JP2006074704A - Network switch and subscriber terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To promote a shift to a pay-as-you-go system to a subscriber by suppressing a network streess caused by large capacitance traffic for a subscriber of a flat-rate system. <P>SOLUTION: The network switch comprises a statistical value collecting unit 16 for collecting a statistical value of total traffic in the past for each subscriber, and a transfer rate control unit 15 which selects one of a plurality of maximum transfer rates set to first to third stages at least in each subscriber according to the satistical value and controls a packet transmitted/received by subscriber terminal network equipment to be transferred at a rate lower than the selected maximum transfer rate. In this case, the first to third stages are shifted with increase of the statistical value and the maximum transfer rate is delayed to be recognized by the subscriber. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a network switch and a subscriber premises device that change a maximum packet transfer rate according to long-term traffic usage of a subscriber.

  With the development of the information society, the number of communication means that can be used in familiar scenes has increased dramatically, and the increase in communication speed has also been remarkable. In subscriber systems, the communication speed has increased dramatically due to the introduction of ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and optical subscriber systems. Because large-capacity communication with unspecified number of people is possible at home, the number of end users who introduce file exchange software is increasing. As a result, the traffic of the network of the provider or the carrier is remarkably increased, and a situation occurs in which the traffic of a general user who is normally used is compressed.

  Most carriers and providers charge a flat rate for traffic, so even if a file exchange software user flows a large amount of traffic and squeezes the network, it cannot request compensation. Accordingly, carriers and providers cannot procure resources for making new capital investments to cope with the increased traffic. The current flat-rate billing method is a business model that is based on the premise that the traffic generated by each subscriber is at most that the subscriber only performs web browsing and mail transmission / reception. This is not the case when a large number of users occur.

  Therefore, in order to block the file exchange software traffic, a certain carrier or provider has taken a means for detecting the file exchange software traffic in a higher layer (transport layer or higher) (see Non-Patent Document 1). ).

  At present, users of file exchange software, even if traffic is restricted by the means described above, most of the traffic that flows using file exchange software is illegal content that infringes copyright, It is thought that the voice of dissatisfaction cannot be raised so much. That is, such means is effective in reducing the amount of traffic.

  On the other hand, large-capacity content that is not illegal may increase in the future. For example, it is expected that a surveillance camera will be installed at home and the situation will be constantly monitored in the workplace, a long call will be made with an IP phone with video, and a streaming service from a legal content provider. If the content is legal, it doesn't make sense to regulate it because it has a large capacity. However, with the flat-rate service, it is not possible to charge for the amount of data to be communicated, and as a result, it is not possible to procure funds for capital investment to cope with the increase in traffic.

  In view of this, some carriers and providers have introduced a service configuration that provides a difference in communication quality between flat-rate subscribers and pay-per-use subscribers. As a first example, in recent years, a mobile phone company has started a flat-rate system for packet charges of mobile terminals. However, when the network and base stations are busy, a flat-rate system is used by giving priority to pay-per-use subscribers. Reduces traffic pressure by subscribers. As a second example, policy routing is performed in a network router or a network switch, and the bandwidth is guaranteed for a subscriber who receives a QoS (Quality of Service) guarantee service, and for a subscriber who does not. When the QoS guaranteed subscriber traffic is increasing, only the remaining very narrow bandwidth can be used. All of these examples guarantee a comfortable communication environment at any time for pay-per-use subscribers, but provide a comfortable communication environment for flat-rate subscribers only when the network is free. It is a way of thinking.

  In addition, a method has also been proposed in which the upper limit bandwidth of the user is temporarily narrowed if a bandwidth exceeding the threshold is continuously used for a certain period of time (Non-Patent Document 2).

