JP2009100175A - Method and system for setting lsp of on-demand type network - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve priority communication in an on-demand type network for supporting label switch while minimizing modification to the existing application. <P>SOLUTION: In an application terminal 2, a helper application 21 which requests a communication band to an APGW device 4 instead of a communication application 22 is introduced. In the helper application 21, a band request function part 21b transmits application (AP) profile information generated based on profile information inputted from a user interface function part 21a to the APGW device 4 with a band request. A setting receiving function part 21c receives LSP setting notification transmitted from the APGW device 4. An operation parameter setting function part 21d sets an operation parameter of the communication application 22 based on the LSP setting notification to start the communication application 22. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an LSP setting method and system for a network that supports a label switch, and particularly in an on-demand network that efficiently distributes a finite transmission band according to the priority of each data in the public field such as medical care. The present invention relates to an LSP setting method and system.

  For example, Non-Patent Document 1 proposes an on-demand network control technique as a QoS (Quality of Service) guarantee means for IP transmission in communication services in highly public fields such as medical care and government.

  In this technology, as shown in FIG. 5, (1) the bandwidth between application terminals is guaranteed at the layer 2 (OSI reference model second layer) level, and the core transmission network is MPLS (Multi Protocol Label). Network 1 that supports Switching) technology, and (2) the characteristics of the application, such as the necessity and urgency of information transmission that the application itself intends to perform, and the sender and receiver IP addresses and the required bandwidth in the transmission. (3) an application terminal 3 that is a communication partner of the application terminal 2, and (4) a network on the network. While determining the priority of each application from the viewpoint of public nature based on the application profile information, For high ahead of applications composed of APGW (application gateway) device 4 which assigns priority to network resources even to stop the data transmission of another application.

  Assuming that multiple applications exist on the NW, the APGW apparatus 4 determines the relative priority between the applications based on the application profile information declared by each application (to distinguish it from the NW priority described later). (Referred to as “application (AP) priority”), and a communication path (path) with a guaranteed transmission band is set in descending order of the AP priority.

  The “application” means software or / and hardware (apparatus) that transmits, receives, or relays information (digital data) encoded with video, audio, text, graphics, and the like via a communication path. Specific examples include computer file transmission, video / audio transmission, and World Wide Web (WWW).

  In addition, as a feature of the conventional technology, even when the NW bandwidth has already been set for other applications and a new communication path cannot be set, the request source is an application with high AP priority. However, there is a point that it tries to set the communication path even if the existing low AP priority communication path is taken up. This is because, for example, in the medical field, when an emergency application (for example, surgical video transmission for remote surgery support) requesting the communication channel setting is requested, the communication is not established or the communication is not established. However, in the situation where QoS is not guaranteed, even if the transmission of an application that does not affect human life even if communication is stopped (for example, video transmission of educational materials for research and education) is suspended, the emergency communication described above This control is intended for the case where priority is given to.

  MPLS technology is used for this channel setting (route setting and bandwidth allocation). When the channel settings are determined by the bandwidth allocation / route setting mechanism in the APGW device, settings are made for each MPLS router on the NW. A command is sent. A communication path set based on the MPLS technology in this way is called LSP (Label Switched Path).

  This LSP setting is notified to each of the routers 11, 12, 13 and the application terminal 2 on the network. The application terminal 2 starts communication with the application terminal 3 based on the notified LSP setting.

  Since the above series of operations is performed in the background, users who use the application can ensure QoS by simply operating the application without being aware of the MPLS settings that require advanced knowledge. Transmission can be used.

Also, a priority control protocol (hereinafter referred to as PCP) for controlling the signaling procedure between the application terminal 2 and the APGW apparatus 4 is provided in the form of a module (ActiveX control) that can be dynamically incorporated by the user application. Is done. For this reason, the user application developer does not bear the burden of protocol implementation, and it is possible to avoid a decrease in interoperability due to the implementation interpretation of the protocol specification.
NiCT Hokkaido Research Center 2005 Research and Development Results Report, “On-Demand Network Control Technology Research and Development Project”

  If PCP is provided to each application in the form of active X control, priority control is realized by making each application compatible with active X. However, in order to make an application that does not support active X compatible with active X, it is necessary to modify the existing application.

  Here, if the source code of an existing application is disclosed and the user can modify the application by himself / herself, participation in an on-demand network using priority control control becomes possible. However, if the existing application is a commercial product and cannot be refurbished, it becomes impossible to participate in the on-demand network, which in turn has the technical problem of affecting the availability of the network. .

