Tokyo, August 3, 2001---
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. today announced that it has developed Internet Protocol (IP) traffic engineering technology that automatically reroutes data traffic flows concentrated along a specific Internet path onto multiple paths in order to make efficient use of network resources. In addition, it has developed Linux-based prototype software that incorporates and is designed for the purpose of verifying the effectiveness of the new technology. Beginning today, the software is available free of charge via the company's website (http://www.labs.fujitsu.com/free/).
Just as traffic jams occur on roads, even in the emerging broadband Internet world data flows can become concentrated at certain points on the network due to events such as live webcasts and downloading of popular software, and increased transmission levels can cause delays in data transfers. This bottleneck condition, which prolongs the length of time an Internet user waits for data, occurs because the routing protocol - a system that determines the path for traffic flows - simply selects the shortest path rather than controlling routing paths according to the traffic load within the network.
Fujitsu's new IP traffic engineering software helps overcome this problem by facilitating the efficient allocation of network resources. For example, when data-transfer and connection delays arise from traffic congestion within a specific path on the Internet, the software automatically redirects data onto alternate, less congested paths, thus reducing data transfer delays. (See Figure 1.)
Available online for free, the Linux-based software operates effectively on an MPLS *1 network and features three key autonomous routing functions for balancing network traffic loads.
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| - | Collection and Notification of Network Traffic Data - Notifies other routers of statistical data on the rates of router-to-router (link) usage collected by a specific router. Using this data, each router can determine the level of network congestion. |
| - | Search for Alternate Paths - Searches for new paths with minimal congestion so as to allow the rerouting of heavy-volume traffic across the entire network. It works by expanding the algorithm that computes the shortest path on the network. The path identified by this search function is set up by a specific MPLS path-establishment function. |
| - | Traffic Load Division - Disperses the network traffic load by dividing up the flow into packets based on the attributes of the sender or receiver and then routing them along various paths identified by the search function. |
The effectiveness of the software was confirmed using quantitative analysis on a small-scale network, which has revealed that overall network throughput approached the theoretical limit. Fujitsu Laboratories will collaborate with the Linux open source community to promote the stabilization of the software and expansion of its functions, aiming for practical application of this technology in fiscal year 2002.
Glossary
| *1 | MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) - A technology that easily achieves high-speed transfer as well as path and zone control through connection-oriented hardware transmission utilizing lower-layer information in place of an IP address. |
Figure 1: IP Traffic Engineering Technology
[Click to enlarge]
| * | All company/product names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are used for identification purpose only. |
About Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd.
Founded in 1968 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories Limited is one of the premier research centers in the world. With a global network of laboratories in Japan, China, the United States and Europe, the organization conducts a wide range of basic and applied research in the areas of Multimedia, Personal Systems, Networks, Peripherals, Advanced Materials and Electronic Devices.
About Fujitsu
Fujitsu is a leading provider of Internet-focused information technology solutions for the global marketplace. Its pace-setting technologies, best-in-class computing and telecommunications platforms, and worldwide corps of systems and services experts make it uniquely positioned to unleash the infinite possibilities of the Internet to help its customers succeed. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 5.48 trillion yen for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001.
Internet: http://www.fujitsu.com/
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