“Nikkei NETWORK Style Monthly Event Ranking”, Nikkei NETWORK, February 2004, p.184-185 "PtoP traffic that threatens the Internet", Nikkei INTERNET SOLUTIONS, November 2003, p.81-91

  However, in a service configuration that makes a difference in the communication quality between the flat rate system and the pay-as-you-go system, the network is likely to be congested, such as after dinner, or in other words, the time that anyone wants to use. Flat-rate subscribers are always forced to use a narrow band. Under such restrictions, flat-rate subscribers can only perform slow communications, even if they conduct communications with a relatively small amount of traffic such as e-mail and web browsing. For carriers and providers, subscribers who frequently exchange large-capacity content on a flat-rate basis are subscribers with poor cost performance, and subscribers with low-traffic communications even on a flat-rate basis have good cost performance. It is. Providers and carriers that provide an environment where communication is slow when they want to use are not welcomed by the subscriber, and the subscriber may want to change the provider or carrier. For carriers and providers, resigning to a subscriber with good cost performance incurs a business penalty. Carriers and providers should want subscribers who use high-capacity content to move to a pay-as-you-go system if possible, rather than unsubscribe.

  In Non-Patent Document 2 described above, as a method of alleviating network congestion due to large-capacity content, the upper limit bandwidth is temporarily set when a specific user continues to use a bandwidth exceeding a threshold over a certain period. Although it is described that it is narrowed down, there is no mention of a specific implementation method or a purpose other than alleviating network congestion.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and does not impose the traffic of subscribers who are using common sense, and does not require the usage-based charging system for users who flow large volumes of traffic. It is an object of the present invention to provide a network switch and a subscriber premises apparatus having a function for promoting a transition, and to prevent a situation in which a carrier or provider network is occupied by a large volume traffic of a flat-rate subscriber.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a network switch according to the present invention is a network switch that relays packet communication between a network device in a subscriber's home and a wide area network. Statistical value collection means for collecting statistical values of the total amount of traffic from a certain point in the past to the present, and at least the first to third stages are set for each subscriber according to the statistical values. A transfer rate control means for selecting one of a plurality of maximum transfer rates and controlling packets transmitted and received by the network equipment in the subscriber premises to be transferred at a rate equal to or lower than the selected maximum transfer rate; . Here, the first stage indicates a first maximum transfer rate until the statistical value exceeds a first threshold value, and the second stage indicates that the statistical value exceeds the first threshold value. A second maximum transfer rate that is slower than the first maximum transfer rate, wherein the third stage is when the statistical value exceeds a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value. , Showing a third maximum transfer rate that is slower than the second maximum transfer rate.

  A subscriber premises apparatus according to the present invention is a subscriber premises apparatus that relays packet communications with a wide area network, and the configuration of the network switch described above is applied.

  As described above, according to the network switch and the subscriber premises apparatus according to the present invention, when a flat-rate subscriber uses a large amount of traffic, it is possible to reduce the maximum transfer rate thereafter. It suggests that the subscriber has used too much traffic, and can suppress future use or encourage a shift to a pay-as-you-go system with less stress. In addition, by setting the total (first threshold) corresponding to the maximum transfer speed at which the sensation speed is felt slow to some extent, it is possible to reduce the sensation speed for subscribers who do not use a large capacity. It becomes possible not to feel. By doing so, it becomes possible to suppress the compression of the traffic in the network caused by the large volume traffic of the flat-rate subscriber without causing excessive stress on the subscriber.

  Embodiments of a network switch and a subscriber premises device according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a network switch according to the first embodiment. In particular, the network switch 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a layer 2 (Ethernet (registered trademark)) for accommodating subscribers installed by a carrier developing a broadband subscriber system closest to the subscriber in order to accommodate the subscriber. Shows the switch.

  The network switch 10 is provided by a carrier A, for example, and is connected to a wide area network 7 constructed by the carrier A. The network 7 is connected to an external network, the so-called Internet (not shown). The network switch 10 is connected to a subscriber home network device 12-x (x = 1, 2,..., N) installed in each subscriber home. You can connect to the Internet via The network switch 10 sees the destination of the packet and outputs it to the correct port, the buffer 14-x for temporarily storing traffic between the subscriber home network equipment 12-x, and the traffic volume for each subscriber. And a transfer rate control unit 15 for controlling the transfer rate of packets transferred to each subscriber or the transfer rate of packets transmitted from the subscribers. .

