Cognitive network

Abstract

A reservation request is received for a data transport session. The reservation request contains a requested class of communication service through the asynchronous network. The state of the network along the route is then preferably determined and at least one end-to-end route through the network is obtained. The route is based on the requested class of communication service and the state of the network. The data transport session is then controlled, such that data is forced to travel along at least one route through the asynchronous network. This is preferably done by controlling multiple data controllers dispersed along the at least one route by mapping specific data protocols to specific routes, or mapping specific data protocols to specific ports in each data controller. If a state of the asynchronous network indicates that the route cannot transport data in conformity to the class of communication service, then the route is changed to a backup route through the network.

What we claim is:  
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transported through an asynchronous network, comprising: 
 receiving a reservation request for a data transport session, where said reservation request contains a requested class of communication service through the asynchronous network;    obtaining at least one end-to-end route through said network, where said route is based on said requested class of communication service and a state of the network; and    controlling said data transport session, such that data is forced to travel along at least one route through said asynchronous network.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said reservation request is received from at least one serviced device.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said controlling further comprises controlling multiple data controllers dispersed along said at least one route.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said receiving further comprises generating said reservation request within a management plane.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said controlling comprises mapping specific data protocols to specific routes, or mapping specific data protocols to specific ports in each data controller.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , where said obtaining comprises selecting at least one predetermined route through said network from an inventory of multiple predetermined routes, where said selecting is at least partially based on states of said multiple predetermined routes.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , where said obtaining comprises selecting at least a primary predetermined route and a backup predetermined route through said network from an inventory of multiple predetermined routes, where said selecting is at least partially based on the states of said multiple routes.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , where said class of service is dependent on some weighted combination of the required bandwidth, transport data rate, maximum delay allowed by the class of communication service, variations in delay allowed by the class of communication service, maximum allowed transport cost, allowed priority relative to other data being transported, or required reliability of said class of communication service.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, before said obtaining, determining the state of the network along said route.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said determining comprises: 
 instructing a measurement signal to be transported along at least part of said route; and    determining whether said measurement signal was transported and received in accordance with predetermined performance characteristic limits.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said determining utilizes a common timing reference with sufficient accuracy to enable one-way delay measurements between data controllers dispersed throughout said network.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a time interval of said determining is dynamically adjusted based on current characteristics of said route between said data controllers.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said determining comprises: 
 determining parametric guard band limits;    ascertaining a state of at least part of said network;    determining whether said state is outside of said guard band limits; and    transmitting an alarm, if said state is outside of said guard band limits.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , where said state is determined regularly at time intervals sufficiently short to enable near-real-time control of said network.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising transmitting said state of the network to a management controller via a out-of-plane dedicated physical circuit or an in-plane dedicated virtual circuit.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to said controlling, receiving data that forms part of said data transport session from a preceding data controller along said route or from Customer Premises Equipment (CPE).  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said controlling further comprises transmitting data that forms part of said data transport session to a next data controller along said route.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , where said controlling further comprises controlling each of multiple data controllers dispersed along said route.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , where said controlling further comprises changing or sequentially changing a destination address of each data packet in said data transfer session to route said packet along said route.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , where said controlling occurs in near-real-time.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , where said controlling further comprises changing said route to a backup route, if a state of said asynchronous network indicates that said route cannot transport data in conformity to said class of communication service.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , where said changing occurs fast enough to avoid disrupting the quality of said class of service.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , where said controlling occurs in a logical or physical plane distinct from a data transport logical or physical plane.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring and recording usage patterns of said data transport session.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, before said receiving, computing multiple routes through said network for different classes of service, based on said state of said network.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , where said asynchronous network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising recording the actual and planned use of said route to enable differentiated usage-based billing.  
     
     
         28 . A system for end-to-end control of data transport through a connectionless network, comprising: 
 an asynchronous network;    multiple data controllers dispersed throughout said asynchronous network; and    at least one management controller coupled to said multiple data controllers via a circuit, where said at least one management controller contains instructions for: 
 receiving a reservation request for a data transport session, where said reservation request contains a requested class of communication service through the asynchronous network;  
 obtaining at least one end-to-end route through said network, where said route is based on said requested class of service and a state of said network; and  
 controlling said multiple data controllers, such that data is forced to travel along said at least one route.  
   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said data controllers include a mechanism configured to change a destination address of each data packet in said data transfer session to direct said data packet to a next data controller along said route.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein said mechanism includes an in-bound Content Addressable Memory (CAM) and an out-bound CAM.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said management controller includes instructions for regularly monitoring said state of said network in near-real-time.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said management controller further includes instructions for changing said route to a backup route, if said state indicates that said route cannot deliver said class of communication service.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said system collects data regarding the current configuration of a connectionless network to establish the configuration of a data controller so that said data controller can support connectionless traffic.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said management controller includes instructions for monitoring and accounting for usage to enable differentiated usage-based billing.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the asynchronous network is located in a bearer plane.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the management controller is located in a management plane, where each management controller is coupled to one or more of said multiple data controllers via a dedicated circuit.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein each dedicated circuit is an out-of-plane dedicated physical circuit or an in-plane dedicated virtual circuit.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising at least one cognitive controller coupled to said at least one management controller, where said at least one cognitive controller is configured to compute routes for requested classes of services.  
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 37 , further comprising at least one cognitive controller in a cognitive plane, where said cognitive controller is coupled to said at least one management controller via a dedicated virtual circuit.