Patent ID: 8045473
Filing Date: 2011-10-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for managing load on a server for real-time communications on a packet-switched network, comprising: receiving, on a particular intermediate node of a real-time communications packet-switched network, usage data that indicates an amount of computational resources on the particular intermediate node consumed by a set of one or more application layer processes for a first type of a plurality of types of data packets processed at the particular intermediate node, wherein the first type of the plurality of types of data packets is an application layer protocol message type; determining whether the amount of computational resources consumed indicated by the usage data exceeds a central processing unit threshold amount associated with proximity to performance degradation at the particular intermediate node, the central processing unit threshold amount being below a central processing unit budget for the particular intermediate node and the computational resources being central processing unit resources; determining a particular source of data packets of a second type of the plurality of types of data packets processed at the particular intermediate node among a plurality of sources of the data packets of the second type; if it is determined that the amount of computational resources consumed exceeds the central processing unit threshold amount, then sending to a first different node on the real-time communications packet-switched network a message that includes overload state data that indicates the second type of the plurality of types of data packets, and a reduction request to reduce an amount of data packets of the second type that are sent to the particular intermediate node; determining the second type that is both different from the first type and lower priority than the first type at the particular intermediate node; and increasing the central processing unit threshold amount associated with performance degradation at the particular intermediate node for the first type.