Patent ID: 7911959
Filing Date: 2011-03-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of enabling Quality of Service (QoS) characteristics for transmitting encrypted data packets across a shared transit network comprising: selecting an unencrypted field in a header of an encrypted data packet to receive a QoS request, the unencrypted field relating to packet forwarding information; assigning at least one traffic forwarding classification of the packet forwarding information to indicate a QoS request from a software application; inserting at least one QoS request into the unencrypted field before encrypting the encrypted data packet; monitoring the headers of a plurality of encrypted data packets of at least one data flow to detect for encrypted data packets including at least one of the assigned traffic forwarding classifications corresponding to a QoS request; signaling an administrative network module in response to detecting an encrypted data packet of the at least one data flow having the assigned at least one traffic forwarding classification corresponding to a QoS request; establishing, for the at least one data flow, a network path from a source network address to a destination network address with the administrative network module, the network path having at least one node compatible with QoS characteristics associated with the assigned at least one traffic forwarding classification; reserving the network path for subsequent transmission of the at least one data flow; transmitting the plurality of encrypted data packets of the at least one data flow to the destination network address; monitoring the at least one data flow for compliance with one or more QoS characteristics associated with the QoS request.