Method and System to Represent the Impact of Load Variation on Service Outage Over Multiple Links

Abstract

Increased resource utilization efficiency can be improved by modeling path costs during admission and path-selection. Specifically, path costs for candidate paths are modeled based on load characteristics (e.g., current load, load variation, etc.) of links in the candidate paths. Path costs can represent any quantifiable cost or liability associated with transporting a service flow over the corresponding path. For example, path costs can correspond to a probability that at least one link in the path will experience an outage when transporting the service flow, a price charged by a network operator (NTO) for transporting the traffic flow over the candidate path, or a total network cost for transporting the flow over a candidate path. The candidate path having the lowest path cost is selected to transport a service flow.

1 . A method for resource provisioning, the method comprising:
 identifying, by a controller, one or more candidate paths for carrying a service flow to a destination, the one or more candidate paths including at least a first path extending from a core network to a user equipment (UE) accessing a radio access network (RAN), the first path including a first set of links connected in series, wherein at least one link in the first set of links is a wireless link in the RAN;   obtaining load parameters associated with one or more links that either are included in the first set of links or interfere with one or more with wireless links in the first set of links;   determining a network cost for carrying the service flow over the first path in accordance with the load parameters and at least one cost function associated at least one link in with the first set of links; and   prompting establishment of the first path when the network cost for carrying the service flow over the first path is less than a threshold.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network cost includes the output of the cost function, and wherein the load parameters are input parameters to the cost function. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the location of the UE is an input parameter to the cost function. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein an energy cost for maintaining a wireless link in the first path is an input parameter to the cost function. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a charge for transporting the service flow over one or more links in the first path is an input parameter to the at least one cost function. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cost function depends a link type associated with one or more links in the first path. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cost function and the load parameters are received by the controller from one or more network devices in the RAN. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the load parameters include a load or a load variation on at least one link that either is in the first set of links or interferes with one or more wireless links in the first set of links. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network cost includes an indirect cost component that corresponds to an increase in interference on at least one neighboring wireless link that would result from communicating the service flow over one or more wireless links in the first path. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the indirect cost component is determined based on one or more current load parameters associated with a wireless link, the one or more current load parameters including at least one of a current load and a current load variation on the wireless link during a current time period. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the indirect cost component is determined based on both the current load and the current load variation on the wireless link. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the indirect cost component is determined based on a relationship between one or more historical load parameters and one or more associated costs on a wireless link, the one or more historical load parameters including at least one of a historical load and a historical load variation on the wireless link during a previous time period. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the indirect cost component is determined based on both the historical load and the historical load variation on the wireless link. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the indirect cost component is determined based on a location of a wireless receiver on the wireless link. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network cost includes a direct cost component that corresponds to an increase in interference on one or more wireless links in the first path from neighboring wireless links that would result from communicating the service flow over the first path. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the direct cost component is determined based on one or more current load parameters associated with a wireless link, the one or more current load parameters including at least one of a current load and a current load variation on the wireless link during a current time period. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the direct cost component is determined based on both the current load and the current load variation on the wireless link. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the direct cost component is determined based on a relationship between one or more historical load parameters and one or more associated costs on a wireless link, the one or more historical load parameters including at least one of a historical load and a historical load variation on the wireless link during a previous time period. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the direct cost component is determined based on both the historical load and the historical load variation on the wireless link. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the historical load and the historical load variation are received by the controller from one or more network devices in the RAN. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the direct cost component is determined based on a location of the UE. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network cost corresponds to a total network cost for transporting the service flow over the first path, the total network cost including a network cost component for transporting the service flow over a first portion of the first path extending through the RAN and a second cost component for transporting the service flow over a second portion of the first path extending through the core network. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of links includes a first radio interface between a first transmitter and the destination. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the network cost includes a cost component corresponding to interference experienced on a second radio interface as a result of communicating the service flow over the first radio interface. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the network cost comprises:
 computing the network cost in accordance with the following formula: cost=Σ i=1   n C(L i ,σ i ,L i1 ,σ i1 ,L i2 ,σ i2 , . . . ,L im ,σ im ), where C(L i ,σ i ) is the cost function for the first path, L i  is a loading parameter on an i th  link in the first set of links, σ i  is the load variation on an i th  link in the first set of links, L ij  is a loading parameter of the j th  neighbor of the i th  link, σ ij  is the load variation of the j th  neighbor of the i th  link, n is the number of links in the first set of links, m is the number of neighbors for the i th  link.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein L i  is a mean load on the i th  link in the first set of links, and L ij  is a mean load on the j th  neighbor of the i th  link. 
     
     
         27 . A controller comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:   identify one or more candidate paths for carrying a service flow to a destination, the one or more candidate paths including at least a first path extending from a core network to a user equipment (UE) accessing a radio access network (RAN), the first path including a first set of links connected in series, wherein at least one link in the first set of links is a wireless link in the RAN;   obtain load parameters associated with one or more links that either are included in the first set of links or interfere with one or more with wireless links in the first set of links;   determine a network cost for carrying the service flow over the first path in accordance with the load parameters and at least one cost function associated at least one link in with the first set of links; and   prompt establishment of the first path when the network cost for carrying the service flow over the first path is less than a threshold.   
     
     
         28 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming, the programming including instructions to:
 identify one or more candidate paths for carrying a service flow to a destination, the one or more candidate paths including at least a first path extending from a core network to a user equipment (UE) accessing a radio access network (RAN), the first path including a first set of links connected in series, wherein at least one link in the first set of links is a wireless link in the RAN;   obtain load parameters associated with one or more links that either are included in the first set of links or interfere with one or more with wireless links in the first set of links;   determine a network cost for carrying the service flow over the first path in accordance with the load parameters and at least one cost function associated at least one link in with the first set of links; and   prompt establishment of the first path when the network cost for carrying the service flow over the first path is less than a threshold.