end users with availability and cost / time information in a manner similar to the first embodiment. it can.

When communication between terminals is required, each mapping entity of each device (eg, terminal, gatekeeper) converts the application / middleware layer QOS to the appropriate network / link layer QOS, and The / link layer router / switch determines whether the desired QOS can be supported on the network between any source-destination paths.

To map the requested quality of service to the network layer quality of service, the mapping entity 415 determines the appropriate mapping between the application / middleware layer QOS and the specific network / link layer QOS. I do. The mapping entity 415 has properly translated network / link layer Q
Having determined the OS, a network / link layer entity such as a router / switch then queries any of the networks in the communication path, and those networks are assisted by the gatekeeper's back-end server, or / QOS required by direct operation between switches
To determine whether a communication path can be provided. Once a network / link layer entity, such as a router / switch, determines that the network is capable of establishing communications between the calling and called terminals with the requested QOS, the router / switch communicates a communication path to the terminals. Can be notified. Thus, the terminal may accept the communication or decline. When the terminal accepts the communication, the controller can establish communication between the terminals.

In a preferred embodiment of the claimed invention, the QOS mapping system uses H.264 over a packet-based network. A method for mapping H.323 QOS is provided. Due to the mapping, H.264 that is not related to forwarding is used. The H.323 application can provide the application layer QOS for any number of equations. The QOS of the application layer means that the end users have the same type of network,
Or it can be used across all networks regardless of whether they are connected to different types of networks.

H. H.323 applications have a limited set of QOS grades that can be requested by the terminal. This limited set of QOS grades has a QOS grade of H.264. It remains relatively stable because it is based on the basic traffic characteristics originating from the H.323 audio codec, video codec, and data signal / application. End user H. The QOS parameters of these communication sources originating from the H.323 real-time multimedia application are described in H.323. It is the basic base of the H.323 QOS. Thus, one embodiment of the present invention is:
Specific network layer QOS defined by packet based networks such as IP and ATM
In addition, how H. A framework can be provided to map 323 QOS classes. In addition, the end user may select any desired H.264 while taking into account the cost / efficiency ratio. H.323 QOS can also be requested, and subsequently QOS between terminals can be negotiated.

As mentioned above, each network may utilize different parameters to meet a particular QOS service request. In addition, a single communication's data packets may traverse many different types of networks in the route to the destination. Therefore,
QO with a standard set of network parameters
It is increasingly difficult to specify the S grade. Furthermore, data packets passing through different networks experience different quality transmissions. For example, at any given time,
One of the networks may have a different delay, bit rate, error rate, etc. than the other one of the networks. The overall effect of data packets exposed to different network characteristics is to make the quality of service unpredictable. Therefore, the various networks are RSVP, IntServ, DIFFSERV,
Attempts have been made to provide QOS using protocols and programs that use different parameters, including MPLS, ATM, and the like.

The Resource Conservation Protocol (RSVP) is an application-specific signal communication protocol for preserving resources. In other words, RSVP is a QO that requests
This is the S signal communication protocol. These requests indicate the level of resources (eg, bandwidth, buffer space) that must be conserved with the transmission scheduling behavior. The transmission scheduling action must be implemented in network layer devices (eg, routers) to add the desired end-to-end QOS commitment for data flow. QOS can be provided on a per-flow basis based on requests from end users. RSVP is "guaranteed" or "controlled"
Attempt to provide services to the network. Guaranteed services are for real-time applications that do not tolerate delays. This service attempts to provide a feasible constant network capacity flow that is as close as possible to the end-to-end network delay. The controlled service seeks to provide the capacity of the end-to-end network as close as possible to the conditions of the unloaded network. RS
For VP, traffic is the peak flow rate (bytes per second, bits per second), maximum datagram size / maximum burst size (bytes, bits) tokens
It can be characterized by bucket rate / service rate / bandwidth (bps), slack term (ms) / delay, change in delay, and other parameters. Note that packet loss, or bit error, is not considered in the RSVP specification.

The Integrated Services (IntServ) model utilizes RSVP as a signaling protocol to provide two classes of service in addition to best effort services. IntServ also utilizes admission control routines, classifiers, and packet schedulers.

The differentiated service (DIFFSER
V) is an answer that addresses the scalability and deployment hindrance presented by end-to-end storage over wide-area links using the integrated / RSVP service. DIFFSERV seeks to eliminate the need for RSVP storage on wide area networks (WANs). DIFFSERV assumes that a portion of the network's capacity has been previously excluded for each class of traffic. So this is somewhat like preservation. However, instead of each device determining the session to which DIFFSERV belongs,
FFSERV configures the type of IP in the service column so that intermediate annotations can be graded on a per packet basis rather than on a per session basis. If the capacity of the network is not ruled out or prioritized, it is necessary to use a dynamic signaling protocol (ie RSVP) to request services on demand.