  Note that the network switch 10 includes elements that realize functions other than those described above, but FIG. 1 shows only the portions related to the present invention. For example, a buffer is also provided in a port connected from the switch unit 13 to the network 7, but is omitted because it is not directly related to the feature of the present invention. In other drawings described in this specification, only parts directly related to the present invention are shown.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram of the network switch 10 describing in detail the buffer 14-x. The operation in the network switch 10 will be described with reference to FIG. When the packet output from the subscriber home network device 12-x arrives at the network switch 10, it is input to the buffer 14-x. Since the line connecting the subscriber home network device 12-x and the network switch 10 is common to the uplink and downlink, the duplexer 17-x first separates the uplink and the downlink in the buffer 14-x. Since the packet output from the subscriber home network device 12-x is an upstream packet, it is input to the input buffer 18-x. The switch unit 13 executes a packet transfer process such as reading a packet stored in the input buffer 18-x of each port and outputting the packet to an appropriate output port for each destination.

  In the network switch 10 shown in FIG. 1, a different port is assigned to each subscriber home network device 12-x. Therefore, the information for identifying the subscriber is a port. The network switch 10 collects the statistical value of the traffic amount for each port connected to the subscriber home network device 12 -x by the statistical value collection unit 16.

  The statistical value collection unit 16 collects statistics on the number of packets for each subscriber, preferably traffic statistical values for each subscriber. The traffic statistic is, for example, the number of packets that set the subscriber as a destination or a transmission source, the amount of information that the packets have. Here, the number of transfer bytes is considered as a traffic statistic.

  When the switch unit 13 reads an upstream packet transmitted from the subscriber home network device 12-x, the statistical value collection unit 16 determines the port number corresponding to the subscriber home network device 12-x and the number of transfer bytes of the packet. Notify The statistical value collection unit 16 adds the notified number of bytes for each subscriber, that is, for each port number, and counts the total. Note that the total number of bytes transferred for each subscriber is counted in units of a predetermined period. The predetermined period is, for example, a range of one hour to one month, and is a span that allows the user of the subscriber home network device 12-x to feel how much traffic he / she used. . Therefore, it does not include those that can not be experienced by humans, such as less than 1 second. Basically, since fees are usually paid on a monthly basis, they are counted on a monthly basis.

  However, considering the purpose of reducing congestion in the network, if the month is the month on the calendar, the first half of the month will be used as many flat-rate subscribers like, and the internet will be crowded. In the second half, there is a possibility that the number of transfer bytes will increase and the number of subscribers whose transfer speed will decrease will increase, causing a situation where the net becomes rattled. Therefore, the above-mentioned monthly total is not a month on the calendar (a month starting from the first day) but a month for measuring the total amount starting from an arbitrary day for each subscriber. For example, subscribers of the subscriber home network equipment 12-1 use the period from the third day of every month to the second day of the following month as a unit of aggregation, and subscribers of the subscriber home network equipment 12-2 run from the 17th of the month to the 16th of the following month. The period is taken as the aggregation unit. The aggregation start date can be determined based on the contract date of each subscriber, for example. A date other than the contract date may be used as the start date, but for the purpose of suggesting the total amount of traffic used by the subscriber based on the speed of experience, the subscriber should clearly know when the month for measuring the total amount is from. It is desirable that Otherwise it will stress the user. In this way, by setting the month starting from an arbitrary day for each subscriber, it is possible to prevent the traffic in the network 7 from being biased within the month. Hereinafter, the month for measuring the total amount is simply referred to as the current month.

  Downstream packets transmitted to the subscriber home network device 2-x, such as packets input from the network 7 to the network switch 10, are read into the switch unit 13 and then set to the appropriate subscriber home port for each destination. The data is output to the output buffer 19-x. At that time, like the above-described uplink packet, the switch unit 13 notifies the statistical value collection unit 16 of the subscriber and the number of transfer bytes for each packet. The statistical value collection unit 16 adds the number of bytes notified for each subscriber, that is, for each port, and counts the total for the current month.

  The total number of transfer bytes for each subscriber may be counted separately for upstream / downstream, or may be counted without distinguishing upstream / downstream. When the maximum transfer rate is controlled separately for uplink and downlink, or when only one of them is controlled, they may be counted separately. If it simply means avoiding congestion of the carrier or provider network, it is sufficient to count without distinction. In this embodiment, counting is performed without distinction. That is, the statistical value collection unit 16 counts the total number of bytes transferred in the current month for packets output to the ports connected to each subscriber's home and packets input from the ports.

