Back-pressure control in a telecommunications network

Abstract

Back-pressure control in a telecommunications network, in which a method of back-pressure control in a transport network is provided. A buffer state of a buffer is monitored. A condition indicative of back-pressure is also determined in response to a change of the buffer state passing a predetermined limit. In response to determining the condition indicative of back-pressure, a back-pressure notification message is created and, subsequently, transmitted to at least one second network node.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of back-pressure control in a transport network, the method being performed by a second network node, the method comprising:
 receiving a congestion notification message from a first network node, in which the first network node generated the congestion notification message when the first network node determined a condition indicative of congestion, in response to a change of a buffer state of a buffer exceeding a first predetermined limit;   receiving a back-pressure notification message from the first network node subsequent to the congestion notification message, in which the first network node generated the back-pressure notification message when the first network node determined a condition indicative of back-pressure, in response to a change of the buffer state of the buffer passing a second predetermined limit, the back-pressure notification message including back-pressure compensation information; and   adjusting, at the second network node, one or more parameters on a basis of the back-pressure compensation information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the back-pressure notification message further including a flow identifier comprising a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Flow Identification (FID), a PDCP Group FID, or a PDCP Multicast Group FID. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the back-pressure notification message further including a flow identifier identifying a flow that contributes to the back-pressure. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the back-pressure compensation information indicating a suitable compensation for the back-pressure caused by the flow associated with the flow identifier. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the back-pressure compensation information including a back-off rate to indicate an amount of back-off adjustment. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the back-pressure compensation information including a back-off time to indicate a time duration of back-off adjustment. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the back-pressure compensation information including a ramp-up time to indicate a time rate in returning from a back-off condition to a previous state of the second network node. 
     
     
         8 . A second network node for back-pressure control in a transport network, the second network node comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory containing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the second network node to perform operations to:
 receive a congestion notification message from a first network node, in which the first network node generated the congestion notification message when the first network node determined a condition indicative of congestion, in response to a change of a buffer state of a buffer exceeding a first predetermined limit; 
 receive a back-pressure notification message from the first network node subsequent to the congestion notification message, in which the first network node generated the back-pressure notification message when the first network node determined a condition indicative of back-pressure, in response to a change of the buffer state of the buffer passing a second predetermined limit, the back-pressure notification message including back-pressure compensation information; and 
 adjust one or more parameters on a basis of the back-pressure compensation information. 
   
     
     
         9 . The second network node of  claim 8 , wherein the back-pressure notification message further including a flow identifier comprising a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Flow Identification (FID), a PDCP Group FID, or a PDCP Multicast Group FID. 
     
     
         10 . The second network node of  claim 8 , wherein the back-pressure notification message further including a flow identifier identifying a flow that contributes to the back-pressure. 
     
     
         11 . The second network node of  claim 10 , wherein the back-pressure compensation information indicating a suitable compensation for the back-pressure caused by the flow associated with the flow identifier. 
     
     
         12 . The second network node of  claim 10 , wherein the back-pressure compensation information including a back-off rate to indicate an amount of back-off adjustment. 
     
     
         13 . The second network node of  claim 10 , wherein the back-pressure compensation information including a back-off time to indicate a time duration of back-off adjustment. 
     
     
         14 . The second network node of  claim 10 , wherein the back-pressure compensation information including a ramp-up time to indicate a time rate in returning from a back-off condition to a previous state of the second network node. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, are capable of causing a second network node to perform operations for back-pressure control in a transport network comprising:
 receiving a congestion notification message from a first network node, in which the first network node generated the congestion notification message when the first network node determined a condition indicative of congestion, in response to a change of a buffer state of a buffer exceeding a first predetermined limit;   receiving a back-pressure notification message from the first network node subsequent to the congestion notification message, in which the first network node generated the back-pressure notification message when the first network node determined a condition indicative of back-pressure, in response to a change of the buffer state of the buffer passing a second predetermined limit, the back-pressure notification message including back-pressure compensation information; and   adjusting, at the second network node, one or more parameters on a basis of the back-pressure compensation information.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions are capable of operating on the back-pressure notification message that includes a flow identifier identifying a flow that contributes to the back-pressure. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are capable of operating on the back-pressure compensation information indicating a suitable compensation for the back-pressure caused by the flow associated with the flow identifier. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are capable of operating on the back-pressure compensation information that includes a back-off rate to indicate an amount of back-off adjustment. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are capable of operating on the back-pressure compensation information that includes a back-off time to indicate a time duration of back-off adjustment. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are capable of operating on the back-pressure compensation information that includes a ramp-up time to indicate a time rate in returning from a back-off condition to a previous state of the second network node.