System and method for providing a sequence numbering mechanism in a network environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9148380-B2
Application number	US-62401009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2009
Priority date	Nov 23, 2009
Publication date	Sep 29, 2015
Grant date	Sep 29, 2015

Abstract

A method is provided in one example and includes receiving a plurality of packets associated with a flow; parsing the plurality of packets associated with the flow; executing a first quality of service decision such that a first set of packets within the plurality of packets are not forwarded to their intended destination; receiving a second set of packets, which reflects a retransmission of at least a portion of the first set of packets; executing a second quality of service decision such that the second set of packets is forwarded to their intended destination; and billing the second set of packets in response to forwarding the second set of packets. In more detailed embodiments, the method includes accessing a table in which entries are provided for particular sequence number ranges for the first set of packets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving a plurality of packets associated with a flow, wherein each one of the packets has associated therewith a sequence number range comprising a plurality of consecutive sequence numbers;
parsing the plurality of packets associated with the flow;
executing a first quality of service decision such that a first set of packets within the plurality of packets are not forwarded to the first set of packets' intended destination;
creating an entry in a sequence number table for the first set of packets, the entry comprising a list of each of the sequence numbers comprising the sequence number ranges associated with the packets comprising the first set of packets;
receiving a second set of packets, wherein each packet of the second set of packets has associated therewith a sequence number range comprising a plurality of consecutive sequence numbers;
performing a lookup using the table to determine whether the sequence numbers comprising the sequence number ranges for the second set of packets overlaps with the list of sequence numbers indicated in the entry;
if the sequence number range for the second set of packets overlaps with the list of sequence numbers indicated in the entry:
executing a second quality of service decision such that the second set of packets is forwarded to the second set of packets' intended destination without having been reparsed;
billing the second set of packets in response to the performing; and
resolving the entry to remove from the list of sequence numbers indicated therein the numbers comprising the sequence number ranges for the second set of packets;

wherein if the first set of packets comply with a quality of service policy, the first set of packets is forwarded to the first set of packets' intended destination.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accessing the table in which entries are provided for particular sequence number ranges for the first set of packets.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a subsequent packet that is a duplicate packet of the first set of packets that has been forwarded to the first set of packets' intended destination; and
identifying that the sequence number associated with the subsequent packet have already been resolved such that the subsequent packet is not billed.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving subsequent packets that have been segmented and which were included in the plurality of packets associated with the flow; and
identifying that at least some of the subsequent packets that have been segmented include sequence number ranges that have been resolved such that billing is not performed for the at least some of the subsequent packets that have been segmented.

5. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations comprising:
receiving a plurality of packets associated with a flow, wherein each one of the packets has associated therewith a sequence number range comprising a plurality of consecutive sequence numbers;
parsing the plurality of packets associated with the flow;
executing a first quality of service decision such that a first set of packets within the plurality of packets are not forwarded to the first set of packets' intended destination;
creating an entry in a sequence number table for the first set of packets, the entry comprising a list of each of the sequence numbers comprising the sequence number ranges associated with the packets comprising the first set of packets;
receiving a second set of packets, wherein each packet of the second set of packets has associated therewith a sequence number range comprising a plurality of consecutive sequence numbers;
performing a lookup using the table to determine whether the sequence numbers comprising the sequence number ranges for the second set of packets overlaps with the list of sequence numbers indicated in the entry;
if the sequence number range for the second set of packets overlaps with the list of sequence numbers indicated in the entry:
executing a second quality of service decision such that the second set of packets is forwarded to the second set of packets' intended destination without having been reparsed;
billing the second set of packets in response to the performing; and
resolving the entry to remove from the list of sequence numbers indicated therein the numbers comprising the sequence number ranges for the second set of packets;

wherein if the first set of packets comply with a quality of service policy, the first set of packets is forwarded to the first set of packets' intended destination.

6. The logic of claim 5 , wherein the identifying that the first set of packets were previously received includes accessing a table in which entries are provided for particular sequence number ranges for the first set of packets.

7. The logic of claim 5 , the operations further comprising:
receiving a subsequent packet that is a duplicate packet of the first set of packets that has been forwarded to the first set of packets' intended destination; and
identifying that the sequence number associated with the subsequent packet have already been resolved such that the subsequent packet is not billed.

8. The logic of claim 5 , the operations further comprising:
receiving subsequent packets that have been segmented and which were included in the plurality of packets associated with the flow; and
identifying that at least some of the subsequent packets that have been segmented include sequence number ranges that have been resolved such that they are not billed.

9. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory element configured to store data,
a processor configured to execute instructions associated with the data, and
a tracking module configured to:
receive a plurality of packets associated with a flow, wherein each one of the packets has associated therewith a sequence number range comprising a plurality of consecutive sequence numbers;

parse the plurality of packets associated with the flow;
execute a first quality of service decision such that a first set of packets within the plurality of packets are not forwarded to the first set of packets' intended destination;
create an entry in a sequence number table for the first set of packets, the entry comprising a list of each of the sequence numbers comprising the sequence number ranges associated with the packets comprising the first set of packets;
receive a second set of packets, wherein each packet of the second set of packets has associated therewith a sequence number range comprising a plurality of consecutive sequence numbers;
perform a lookup using the table to determine whether the sequence numbers comprising the sequence number ranges for the second set of packets overlaps with the list of sequence numbers indicated in the entry;
if the sequence number range for the second set of packets overlaps with the list of sequence numbers indicated in the entry:
execute a second quality of service decision such that the second set of packets is forwarded to the second set of packets' intended destination without having been reparsed;
bill the second set of packets in response to the performing; and
resolving the entry to remove from the list of sequence numbers indicated therein the numbers comprising the sequence number ranges for the second set of packets;

wherein if the first set of packets comply with a quality of service policy, the first set of packets is forwarded to the first set of packets' intended destination.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the tracking module is

Assignees

• Dixon Walter
• Kalyanakrishnan Mahesh C
• Mojica Juan M
• Taváres Humberto M
• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Dixon Walter
• Kalyanakrishnan Mahesh C
• Mojica Juan M
• Taváres Humberto M

Classifications

• H04M2215/782

  Data or packet based · CPC title

• H04M15/41

  Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR] · CPC title

• H04M15/62

  based on trigger specification · CPC title

• H04L47/20

  Traffic policing · CPC title

• H04M2215/0164

  Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure · CPC title