Certain mandatory values of DIFFSERV code points, and their associated per hop behavior (PHB), are outlined in the standard. The shaping primitives tell the device how to move the traffic flow within a given contour using queues, speed controllers, and other parameters. Many services are available, such as premium services, guaranteed services, and Olympic services. Premium services for applications require low latency and low jitter services. Guaranteed services for applications required higher reliability than best-effort services. Olympic services are gold, silver,
It provides a three-stage service called copper. DIFFS
ERV defines only the DIFFSERV column and PHB. Olympic services utilize a degraded service phase and can be based on specific values of QOS parameters for a given class of service. For example, considering the delay parameters, the gold end-to-end delay (EED) is 100
Milliseconds, the silver EED will be 150 milliseconds, and the copper EED will be 150 milliseconds or more.

Multiple protocol label switching (MPL
S) inserts a fixed-length label before the variable-length IP address. In addition, it serves as a label for the selected route. The header is created based on the IP route information in a manner similar to the network protocol. However, MPLS does not provide 32
The bit label information includes a three bit column known as the class of service (COS).

ATM networks define a set of predefined QOS service categories that also define a set of traffic attributes, or parameters. These parameters include constant bit rate, real-time variable bit rate, non-real time variable bit rate, available bit rate, and unspecified bit rate. Common ATM QOS parameters include: A peak cell rate (PCR), which is the maximum cell per second needed to supply user data; the ATM network must provide or circuit requirements are rejected;
The minimum acceptable cell rate, the minimum cell rate (MC
R); Cell Transfer Delay (CTD) which is an acceptable delay;
Cell Loss Rate (CLR) which is an acceptable cell loss; Cell Error Rate (CER) which is an acceptable cell error;
Sustainable Cell Rate (SCR), which is an upper bound in determining the average rate of an ATM connection on a time scale; and CT induced by buffering and cell scheduling
This is a cell delay change which is a component of D.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, employing the H.323 standard. Although the communication system of FIG. 5 uses three different equations 506-508 to provide different types of network layer QOS services, any number of networks could be utilized. H. The H.323 QOS protocol 515 is a common entity of the application layer on a terminal-to-terminal basis. Terminals 502 and 504 and gatekeeper / rear end (GK / BE) 520 to 522 over each network are H.264. Three
It communicates via communication links 510-513 using the 23 QOS protocol. The terminals, networks, and communication links could be any of the entities described in the previous embodiments. GK / BE is for terminal and gateway registration, address analysis, bandwidth control, admission control,
And any device that performs other administrative functions.

The request to the QOS is based on the QO in each network.
H.S mapped to equalize to S service 32
The parameters of the various QOS services at the network layer do not cause confusion since they are negotiated based on a QOS rating of 3. In this particular situation, the application layer H.264. H.323 QOS provides a common base for end-to-end conversion. Therefore, both the application and network layer QOS grades will be H.264 each time the network level QOS grade definition or protocol is changed. Without changing the software of the H.323 application,
It can be independently graded as needed.

Terminals 502 and 504 allow the end user to order a particular type of network layer QOS service. In this embodiment of the present invention, the end user is an H.264 user. GK / BE5 over communication link 510 using H.323 QOS application and protocol 515
The terminal 502 is used to communicate with the terminal 20. GK / B
E520 is connected on one side to terminal 502 via link 510 (and network 506), and on the other side to QOS mapping device 530 via link 534.
It is connected to the. Since the QOS mapping device 530 communicates with the network 506 via the link 510 and operates to translate or map the requested QOS, the set of QOS values between the networks 506-508 has a logical relevance. It is possible to have. Further, each network has a GK / BE 520 to 5
It communicates with another network via communication links 511 and 512 located between the two. The basis of each logical relevance is based on the H.264 standard at the application layer. 323 QO
H.S. between each end user controlled by H.S. 32
Class of service for 3QOS.

FIG. 6 shows that the end user is transparent to various differences in various QOS parameters at the network layer. FIG. 4 illustrates a typical memory data structure that provides a mapping scheme that makes available a H.323 QOS class. As shown, each network and its respective QOS class of service is similar to the H.264 standard.
323 service classes and the parameters from each service class are matched to create a mapping tool. For example, column 602 contains H.264, such as guaranteed service class, controlled service class, and unspecified service class. 323 QOS levels. Column 604 is the H. in column 602. Includes an integrated / RSVP service class for the network layer corresponding to a H.323 QOS service class. Similarly, columns 606 and 60
8 and 610 are MPs that are distinct classes of service
Includes corresponding network layer QOS for LS / IPTOS and ATM service classes.

