Enhance communication of network traffic

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed relating to enhancing communication of network traffic. In various embodiments, a computer system receives topology information and traffic information. The topology information describes resources of a network that are usable to communicate a plurality of streams among nodes in the network and includes information about a first path and a second path connecting two nodes. Traffic information describes demands for communicating the plurality of streams and indicates demands for communicating a first stream and a second stream between the two nodes. In such an embodiment, the computer system determines, using the topology information and the traffic information, a network schedule that indicates that the first stream is to be communicated over the first path and that the second stream is to be communicated over the second path.

1 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving topology information describing resources of a network that are usable to communicate a plurality of streams among nodes in the network, wherein the topology information includes information about a first path and a second path connecting two nodes;   receiving traffic information describing demands for communicating the plurality of streams, wherein the traffic information indicates demands for communicating a first stream and a second stream between the two nodes; and   determining, using the topology information and the traffic information, a network schedule that indicates that the first stream is to be communicated over the first path and that the second stream is to be communicated over the second path, wherein the network schedule indicates a time slot when the first stream is to be communicated over the first path and indicates a time slot when the second stream is to be communicated over the second path.   
     
     
         2 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the topology information indicates a supported bandwidth for the first path and a supported bandwidth for the second path;
 wherein the traffic information indicates a desired bandwidth as a demand for communicating the first stream; and   wherein the determining includes selecting the first path for communicating the first stream based on the supported bandwidths and the desired bandwidth.   
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the traffic information indicates that a third stream is to be communicated redundantly to a first node in the network; and
 wherein the determining includes identifying two paths for communicating two instances of the third stream to the first node, and wherein the network schedule indicates the two paths for communicating the two instances.   
     
     
         5 . The computer readable medium of  claim 4 , wherein the traffic information indicates that the third stream is to be multicasted to the first node and a second node; and
 wherein the network schedule indicates that a single instance of third stream is to be communicated to the second node.   
     
     
         6 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the determining includes building, from the topology information, a graph representative of the network. 
     
     
         7 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the determining includes:
 using the graph to select an initial set of time slots for a first type of stream in the plurality of streams; and   using the graph to select a subsequent set of time slots for a second type of stream in the plurality of streams.   
     
     
         8 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the nodes include one or more switches, and wherein the network schedule indicates when the one or more switches are to communicate the first and second streams. 
     
     
         9 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 distributing the network schedule to the nodes in the network, wherein the network schedule is usable by the nodes to ensure that the demands for communicating the plurality of streams are satisfied.   
     
     
         10 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the first stream is of a first type having a particular rate constraint, and wherein the second stream is of a second type that is communicated at a recurring interval. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor; and   memory having program instructions stored therein that are executable by the processor to cause to the apparatus to perform operations including:
 storing a schedule for a network that includes a plurality of nodes, wherein the schedule instructs the apparatus to communicate a plurality of streams including a first stream and a second stream, wherein the schedule specifies that a single instance of the first stream is to be sent to a first of the plurality of nodes and at least two instances of the second stream are to be sent to a second of the plurality of nodes, and wherein the schedule specifies time slots when the first and second streams are to be sent; 
 causing a single instance of the first stream to be sent to the first node; and 
 causing at least two instances of the second stream to be sent to the second node. 
   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the operations include:
 receiving another stream from one of the plurality of nodes, wherein the schedule specifies when the other stream is to be received.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the schedule instructs the apparatus to send the first stream via a first network port of the apparatus and the second stream via a second network port of the apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the operations include:
 receiving a software update for the apparatus via a wide area network, wherein the software update includes the schedule.   
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 a computer system receiving information about a network, wherein the network includes a plurality of nodes, wherein the information indicates that a first of the plurality of nodes includes a network interface having a first port and a second port;   the computer system receiving traffic information that identifies a plurality of streams that are to be communicated between the plurality of nodes; and   the computer system determining a schedule for communicating the plurality of streams, wherein the schedule indicates that the first node is to communicate a first of the plurality of streams via the first port and a second of the plurality of streams via the second port, and wherein the schedule specifies time slots when the first and second streams are to be sent.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the schedule indicates that a node of the network is to distribute a stream being multicasted to a second node and a third node, and wherein the schedule indicates that redundant instances of the multicasted stream are to be communicated to the second node and a single instance of the multicasted stream is to be communicated to the third node. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the node to distribute the multicasted stream is a switch of the network. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the determining includes selecting the first port for the first stream and the second port for the second stream to balance loads across the first and second ports. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of nodes include one or more electronic control units (ECUs).