IP Data transmission network using a route selection based on level 4/5 protocol information

• US 20020001313A1
• Filed: 04/19/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fieschi, Jacques, Michel, Patrick, Benayoun, Alain, Pennec, Jean-Francois Le
• Granted Patent: US 6,950,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/602 Multilayer or multiprotocol switching, e.g. IP switching

Abstract

Data transmission system for transmitting packets of data from a source workstation (10) to a destination workstation (18) wherein the packets of data are transmitted over at least an IP network (14) between an ingress node (16) connected to the source workstation and an egress node (20) connected to the destination workstation, wherein each router within the intermediary nodes along the data path from the ingress node to the egress node determines the best route in a routing table defined by the contents of a field contained in each packet of data being received. For this, the router of the ingress node comprises a configuration table which defines the contents of the TOS field in function of information associated with the 4/5 level protocol such as TCP or UDP.

Claims

1. A router suitable for use in transmitting a packet of data through a communication network wherein the best route through the network is determined at each node, said router comprising:

logic for identifying and extracting higher-layer information carried by at least one of the layers above the lowest three layers of a communication protocol of a received Packet;

a configuration table for associating the higher-layer information with lower-layer information carried by at least one of the lowest three layers of the communication protocol; and

a routing table for determining routing of the packet, responsive to the lower-layer information.

2. The router of claim 1, wherein the higher-layer information comprises a protocol identifier and a port number.

3. The router of claim 1, wherein the lower-layer information comprises a type of service identifier.

4. The router of claim 3, wherein the higher-layer information comprises a protocol identifier and a port number.

5. The router of claim 1, wherein the lower-layer information is carried by Internet Protocol (IP).

6. The router of claim 1, wherein the higher-layer information is carried by Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).

7. The router of claim 1, wherein the logic comprises a protocol processing unit.

8. The router of claim 7, wherein the logic further comprises a forwarding processing unit.

9. A method for determining the route of a packet through a communication network, said method comprising the acts of:

a) extracting higher-layer information carried by at least one of the layers above the lowest three layers of a communication protocol of a packet;

b) associating the higher-layer information with lower-layer information carried by at least one of the lowest three layers of the communication protocol,

c) using the lower-layer information to select a route for the packet through the network by accessing a routing table containing a plurality of routes.

10. A method for determining the route of a packet through a communication network, said method comprising the acts of:

a) receiving a packet;

b) identifying and extracting higher-layer information carried by at least one of the layers above the lowest three layers of a communication protocol of the received packet;

c) associating the higher-layer information with lower-layer information carried by at least one of the lowest three layers of the communication protocol by accessing a configuration table;

And

d) determining routing of the packet by accessing a routing table responsive to the lower-layer information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the higher-layer information comprises a protocol identifier and a port number.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the lower-layer information comprises a type of service identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the higher-layer information comprises a protocol identifier and a port number.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the lower-layer information is carried by Internet Protocol (IP).

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the higher-layer information is carried by Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).