  In the present embodiment, at the beginning of this month, the maximum transfer rate of the packet of the port corresponding to each subscriber's house is set to three or more stages according to the total number of transfer bytes counted for each subscriber. The term “three or more levels” means that the user feels that the user feels fast, medium, or slow as the experience speed when the user is connected to the network 7. In other words, if a subscriber is carrying high-volume traffic frequently and squeezing the carrier or provider network, depending on the traffic statistics, the subscription may be for some time (eg until the end of the month). For users, the maximum transfer rate is slightly reduced. And, for subscribers who have flowed a significant amount of traffic frequently and pressed the network for a long time or for a long time, the maximum transfer rate of the subscriber is clarified as the perceived speed according to the traffic statistics for a while. Slow down to the point where you feel you are slow. Here, a case where the maximum transfer rate can be changed in three stages will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the maximum transfer rate set in three stages and the total number of transfer bytes in the current month. As shown in FIG. 3, the maximum transfer rate is R0 when the total number of transfer bytes in the current month is from 0 to B1. This maximum transfer rate R0 may be the original maximum transfer rate based on the specifications of the port of the network switch 10, for example. Of course it may be later. When the total reaches B1, the maximum transfer rate of the port is lowered to R1. The maximum transfer rate R1 is felt that the subscriber connected to the port is clearly slower than the maximum transfer rate R0 as the perceived speed, and is within the range of normal use, that is, use of mail transmission / reception and WEB browsing. If so, a speed that can be tolerated is desirable. This is because this stage is a stage to warn the subscriber that the user has overused. Therefore, it is desirable that B1 be set to a value that does not reach even if it is used for one month if it is used for sending and receiving mail or browsing the web for about 2 to 3 hours a day. It is desirable that the total value reaches B1 only when it is used excessively in streaming or file exchange software.

  Further, when the total reaches B2, the maximum transfer rate is reduced to R2. The maximum transfer speed R2 is a very slow sensation speed, and it is a speed that feels high stress even when sending and receiving e-mails and using WEB browsing, so that subscribers who reach B2 feel that they want to minimize the Internet connection. Is speed. In the current technology, for example, R0 is about 100 Mbit / s, R1 is about 1 Mbit / s, and R2 is about 100 kbit / s.

  Here, the maximum transfer speed of three stages is set as shown in FIG. 3, but a plurality of intermediate stages may be provided to have four or more stages. Detailed service can be provided.

  The values of B1 and B2, and thus the staircase shape as shown in FIG. 3 may be changed for each subscriber. These values and shapes may be set by the carrier switch administrator from outside the network switch 10. If these values and shapes are changed according to the course (monthly usage fee) subscribed to by each subscriber, more detailed services can be provided.

  In the network switch 10, the maximum transfer rate of each port is controlled as follows. The network switch 10 normally has a built-in packet scheduler, and controls so that processing occurs on average at each port or performs processing for guaranteeing QoS. The maximum transfer rate can be controlled by controlling the packet scheduler. The packet scheduler basically adjusts traffic between a plurality of ports when the use of the plurality of ports is congested. When the network switch 10 is free, the packet scheduler reads and outputs packets at full speed. Instead of doing this, the network switch 10 according to the present embodiment notifies the transfer rate control unit 15 of the total number of transfer bytes of each port accumulated in the statistical value collection unit 16, so The maximum transfer rate is determined and the packet scheduler is operated accordingly.

  Specifically, the control is performed as follows. In the case of an upstream packet, a packet input from the subscriber home network device 12-x is first stored in the input buffer 18-x. The speed at which the switch unit 13 reads the packet from the input buffer 18-x is as follows. To control. First, one packet is read from the input buffer 18-x and processed. Then, the statistical value collection unit 16 is notified of the number of bytes b of the packet. The statistical value collection unit 16 notifies the transfer rate control unit 15 of the total number of bytes b (bytes) and the transfer byte number of the current month of the port that received the packet. The transfer rate control unit 15 determines the maximum transfer rate of the port based on the total number of transfer bytes received from the statistical value collection unit 16 and the relationship between the maximum transfer rate and the total number of transfer bytes as shown in FIG. Is set to Rn (byte / sec), for example, and the packet scheduler is instructed to read the next packet of the port after b / Rn seconds from the previous packet read.

