Method And System For Dynamic Routing And/Or Switching In A Network

Abstract

Communication devices may determine routes for packets based on packet marking, routing parameters and/or costs associated with routes. A route may be selected and the packets may be communicated via the selected route. The parameters may comprise service class, real time compression, packet preemption, quality measurements, tier bypass and/or power usage information. The costs may comprise capacity, efficiency and/or performance information for power usage, bandwidth, memory and/or processing. The marking may comprise traffic type, user device capabilities, service class, quality measurements, latency requirements and/or power usage information. Endpoint devices, software applications and/or service providers may insert the marking into packets. Routes may be determined and/or selected based on shortest path bridging, audio video bridging, the marking, the routing parameters and/or the costs. Parameters and/or costs may be received and/or discovered from communication devices. Packets and/or the marking may be parsed and/or inspected. Costs may be based on routing parameters.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 at a network node of a communication network, receiving a packet originating with an endpoint device for communication to a video processing device, the packet including data defining video information for playback at the video processing device by a user;   parsing the packet to identify mark information inserted in the packet by the endpoint device to indicate to nodes of the communication network including the network node a service class associated with the video processing device or the user;   using the mark information, retrieving stored criteria for routing the packet from the network node in accordance with the service class; and   using the criteria, selecting a route from the network node to the video processing device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 storing at the network node routing parameters for packets communicated at the network node, including the packet; and 
 retrieving the stored routing parameters for the packet using the mark information inserted in the packet. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein parsing the packet to identify mark information comprises identifying a service class specifying a minimum bandwidth for communicating the packet. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein parsing the packet to identify mark information comprises identifying a service class specifying a latency for communicating the packet. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein retrieving stored criteria for routing the packet comprises retrieving node capabilities for the network node and wherein selecting a route from the network node comprises selecting a path through the communication network that maintains the service class associated with the video processing device or the user in accordance with the node capabilities. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein retrieving stored criteria for routing the packet comprises retrieving node costs for the network node and wherein selecting a route from the network node comprises selecting a path through the communication network that maintains the service class associated with the video processing device or the user in accordance with the node costs. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein selecting a route from the network node to the video processing device comprises identifying a route through the communication suitable to communicate the data defining video information to the video processing device in accordance with the service class associated with the video processing device or the user even though another route via the communication network includes fewer hops. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 at a network communication device configured for communication over a communication network with a user device, receiving over the communication network from the user device, data defining performance measurements at the user device; and   using the data, defining performance measurements, formatting a data packet for transmission via one or more communication nodes over the communication network to the user device, including:
 inserting in the data packet, mark information defining how to handle or route subsequent packets to improve subsequent performance measurements at the user device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 at the network communication device, retrieving a user's service agreement; 
 identifying variations in the data defining performance measurements from the user's service agreement; and 
 formatting the data packet based on the service agreement and the data defining performance measurements to reduce the variations. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 at the network communication device, receiving from a service provider device a data packet intended for the user device; and 
 parsing the data packet to identify mark information inserted in the packet by the service provider device to indicate to nodes of the communication network including the network communication device how to handle or route the data packet according to a user's service agreement with a service provider. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 at the network communication device, using the mark information, retrieving routing parameters defining how to handle or route the data packet according to the user's service agreement. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein retrieving the routing parameters comprises retrieving the routing parameters from storage at the network communication device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein receiving over the communication network from the user device data defining performance measurements at the user device comprises receiving data defining one or more signal to noise ratio or one or more packet error indication detected at the user device. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 at a communication device configured for data communication with a communication network, formatting a data packet, including:
 inserting a mark in the data packet, the mark being independent of other content in the data packet and including information about routing criteria for the packet for routing the packet by network nodes of the communication network, 
 the mark for use by the network nodes for processing the routing criteria by using information at the network nodes according to information in the mark; and 
   communicating the packet to a first network node for routing to a network destination.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein inserting a mark in the data packet comprises:
 inserting in the data packet routing parameter data defining one or more routing parameters for the network nodes of the communication network; and 
 inserting the routing parameter data at a designated location in the data packet. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein inserting the routing parameter data at a designated location in the data packet comprises inserting the routing parameter data in a payload of the data packet. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein inserting a mark in the data packet comprises inserting in a designated location of the data packet data indicating to the network nodes how the data packet should be processed, prioritized or routed. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein inserting a mark in the data packet comprises inserting the mark in an internet protocol (IP) header of the data packet. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein inserting a mark in the data packet comprises inserting the mark in an internet protocol (IP) payload of the data packet. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein inserting the mark in an internet protocol (IP) header of the data packet comprises inserting in the IP header traffic type information for the data packet.