As shown in FIG. 5, the mapping application in this embodiment of the invention resides in the QOS mapping entity 530, but the mapping application is G
It could also be in K / BE 520-522 or any other entity described in the first embodiment. Further, the mapping application could be centrally located to facilitate software updates.

Here, based on FIG. 5, Int for QOS
With H. Serv / RSVP Class of Service network 506 along with H.264. An example of the operation will be described with reference to the H.323 service class standard. H. H.323 Guaranteed Class of Service 1 includes PBR, EED, EEDV, and BER
QOS is provided using parameters such as Int
Network 506 using Serv / RSVP service classes provides QOS for guaranteed service with parameters such as peak speed, delay, and delay variation. If the end user has an H.264 service such as guaranteed service class 1, If one wishes to order a H.323 QOS grade, the end-user will need to use H.323 on terminal 502 located in the application layer. Three
Use 23 software applications. First, H. Three
The end user of the terminal 502 using the software application work is H.23. GK / BE 520 and QOS via communication link 510 utilizing H.323 protocol 515
The request is communicated to the mapping device 530. The QOS mapping entity 530 searches each network 50 for a communication request for a QOS service from the terminal 502 or any other terminal on the network.
Monitor 6 QOS mapping entity 530
Receives the request from terminal 502, it determines the ID of the calling and receiving terminal.

If the QOS mapping entity 530 can satisfy the QOS request,
The end user at 02 and 504 is notified to that effect and a communication link is established. Requested QOS
If the mapping entity is unable to fulfill the request, it searches for an alternative route, or potential QOS,
Notify the end user immediately. Once the QOS mapping entity 530 performs this function, it can communicate with other QOS mapping entities to search for available bandwidth or QOS services. QOS mapping entity 530 may also perform the management functions described above. The QOS mapping entity 530 uses memory to
The QOS grade (IntServ / RSVP) parameter of H.06 The mapping function is executed in a transparent format by equalizing with a parameter of the H.323 standard. The QOS mapping entity 530 includes the network 506
The set of QOS numbers in the
Operate to apply the mapping function so that it can have a logical association with the set of QOS values in 08 or any other network.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an exemplary process for mapping the application layer QOS between terminals across a network. At step 702, the QOS mapping entity monitors the network for communication requests from end users at terminals.

In step 704, the QOS mapping entity receives a communication request for a QOS service from an end user. The communication request may include a QOS request indicating the QOS level with which the end user wishes to establish communication. The process then proceeds to step 706.

At step 706, the QOS mapping entity determines the communication path and the requested QOS grade based on the communication request. A communication path may include one or more networks, each network utilizing a different definition or protocol to implement QO.
Define S. The process then proceeds to step 708.

In step 708, the QOS mapping
The entity maps the requested QOS class to the corresponding network QOS class. Step 7
At 10, the QOS mapping entity determines whether the QOS request from the end user can be satisfied by available network resources. As described above, this can be achieved by querying the network base on the QOS rating of the corresponding network determined in step 708. QOS mapping
If the request can be fulfilled by the entity, this provides the end user with management information such as a cost / time comparison at step 712.

At step 716, the end user is queried as to whether to accept the QOS rating provided by the QOS mapping entity. If the end user accepts the submitted QOS rating, the QOS mapping entity proceeds to step 720
Establishes a communication link between the calling side and the receiving side. The process then proceeds to 722, where the process ends.

At step 710, if the QOS request cannot be satisfied, the QOS mapping entity proceeds to step 714. At step 714, the QOS mapping entity searches for other resources to determine whether alternative communication paths and / or services can be provided.

At step 715, the QOS mapping entity determines whether it has found an alternative route and / or service. If the QOS mapping entity discovers an alternative route and / or service,
Step 708 is repeated to standardize the application QO
Map S to network layer QOS class.

If the QOS mapping entity does not find an alternative route and / or service, it informs the calling terminal of the result and proceeds to step 718, where another QOS request is made to the end user. A question is asked as to whether to request. If the end user does not want to try again, the QOS mapping entity proceeds to step 722, where the session ends.

At step 716, the end user enters the QOS
If it does not accept the QOS rating offered by the mapping entity, the QOS mapping entity proceeds to step 718 with another QOS
The user is asked whether to make an OS request.

If the end user does not want to make another attempt, the session ends at step 722.

