Method and apparatus for capacity dimensioning in a communication network

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for calculating a capacity for high speed packet access data in a link in a communications network are disclosed. For example, the method initializes parameters associated with streaming data, long elastic data and short elastic data, determines, via a processor, a capacity value such that a quality of service metric is met for the streaming data, the long elastic data and the short elastic data and provisions the link with the capacity value if the quality of service metric is met.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for calculating a capacity for high speed packet access data in a link in a communications network, the method comprising:
 determining, by a processor, a capacity value where a quality of service metric is met for streaming data, long elastic data and short elastic data, wherein the determining comprises:
 determining an ordering of priority for the streaming data, the long elastic data and the short elastic data; 
 calculating a sub-par customer time fraction for the streaming data, a long elastic sub-par customer data fraction and a short elastic sub-par customer data fraction based upon the ordering of priority; and 
 determining if the sub-par customer time fraction is greater than or equal to a target sub-par customer time fraction, if the long elastic sub-par customer data fraction is greater than or equal to a target long elastic sub-par customer data fraction, and if the short elastic sub-par customer data fraction is greater than or equal to a target short elastic sub-par customer data fraction; and 
 
 provisioning, by the processor, the link with the capacity value when the quality of service metric is met. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the streaming data, the long elastic data and the short elastic data employ a transmission control protocol. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein parameters associated with the streaming data, the long elastic data and the short elastic data, comprise an initial capacity value, an aggregate busy hour data traffic intensity for the streaming data, the long elastic data and the short elastic data, a peak rate of the streaming data, a packet loss probability for the long elastic data and the short elastic data, a round trip delay time for the long elastic data and the short elastic data, a maximum transmission control protocol segment size and a representative file size for the short elastic data. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining the ordering of priority comprises:
 calculating a bandwidth share matrix based upon a bandwidth sharing profile; 
 initializing an ordering of priority to provide an initial ordering of priority; 
 calculating a bound based upon the bandwidth share matrix and the initial ordering of priority based upon the bandwidth sharing profile; and 
 remapping the order of priority based upon the bound. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the bandwidth sharing profile comprises an equal bandwidth sharing profile or a peak rate proportional bandwidth sharing profile. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the bound comprises a pessimistic bound that follows a heaviest weight path. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the bound comprises an optimistic bound that follows a lightest weight path. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the streaming data is mapped as a highest priority. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 increasing an initial capacity value when the quality of service metric is not met; 
 determining if the quality of service metric is met with an increased capacity value; and 
 repeating the increasing and the determining when the quality of service metric is not met with the increased capacity value until the quality of service metric is met and the capacity value is determined. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the link is an IuB interface of a universal mobile telecommunications system. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the link is an S1 interface of a long term evolution communication network. 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for calculating a capacity for high speed packet access data in a link in a communications network, the operations comprising: determining a capacity value where a quality of service metric is met for streaming data, long elastic data and short elastic data, wherein the determining comprises: determining an ordering of priority for the streaming data, the long elastic data and the short elastic data; calculating a sub-par customer time fraction for the streaming data, a long elastic sub-par customer data fraction and a short elastic sub-par customer data fraction based upon the ordering of priority; and determining if the sub-par customer time fraction is greater than or equal to a target sub-par customer time fraction, if the long elastic sub-par customer data fraction is greater than or equal to a target long elastic sub-par customer data fraction, and if the short elastic sub-par customer data fraction is greater than or equal to a target short elastic sub-par customer data fraction; and provisioning the link with the capacity value when the quality of service metric is met. 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the determining the ordering of priority comprises: calculating a bandwidth share matrix based upon a bandwidth sharing profile; initializing an ordering of priority to provide an initial ordering of priority; and calculating a bound based upon the bandwidth share matrix and the initial ordering of priority based upon the bandwidth sharing profile; remapping the order of priority based upon the bound. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the bandwidth sharing profile comprises an equal bandwidth sharing profile or a peak rate proportional bandwidth sharing profile. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the bound comprises a pessimistic bound that follows a heaviest weight path. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the bound comprises an optimistic bound that follows a lightest weight path. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , further comprising: increasing an initial capacity value when the quality of service metric is not met; determining if the quality of service metric is met with an increased capacity value; and repeating the increasing and the determining when the quality of service metric is not met with the increased capacity value until the quality of service metric is met and the capacity value is determined. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus for calculating a capacity for high speed packet access data in a link in a communications network, the apparatus comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: determining a capacity value where a quality of service metric is met for streaming data, long elastic data and short elastic data, wherein the determining comprises: determining an ordering of priority for the streaming data, the long elastic data and the short elastic data; calculating a sub-par customer time fraction for the streaming data, a long elastic sub-par customer data fraction and a short elastic sub-par customer data fraction based upon the ordering of priority; and determining if the sub-par customer time fraction is greater than or equal to a target sub-par customer time fraction, if the long elastic sub-par customer data fraction is greater than or equal to a target long elastic sub-par customer data fraction, and if the short elastic sub-par customer data fraction is greater than or equal to a target short elastic sub-par customer data fraction; and provisioning the link with the capacity value when the quality of service metric is met. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the determining the ordering of priority comprises:
 calculating a bandwidth share matrix based upon a bandwidth sharing profile; 
 initializing an ordering of priority to provide an initial ordering of priority; and 
 calculating a bound based upon the bandwidth share matrix and the initial ordering of priority based upon the bandwidth sharing profile; 
 remapping the order of priority based upon the bound. 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the bandwidth sharing profile comprises an equal bandwidth sharing profile or a peak rate proportional bandwidth sharing profile.