RELATED APPLICATION

This application was originally filed as PCT Application No. PCT/IB2017/052643 filed May 5, 2017.

TECHNICAL FIELD

An example embodiment relates generally to communications network technology, particularly in context of hybrid networks that combine loosely coupled technologies in order to provide support for mission-critical device operations that require high communication reliability within particularized timing constraints.

BACKGROUND

As modern communications networks have become increasingly ubiquitous and powerful, an ever-increasing number of devices and types of devices that are capable of interacting with such communications networks have been introduced. Advancements in communications network technology and in the devices that are capable of interacting with one or more networks have trended towards the development and introduction of cyber-physical systems (“CPS”) and other devices and systems that rely on network connectivity to support mission-critical operations and functions.

Particularly in situations where a cyber-physical system or another system is likely to operate in a physical environment near individuals, objects, and/or structures, it is often essential that the connection between such a system and a network should be highly reliable and ensure that communications are sent and received by the system within particularized timing constraints. The technical challenges associated with meeting the requirements of such mission-critical operations are often compounded in situations involving cyber-physical systems and/or other system based on mobile and/or other wireless systems which potentially encounter multiple modern and/or legacy networks. The inventors of the invention disclosed herein have identified these and other technical challenges, and developed the solutions described and otherwise referenced herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A method, apparatus and computer program product are therefore provided in accordance with an example embodiment in order to provide methods, apparatuses, and/or systems that provide for efficient, dynamic distribution of traffic in a hybrid network environment based at least in part on reliability probabilities associated with individual subflows within the network.

In an example embodiment, a method is provided that includes receiving, at a traffic distribution entity in a hybrid network environment, a first reliability probability indicator associated with a first access network and a second reliability probability indicator associated with a second access network; determining, based at least in part on the first reliability probability indicator and the second reliability probability indicator, a combined reliability probability for each traffic distribution mode within a plurality of traffic distribution modes; ranking each traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above a target reliability probability; and selecting a traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability.

In some example implementations of such a method, the first reliability probability indicator is an indicator of a composite metric of a packet loss ratio and a latency associated with the first access network and the second reliability probability indicator is an indicator of a composite metric of a packet loss ratio and a latency associated with the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, the hybrid network environment is a multi-path transmission control protocol (MPTCP) environment.

In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, the first reliability indicator and the second reliability indicator are associated with at least part of a cyberphysical system or a high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network; the combined reliability probability for each traffic distribution mode within the plurality of traffic distribution modes is associated with at least part of the cyberphysical system or the high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network; and the target reliability probability comprises a real-time reliability requirement associated with the cyberphysical system or the high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, ranking each traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above a target reliability probability comprises applying a predefined cost function to each traffic distribution mode.

In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with either the first access network or the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a bicasted transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with the first access network and via one subflow associated with the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with the first access network and causing a bicasted version of the transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting a traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises selecting the traffic distribution mode with the highest ranking.

In another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes at least one processor and at least one memory that includes computer program code with the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least receive, in a hybrid network environment, a first reliability probability indicator associated with a first access network and a second reliability probability indicator associated with a second access network; determine, based at least in part on the first reliability probability indicator and the second reliability probability indicator, a combined reliability probability for each traffic distribution mode within a plurality of traffic distribution modes; rank each traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above a target reliability probability; and select a traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability.

In some example implementations of such an apparatus, the first reliability probability indicator is an indicator of a composite metric of a packet loss ratio and a latency associated with the first access network and the second reliability probability indicator is an indicator of a composite metric of a packet loss ratio and a latency associated with the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, the hybrid network environment is a multi-path transmission control protocol (MPTCP) environment.

In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, the first reliability indicator and the second reliability indicator are associated with at least part of a cyberphysical system or a high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network; the combined reliability probability for each traffic distribution mode within the plurality of traffic distribution modes is associated with at least part of the cyberphysical system or the high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network; and the target reliability probability comprises a real-time reliability requirement associated with the cyberphysical system or the high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, ranking each traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above a target reliability probability comprises applying a predefined cost function to each traffic distribution mode.

In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with either the first access network or the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a bicasted transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with the first access network and via one subflow associated with the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with the first access network and causing a bicasted version of the transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting a traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises selecting the traffic distribution mode with the highest ranking.

In a further example embodiment, a computer program product is provided that includes at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein with the computer-executable program code instructions including program code instructions configured to receive, in a hybrid network environment, a first reliability probability indicator associated with a first access network and a second reliability probability indicator associated with a second access network; determine, based at least in part on the first reliability probability indicator and the second reliability probability indicator, a combined reliability probability for each traffic distribution mode within a plurality of traffic distribution modes; rank each traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above a target reliability probability; and select a traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability.

In some example implementations of such computer program product, the first reliability probability indicator is an indicator of a composite metric of a packet loss ratio and a latency associated with the first access network and the second reliability probability indicator is an indicator of a composite metric of a packet loss ratio and a latency associated with the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, the hybrid network environment is a multi-path transmission control protocol (MPTCP) environment.

In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, the first reliability indicator and the second reliability indicator are associated with at least part of a cyberphysical system or a high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network; the combined reliability probability for each traffic distribution mode within the plurality of traffic distribution modes is associated with at least part of the cyberphysical system or the high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network; and the target reliability probability comprises a real-time reliability requirement associated with the cyberphysical system or the high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, ranking each traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above a target reliability probability comprises applying a predefined cost function to each traffic distribution mode.

In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with either the first access network or the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a bicasted transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with the first access network and via one subflow associated with the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with the first access network and causing a bicasted version of the transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting a traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises selecting the traffic distribution mode with the highest ranking.

In yet another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes means for receiving, at a traffic distribution entity in a hybrid network environment, a first reliability probability indicator associated with a first access network and a second reliability probability indicator associated with a second access network; determining, based at least in part on the first reliability probability indicator and the second reliability probability indicator, a combined reliability probability for each traffic distribution mode within a plurality of traffic distribution modes; ranking each traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above a target reliability probability; and selecting a traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability.

In some example implementations of such an apparatus, the first reliability probability indicator is an indicator of a composite metric of a packet loss ratio and a latency associated with the first access network and the second reliability probability indicator is an indicator of a composite metric of a packet loss ratio and a latency associated with the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, the hybrid network environment is a multi-path transmission control protocol (MPTCP) environment.

In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, the first reliability indicator and the second reliability indicator are associated with at least part of a cyberphysical system or a high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network; the combined reliability probability for each traffic distribution mode within the plurality of traffic distribution modes is associated with at least part of the cyberphysical system or the high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network; and the target reliability probability comprises a real-time reliability requirement associated with the cyberphysical system or the high-reliability low-latency communication system operating within the hybrid network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, ranking each traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above a target reliability probability comprises applying a predefined cost function to each traffic distribution mode.

In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with either the first access network or the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a bicasted transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with the first access network and via one subflow associated with the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting the traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises causing a transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via one subflow associated with the first access network and causing a bicasted version of the transmission to be directed to the cyberphysical system via the second access network. In some such example implementations, and in other example implementations, selecting a traffic distribution mode with a combined reliability probability above the target reliability probability comprises selecting the traffic distribution mode with the highest ranking.