If the end user wants to make another QOS request, the QOS mapping entity
Proceed to 14 to search for alternative routes and / or services. The process then continues as described above.

As shown in FIG. 3, the method of the present invention is preferably implemented by a QOS mapping entity 314. However, the QOS mapping entity 31
4 can be implemented as part of each application / middleware (eg, terminal, gatekeeper), and
General purpose or special purpose computer, programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit elements, application specific integrated circuits (AS
IC), or other integrated hardware electronic devices or logic circuits, such as discrete element circuits, PLDs,
Programmable logic elements, such as a PLA, FPGA, or PAL, can be implemented as part of a separate and independent entity, but the logic communication is still as described above. In general, to perform the use of the QOS mapping function of the present invention, any entity for which there is a limited state machine capable of executing the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 can be used.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it is evident that many alternative embodiments, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are for illustration purposes and do not limit the invention. Changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exemplary block diagram of a quality of service (QOS) system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary logic diagram of a protocol configuration in OSI terms applicable to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary block diagram of the QOS mapping entity of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary block diagram of an alternative embodiment of a QOS system for mapping according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary block diagram of an embodiment of a QOS system according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary data structure of the logical QOS mapping entity of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic flowchart of an exemplary process for mapping QOS between application / middleware and transport / network / link layers according to the present invention.

Claims (33)

[Claims] 1. A method for establishing communication over at least one network, comprising: receiving a communication request including at least a required quality of service to establish communication between two or more terminals. Converting the requested quality of service into a quality of service of a corresponding network recognizable by a network layer; and via the at least one network based on the quality of service of the corresponding network Establishing communication between the two or more terminals. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to establish communication includes at least identification of the two or more terminals and account information for at least one of the two or more terminals. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is recognized at an application / middle tier and causes the application / middle tier to establish communication between the two or more terminals. . 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the two or more terminals are H.264. The method according to claim 1, wherein the terminal is a H.323 terminal. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to establish a communication is entered by a subscriber at at least one of the two or more terminals. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more terminals can request network link layer quality of service from a network-based application / middle layer entity. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the required quality of service includes at least a guaranteed class of service, a controlled class of service, and an unspecified class of service. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the required quality of service includes at least high quality, medium quality, and low quality services. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the required quality of service includes at least a requested available bandwidth. 10. The required quality of service includes:
The method of claim 1, wherein at least one requirement of quality of video service, quality of audio service, and quality of data service is included. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding quality of service is a quality of service recognized by the network layer. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network layer includes at least one of an IP network, an ATM network, and a frame relay network. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein said network layer includes a transport / network / link layer. 14. The transport / network / link layer includes a corresponding quality of service to which the required quality of service of the application / middle layer is translated. the method of. 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting at least one of communication cost and communication availability to a terminal requesting establishment of communication. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication cost is a cost of establishing communication at the requested quality of service. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication availability is a list of communication options that are alternately available at different levels of quality of service. 18. A method for establishing communication over at least one network, comprising: receiving the requested quality of service; and converting the requested quality of service to a quality of service of the network. And establishing a connection with the requested quality of service over at least one network based on the quality of service of the network. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the required quality of service includes at least an identification of a terminal requesting communication and account information. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the required quality of service is recognized at an application / intermediate layer, and the application / intermediate layer establishes communication between two or more terminals. The described method. 21. The method according to claim 21, wherein the two or more terminals are H.264. The method according to claim 20, wherein the terminal is a H.323 terminal. 22. The method of claim 18, wherein the required quality of service is entered by a subscriber at at least one terminal. 23. The method of claim 18, wherein two or more terminals can request network link layer quality of service from a network-based application / middle layer entity. 24. The method of claim 18, wherein the required quality of service includes at least a guaranteed class of service, a controlled class of service, and an unspecified class of service. 25. The method of claim 18, wherein the required quality of service includes at least high quality, medium quality, and low quality service. 26. The method of claim 18, wherein the required quality of service includes at least a requested available bandwidth. 27. The required quality of service includes:
19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of quality of video service, quality of audio service, and quality of data service is included. 28. The at least one network includes at least one of an IP network, an ATM network, and a frame relay network.
The method according to claim 18. 29. The at least one network includes a transport / network / link layer.
9. The method according to 8. 30. The transport / network / link layer includes the corresponding quality of service to which the required quality of service of the application / middle layer is translated. The described method. 31. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting at least one of communication cost and communication availability to a terminal requesting communication establishment. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein the communication cost is a cost of establishing communication at the requested quality of service. 33. The method of claim 31, wherein the communication availability is a list of communication options that are alternately available at different levels of quality of service.