  In the case of a downlink packet, that is, the timing at which the packet stored in the output buffer 19-x is output to the duplexer 17-x, the same scheduling process as that for the uplink packet is performed. The previous processing is also scheduled by the amount of packets accumulated in the output buffer 19-x. When an overflow of the output buffer occurs, the statistics collection unit 16 is notified of the overflow amount, and the statistics collection unit 16 subtracts the number of bytes corresponding to the overflow amount from the counted total, and overflows the packet. Cancel the scheduled processing for. Although the configuration is complicated, the duplexer 17-x may notify the statistical value collection unit 16 of the number of bytes for the downstream packet instead of the switch unit 13.

  In the above description, the transfer rate of each port is expressed as the number of bytes per unit time. However, as another method, the number of packets per unit time may be controlled. That is, the maximum transfer rate shown in FIG. 3 can be simply set as the maximum transfer rate of packets (pieces / sec) and scheduled to follow the maximum transfer rate. In such a method, it is only necessary to count the number of packets, that is, the number of transfers, so that the configuration of the network switch can be simplified. However, since the size of each packet differs, it is preferable to control based on the number of bytes if fairness is important.

  The main difference between this embodiment and the conventional traffic suppression method is that the maximum transfer rate is kept low if the total number of transfer bytes is exceeded even when the net is free. In this way, the subscriber can be made aware of the amount of use of his / her internet.

  When the maximum transfer rate becomes slow, packets easily accumulate in the input buffer 18-x and the output buffer 19-x. Therefore, these buffers should be designed to be larger than usual. Note that the overflow from the buffer results in packet loss.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, after the total number of transfer bytes for the current month reaches B2, the control of the maximum transfer rate is different from the relationship shown in FIG. 3 (the maximum transfer rate and the total number of transfer bytes). The relationship). Hereinafter, this switching of the maximum transfer rate control method is referred to as application method switching. The control method after switching is different from the method in which the maximum transfer rate is simply lowered according to the total number of transfer bytes per month in the total amount measurement. The total number of bytes to be controlled is defined as a total during a relatively short time (hereinafter referred to as a second counting period) such as past hours or days. If the number of transfer bytes in that period is less than a predetermined threshold, the maximum transfer rate is set to the second lowest rate, and if it is greater than the threshold, the lowest rate is set. That is, if the total number of bytes transferred in a month has reached an amount that will result in the slowest maximum transfer rate, leave it slow if you continue to use it in large quantities, and if you want to refrain from using it, transfer the maximum amount It is to revive the speed a little to rescue the subscriber and not to put too much stress on the subscriber. The maximum transfer speed when use is refrained is the second slowest speed. By indicating to the user that the speed has not been completely restored, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a large amount is used immediately after the speed has been restored.

  In the present embodiment, B2 is set as an application method switching value as it is (of course, an application method switching value may be set in a place larger than B2). Thereafter, for example, the total number of bytes of each subscriber for the past two days is counted. For example, the total number of transfer bytes per hour is recorded in units of one hour, and the maximum transfer rate at that time is determined according to the total amount for the past 48 hours.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the maximum transfer rate and the total number of transfer bytes over the past two days. If the total number of transfer bytes in the past two days is less than B3, the maximum transfer rate is returned to R1, and if it is greater than B3, the maximum transfer rate is set to R2. Since B3 is the total number of bytes transferred for two days, it is much smaller than B1 shown in FIG. The handling immediately after the total number of transferred bytes reaches B2, for example, is recorded every hour by changing the statistics collection method from the point when it reaches B2, and is shown in FIG. 4 after 48 hours have elapsed. One method is to apply the above relationship and keep the maximum transfer rate R2 for 48 hours. As another method, a value for every hour may be recorded for the past 48 hours at all times, and the relationship shown in FIG. 4 may be applied immediately after the total number of transfer bytes reaches B2. Furthermore, switching of the application method after reaching B2 may be performed by time instead of the total number of transfer bytes. For example, the application method is switched 24 hours after reaching B2.