  An object of the present invention is to provide an LSP setting method and system capable of realizing priority communication in an on-demand network that supports a label switch while solving the above-described problems of the prior art and minimizing modifications to existing applications. There is to do.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides an application that performs LSP setting in response to a bandwidth request from each application and a plurality of application terminals in which a communication application is installed in an on-demand network that supports label switching. An LSP setting method in which a gateway device is connected and LSP setting is performed based on the priority of each application includes the following procedure.

  The helper application installed in each application terminal includes a procedure for acquiring profile information of the communication application and a procedure for transmitting a bandwidth request including the profile information to the application gateway device.

  The application gateway device determines the priority of each application based on the profile information received from each application, the procedure for setting the LSP based on the priority of each application, and the LSP setting on the edge router on the network A procedure for sending a command to set the LSP, and a procedure for notifying the application terminal of the LSP setting.

  The helper application further includes a procedure of starting a communication application in response to an LSP setting notification from the application gateway device.

  According to the present invention, the helper application is mounted on the application terminal, and the LSP setting for priority communication is performed by the helper application communicating with the application gateway device. Priority communication can be realized in an on-demand network that supports label switches without major modifications.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an on-demand network to which an LSP setting method according to the present invention is applied. The same reference numerals as those described above represent the same or equivalent parts, and thus the description thereof is omitted. .

  The application terminal 2 includes a communication application 22 that transmits data such as still images and moving images, and a helper application 21 that requests a communication band from the APGW apparatus 4 in place of the communication application 22. The helper application 21 has a configuration unique to the present invention, and includes a user interface function unit 21a, a bandwidth request function unit 21b, a setting reception function unit 21c, and an operation parameter setting function unit 21d, as will be described in detail later.

  Each of these function units 21a to 21d is realized by a priority control module (PCM) that is taken in when the helper application 21 is started. In particular, each of the bandwidth request function unit 21b and the setting reception function unit 21c that communicate with the APGW apparatus 4 is provided. The function is realized by a priority control protocol (PCP).

  The user interface function unit 21a displays an input screen for allowing the user 5 to input profile information such as the urgency, necessity, desired transmission bandwidth, and transmission / reception terminal address of data transmitted by the communication application 22. The profile information input by the user 5 is captured. The bandwidth request function unit 21b transmits application (AP) profile information generated based on the input profile information to the APGW apparatus 4 together with the bandwidth request.

  The setting reception function unit 21 c receives the LSP setting notification transmitted from the APGW apparatus 4. The operation parameter setting function unit 21d sets the operation parameter of the communication application 22 based on the received LSP setting notification, and operates the communication application 22 according to the operation parameter.

  In the APGW apparatus 4, the AP priority determination unit 41 receives a bandwidth request including the AP profile information from the application terminal 2 to determine an application (AP) priority, and uses this to determine the transmission / reception terminal address of the application terminal 2 and the like. The path setting unit 42 is notified together with the AP profile information. The path setting unit 42 performs LSP setting based on the information notified from the AP priority determination unit 41 and the existing LSP information stored in the existing LSP information storage unit 43, and notifies the application terminal 2 of the LSP setting. To do. The path setting unit 42 further outputs an LSP setting command to each of the MPLS routers (edge routers) 11, 12, 13 of the MPLS network 1 to secure a required bandwidth.

  Next, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 3 and the sequence flow of FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure in which the helper application 21 and the communication application 22 cooperate to realize the priority communication in each application terminal 2, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the APGW apparatus 4. .

  When the helper application 21 is activated in step S1 of FIG. 2, a priority control module (PCM) is incorporated in step S2. In step S3, the user interface function unit 21a inputs profile information necessary for priority communication control between applications such as the urgency level, necessity level, required transmission bandwidth, and transmission / reception terminal address of the communication application 22. An input screen prompting the user is displayed.

  When the input of each information is completed from this input screen, the process proceeds to step S4, and the bandwidth request function unit 21b creates application (AP) profile information in which each information is described in a predetermined format. In step S5, the bandwidth request function unit 21b activates a priority control protocol (PCP), and a bandwidth request is transmitted to the APGW 4 together with the AP profile information.

  When the APGW 4 receives the bandwidth request and AP profile information in step S21 of FIG. 3, in step S22, the priority determination unit 41 determines the application priority (hereinafter referred to as AP priority) based on the notified AP profile information. (Expressed as degrees). This AP priority is notified to the path setting unit 42 together with each information registered in the AP profile information.