  By doing so, if you refrain from using it even after overuse, you will be able to connect to the Internet at a speed that does not feel great stress, urging you to refrain from using the net, or to a flat-rate system without stress It is possible to give an opportunity to consider the following.

  Note that the above-described second total period can be set to various lengths according to the traffic margin in the network. If there is enough traffic, it can be shortened, otherwise it can be lengthened. If it is too short, it is impossible to suggest that the subscriber is using too much traffic, and if it is too long, the stress on the subscriber is too strong. As for the short one, when you connect to the network continuously, after experiencing the slow speed due to heavy traffic, stop the network connection, do some other work and return It is about one hour if it is considered as the time of coming. As for the long one, considering that the subscriber uses the net at the same time of the day, if it is normally used at the same time of the next day after a large amount of use, it will be overused by the subscriber. Can not suggest. About 3 days is considered the longest when considering that one or two days are difficult to use. If it is longer than that, the stress on the subscriber is too strong and the possibility of withdrawal will increase.

  The maximum transfer rate control method described above does not apply to all subscribers, but applies to flat-rate subscribers. That is, the above-described control is performed for the flat-rate subscriber, and the original maximum transfer rate of the network switch 10 is normally guaranteed or the transfer is performed according to the QoS policy for the pay-per-use subscriber. Good. Also, notify the subscriber that the transfer rate will drop when the total amount increases, so that the subscriber can detect that the cause of the slow experience when connecting to the Internet is overuse. Good.

  In the present embodiment, in order to suppress the traffic in the network, it is desirable to limit the traffic as much as possible outside the network (as close as possible to the subscriber's home). The layer 2 switch is directly connected to the home network device 12-x. However, the above-described maximum transfer rate control method can also be applied to network switches of other usage forms. That is, the present invention can also be applied to a network switch that is not directly connected to the subscriber home network device 12-x. For example, a layer 2 or layer 3 network switch for concentrating subscriber accommodating layer 2 switches. However, in such a network switch, since the subscriber cannot be identified by the port, the subscriber identification information is the MAC address of the network device used by the subscriber (when the network passes through a plurality of network devices in the subscriber premises). Is a set of MAC addresses), a VLAN (Virtual LAN) identifier, an IP address, or a combination thereof.

  Furthermore, the network switch according to the present embodiment can also be applied to a router inside the network. In this case, the information for identifying the subscriber is mainly an IP address. In the subscriber accommodation layer 2 switch and the concentrator switch, the traffic flowing into the network from the subscriber's home is effective in terms of suppressing the traffic in the network, but the traffic from the network to the subscriber's home is It only suggests to the subscriber that the transfer rate is low (overuse). If it is desired to further suppress traffic in the network, the configuration of the network switch according to this embodiment may be applied to an edge switch that the carrier or provider connects to another network. In other words, the maximum transfer rate may be controlled for the traffic for each subscriber flowing into the carrier or provider network via the edge switch. Usually, there is not one edge switch of a provider or a carrier. Each switch may perform independent control, but the statistics for each subscriber collected by each switch are exchanged periodically (for example, every half day), and the traffic statistics for each subscriber is updated. It is preferable to obtain the total and control the maximum transfer rate based on the total. Furthermore, when the configuration of the network switch according to the present embodiment is applied to a network switch of a provider that is not a carrier, since the subscriber traffic is connected from the carrier network via the edge switch, the switch to be applied is These are the edge switches. In this case, the subscriber is identified by an IP address.

  As described above, according to the network switch according to the first embodiment, the transfer rate is determined according to the total number of bytes of packets transmitted and received by the subscriber in the current month. As a result, it is suggested that the subscriber who has transmitted and received a large amount of traffic is overused, and the usage amount can be fed back. Also, as the transfer rate decreases as the total number of bytes sent and received this month increases, subscribers are strongly aware that they can only get a finite service at a finite price, and move to a pay-as-you-go system. Can give you an opportunity to consider. Furthermore, for subscribers who use common sense, such as email and WEB browsing (subscribers with a small total number of bytes in the current month), the amount of traffic generated is small, so the transfer rate is not reduced, and there is no stress. Can continue to use.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a subscriber premises apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described. The subscriber premises apparatus according to the second embodiment is a network device in the subscriber premises to which the configuration of the network switch according to the first embodiment is applied. From the viewpoint of suppressing traffic as much as possible outside the network, the network switch according to the first embodiment can be applied not only to a network switch installed outside a subscriber's home but also to a subscriber's home device. . It is conceivable that the subscriber premises apparatus according to the second embodiment is installed in the subscriber premises depending on the form supplied or rented by the carrier.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a subscriber premises apparatus according to the second embodiment. In particular, the subscriber premises apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 5 is a broadband router with an ADSL modem 27 built-in. The subscriber premises apparatus 20 has a function of an entrance of the network 7 and is connected to the network 7 in the ADSL format. Accordingly, an ADSL modem is similarly installed on the network 7 side, and the subscriber premises apparatus 20 is connected to other switches, routers, etc. via the ADSL modem (not shown).

  In the subscriber premises, the subscriber premises device 20 includes terminals 23-1, 23-2,. . . , 23-m, and the subscriber accesses the Internet from these terminals. Since the purpose is to control the traffic flowing out / inflowing into the network 7, the subscriber premises apparatus 20 is provided with a configuration corresponding to the network switch according to the first embodiment at the port on the network 7 side. The subscriber premises apparatus 20 includes a router 24 that is a central part of the broadband router, an ADSL modem 27 connected to the network 7, and an input buffer 28 and an output buffer 29 provided between the router 24 and the ADSL modem 27. It has. The output buffer 29 is usually provided in the router, but the input buffer 28 is usually not present or has a small capacity. However, the subscriber premises apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment uses a large capacity input buffer 28.

  Further, the subscriber premises apparatus 20 receives the statistical value data from the statistical value collection unit 26 that records the number of transmission / reception bytes of the current month and the number of transmission / reception bytes for the past several days, and the statistical value collection unit 26, and And a transfer rate control unit 25 for instructing a packet scheduler (not shown) in the router 24.

  The ADSL modem 27 demodulates the packet received from the network 7 and inputs it to the input buffer 28. The ADSL modem 27 also has a function of demultiplexing upstream and downstream. The router 24 performs packet transfer processing such as reading the destination of the packet input to the input buffer 28 and directing it to the output port. At this time, the router 24 notifies the statistical value collection unit 26 of the number of bytes of the packet. The statistical value collection unit 26 counts the total number of bytes in the current month, and adds the number of input bytes to it. Further, the statistical value collection unit 26 notifies the transfer rate control unit 25 of the total and the number of bytes of the packet, and the transfer rate control unit 25 has a relationship as shown in FIG. Referring to the relationship between the total number of bytes and the maximum transfer rate, the maximum transfer rate at that time is determined from the notified total, and the reading time of the next packet is calculated from the notified byte number b. For example, the maximum transfer rate is set to Rn (byte / sec), and the packet scheduler is instructed to transfer the next packet after b / Rn seconds from the previous packet transfer.

  Similarly, packets output to the network 7 such as packets received from the terminal 23-x (x = 1, 2,..., M) are appropriately processed in the router 24 and then output to the output buffer 29. The At that time, the statistical value collection unit 26 is notified of the number of bytes of the packet. The ADSL modem 27 reads the packet from the output buffer 29, modulates it, and outputs it to the network 7. However, as in the case of the downstream packet, the timing for reading the packet is after the timing instructed by the transfer rate control unit 25. Further processing is scheduled for the amount of packets stored in the output buffer 29. When an overflow of the output buffer occurs, the overflow amount is notified to the statistical value collection unit 26, subtracted from the counted total, and the scheduled processing for the overflowed packet is canceled. Although the configuration is complicated, the ADSL modem 27 may notify the statistical value collection unit 26 of the number of bytes for the upstream packet instead of the router 24.

  When the total for the current month reaches the application method switching value described in the first embodiment, it is not the total for the current month, but the total number of bytes transferred in the past hours or days, as in the first embodiment. To determine the maximum transfer rate.

  As described above, according to the subscriber premises apparatus according to the second embodiment, similarly to the effect enjoyed by the first embodiment, the maximum transfer rate is reduced according to the traffic amount, thereby allowing the subscriber to This suggests the amount of traffic used and suppresses overuse. Further, by providing such a function in the subscriber premises equipment, it is possible to suppress the traffic flowing into the network as much as possible.