  In step S23, the path setting unit 42 performs mapping from the AP priority to the network priority (hereinafter referred to as NW priority), and the existing LSP information already registered in the existing LSP information DB 43. Based on the above, when the NW is congested, the free bandwidth is inquired from the lowest NW priority, and when the free bandwidth is detected, the LSP is set with the detected route and bandwidth. If no free band is detected, the NW priority is increased by one and the free band is inquired. As a result, the path with the lowest NW priority, that is, the path with the lowest AP priority can be deleted, and the deleted path can be used for the newly requested application.

  The procedure for determining the AP priority and setting the LSP based on the existing LSP information has been described in detail in a previous patent application filed by the present applicant (Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-70439). To do.

  In step S24, an LSP setting command requesting the network setting to each MPLS router (edge router) 11, 12, 13 of the MPLS network 1 is transmitted. In step S25, the LSP setting is notified to the helper application 21 of the application terminal 2.

  Returning to FIG. 2, in the help application 21, when the LSP setting information is received by the setting reception function unit 21c in step S6, the operation parameter setting function unit 21d sets the notified LSP setting in step S7. Based on this, the operation parameters of the communication application 22 are set. The operation parameters set here are a parameter for determining a data transmission band and a destination IP address. If the communication application is a video transmission application, encoding parameters such as an encoding target bit rate, resolution, frame rate, and GOP structure are specified as parameters for determining a data transmission band.

  In step S8, the communication application 22 is activated by specifying the operation parameter as an activation option. In addition, the parameter delivery method to the communication application 22 includes (1) parameter delivery via command line arguments, (2) editing of a communication application-specific setting file, and (3) settings of the operation platform such as a system registry. Editing of information is assumed, but it is not limited to these.

  Since the LSP setting has been completed in the MPLS network 1 at the time of activation, the communication application 22 can perform transmission with guaranteed QoS as in the conventional method only by starting normal IP communication. However, it is assumed that the helper application 21 does not transmit data other than information necessary for the PCP transaction, and the substance of the application data is transmitted by the communication application.

It is a block diagram of an on-demand type network to which the LSP setting method concerning the present invention is applied. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure in which a helper application and a communication application cooperate in each application terminal and implement | achieve priority communication. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the APGW apparatus 4. It is a sequence flow of the LSP setting method which concerns on this invention. 1 is a block diagram of a prior art on-demand network. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... MPLS network, 2, 3 ... Application terminal, 4 ... APGW apparatus, 11, 12, 13 ... MPLS router, 21 ... Helper application, 21a ... User interface function part, 21b ... Bandwidth request | requirement function part, 21c ... Setting reception function , 21d: operation parameter setting function unit, 22: communication application, 41 ... AP priority determination unit, 42 ... path setting unit, 43 ... existing LSP information storage unit

Claims (4)

Connected to an on-demand network that supports label switching are multiple application terminals with communication applications and application gateway devices that perform LSP settings in response to bandwidth requests from each application, based on the priority of each application. In the LSP setting method to set the LSP
Each application terminal has a helper application,
The helper application is
A procedure for obtaining profile information of a communication application;
Transmitting a bandwidth request including the profile information to an application gateway device,
The application gateway device is
A procedure for determining the priority of each application based on profile information received from each application;
Procedure to set LSP based on the priority of each application,
Sending an LSP configuration command to the edge router on the network and setting the LSP,
Including notifying the application terminal of the LSP setting,
The helper application further comprises:
An on-demand network LSP setting method comprising a step of starting a communication application in response to an LSP setting notification from the application gateway device. The helper application further comprises:
A procedure for setting operation parameters of a communication application based on the LSP setting notified from the application gateway device;
The LSP setting method for an on-demand network according to claim 1, further comprising: a procedure for starting a communication application and operating the communication application according to the operation parameter. Connected to an on-demand network that supports label switching are multiple application terminals with communication applications and application gateway devices that perform LSP settings in response to bandwidth requests from each application, based on the priority of each application. In the LSP setting system that performs LSP setting by
Each application terminal has a helper application,
The helper application is
Means for obtaining communication application profile information;
Means for transmitting a bandwidth request including the profile information to the application gateway device;
Means for receiving an LSP setting notification from the application gateway device;
Means for launching a communication application in response to the LSP setting notification,
The application gateway device is
Means for determining the priority of each application based on profile information received from each application;
Means to set LSP based on the priority of each application;
Means for sending an LSP setting command to an edge router on the network and setting the LSP;
Means for notifying the application terminal of the LSP setting, and an LSP setting system for an on-demand network. Means for activating the communication application of the helper application;
Means for setting operation parameters of the communication application based on the LSP setting notified from the application gateway device;
4. The on-demand network LSP setting system according to claim 3, further comprising means for starting a communication application and operating the communication application according to the operation parameter.

Images