  The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments as described above, and further effects and modifications can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. That is, the embodiment according to the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the invention according to the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

It is a figure which shows embodiment of the network switch concerning this invention. 2 is a detailed diagram of a network switch according to the first embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the maximum transfer rate set to three steps, and the total of the transfer byte number of the month. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the maximum transfer rate and the sum total of the transfer byte number of the past two days. It is a figure which shows embodiment of the subscriber premises apparatus concerning this invention.

Explanation of symbols

7 Network 10 Network switch 12-1 to 12-n Subscriber home network equipment 13 Switch unit 14-1 to 14-n Buffer 15, 25 Transfer rate control unit 16, 26 Statistics collection unit 17-1 Duplexer 18-1, 28 Input buffer 19-1, 29 Output buffer 20 Subscriber premises equipment 23-1 to 23-m Terminal 24 Router 27 ADSL modem

Claims (9)

A network switch that relays packet communication between a network device in a subscriber's home and a wide area network,
A statistics value collecting means for collecting statistics of the total traffic volume from a certain point in the past to the present for each subscriber;
Packets transmitted / received by the network equipment in the subscriber premises by selecting at least one of a plurality of maximum transfer rates set in the first to third stages for each subscriber according to the statistical value Transfer rate control means for controlling the transfer at a speed equal to or less than the selected maximum transfer rate;
With
The first stage indicates a first maximum transfer rate until the statistical value exceeds a first threshold;
The second stage indicates a second maximum transfer rate that is slower than the first maximum transfer rate when the statistical value exceeds the first threshold;
The third step indicates a third maximum transfer rate that is slower than the second maximum transfer rate when the statistical value exceeds a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value. Network switch.   2. The network switch according to claim 1, wherein the total amount of traffic from a certain point in the past to the present is a statistical value within a range of the past one hour to one month.   The subscriber includes a port of the network switch, a MAC address of the network device in the subscriber home, a VLAN identifier assigned to the network device in the subscriber home, and an IP address of the network device in the subscriber home. The network switch according to claim 1, wherein the network switch is specified by using at least one of the following.   The network switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the network switch functions as a layer 2 switch for accommodating subscribers directly connected to a subscriber's home.   The network switch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an acquisition start date for acquiring the statistical value of the total traffic is an arbitrary date for each subscriber. The statistical value collecting means obtains a statistical value of traffic for each subscriber during a certain period of time from the past 1 hour to 3 days after the statistical value reaches an application method switching value equal to or greater than the second threshold. Collected as a value,
The transfer rate control means controls the packet to be transferred at a rate equal to or lower than the second maximum transfer rate when the second statistical value falls below a third threshold, 6. The network switch according to claim 1, wherein, when a statistical value exceeds a third threshold, the packet is controlled at the third maximum transfer rate. 7. A subscriber premises device that relays packet communication with a wide area network,
A statistics collection means that collects statistics on total traffic from a certain point in the past to the present,
According to the statistical value, at least one of a plurality of maximum transfer rates set in the first to third stages is selected, and a packet to be transmitted / received is transferred at a rate lower than the selected maximum transfer rate Transfer rate control means for controlling
With
The first stage indicates a first maximum transfer rate until the statistical value exceeds a first threshold;
The second stage indicates a second maximum transfer rate that is slower than the first maximum transfer rate when the statistical value exceeds the first threshold;
The third stage indicates a third maximum transfer rate that is slower than the second maximum transfer rate when the statistical value exceeds a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value. Subscriber premises equipment.   8. The subscriber premises apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the total amount of traffic from a certain point in the past to the present is in the range of the past one hour to one month. The statistical value collecting means includes
After the statistical value reaches the application method switching value equal to or greater than the second threshold, the traffic statistical value is collected as the second statistical value for a certain period of time from the past 1 hour to 3 days,
The transfer rate control means controls the packet to be transferred at a rate equal to or lower than the second maximum transfer rate when the second statistical value falls below a third threshold value. The subscriber premises apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein when the statistical value exceeds a third threshold, the packet is controlled at the third maximum transfer rate.

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