Broadband system having routing identification assignment

• US 20020085552A1
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PhyFlex Networks, Inc. (Ciena Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Narad Networks Incorporated Westford Massachusetts
• Inventors: Tandon, Manas
• Application Number:
  US09/952,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20020085552A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2859 Point-to-point connection between the data network and the subscribers encapsulation H04L12/4633; virtual LANs H04L12/4641; routing of packets H04L45/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2876 Handling of subscriber policies group policies management H04L41/0893
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5605 Fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5606 Metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5651 Priority, marking, classes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5679 Arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0863 by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 : Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 : for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 : relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 : Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 : by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 : Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 : at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/788 : Autonomous allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 : Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 : QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 : Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/829 : Topology based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 : Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 : using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6402 : Address allocation for clients address allocation in data networks H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 : Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 : involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

Hybrid fiber/coax networks employ the existing cable plant used for cable TV and transmit data signals in a frequency bandwidth above that which is used for cable TV. As this cable plant was deployed in a tree and branch topology, data transmissions may be susceptible to noise, variable transmission loss and frequency dispersion, particularly in the upstream direction. Further, due to the tree and branch topology, homes at the far end of the network experience much greater loss than do the homes that are near to the headend/ONU. The present system, which uses point-to-point data links between intelligent network elements located in the feeder/distribution network to provide reliable, secure, bi-directional broadband access. Digital signals are terminated at the intelligent network elements, switched and regenerated for transmission across additional upstream or downstream data links as needed to connect a home to a headend or router. The intelligent network elements can be co-located with or replace the standard network elements to take advantage of existing network configurations. The standard network elements can be selectively replaced by the intelligent network elements in an incremental approach. A method of assigning a routing ID to one of the network elements includes sending from the network element to plural servers connected to the network a first message that includes information identifying the particular network element. A second message that includes a routing ID for the network element is received from one of the servers. A third message that identifies the particular server is sent from the network element to the servers. A fourth message that confirms the routing ID is received from the server. In this manner, the data links are made over relatively short runs of coax cable, which can provide greater bandwidth than the typical end-to-end feeder/distribution connection between a home and the headend or optical network unit.

Claims

1. In a network having plural network elements, a method of assigning a routing ID to one of the network elements comprising:

sending from the one network element to plural servers connected to the network a first message that includes information identifying the one network element;

receiving from one of the plural servers a second message that includes a routing ID for the one network element;

sending from the one network element to the plural servers a third message that identifies the one server;

receiving from the one server a fourth message that confirms the routing ID.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first message comprises a DHCPDISCOVER message including an options field having the information identifying the one network element.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the second message comprises a DHCPOFFER message including the routing ID and an IP address for the one network element.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the third message comprises a DHCPREQUEST message.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the fourth message comprises a DHCPACK message confirming the routing ID and an IP address.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending from the one network element a fifth message to renew the routing ID.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the fifth message comprises a DHCP message to renew the routing ID and IP address.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plural network elements are interconnected using point-to-point data links over a tree and branch network.

9. A system comprising:

plural servers; and

plural network elements, at least one network element operable to send from the one network element to the plural servers connected to the network a first message that includes information identifying the one network element;

to receive from one of the plural servers a second message that includes a routing ID for the one network element;

to send from the one network element to the plural servers a third message that identifies the one server; and

to receive from the one server a fourth message that confirms the routing ID.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first message comprises a DHCPDISCOVER message including an options field having the information identifying the one network element.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the second message comprises a DHCPOFFER message including the routing ID and an IP address for the one network element.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the third message comprises a DHCPREQUEST message.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the fourth message comprises a DHCPACK message confirming the routing ID and an IP address.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the one network element is further operable to send a fifth message to renew the routing ID.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the fifth message comprises a DHCP message to renew the routing ID and IP address.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the plural network elements are interconnected using point-to-point data links over a tree and branch network.

17. In a network having plural network elements, a computer product including computer program code for assigning a routing ID to one of the network elements comprising:

computer program code for sending from the one network element to plural servers connected to the network a first message that includes information identifying the one network element;

computer program code for receiving from one of the plural servers a second message that includes a routing ID for the one network element;

computer program code for sending from the one network element to the plural servers a third message that identifies the one server;

computer program code for receiving from the one server a fourth message that confirms the routing ID.

18. In a network having plural network elements, a computer data signal having program code for assigning a routing ID to one of the network elements comprising:

program code for sending from the one network element to plural servers connected to the network a first message that includes information identifying the one network element;

program code for receiving from one of the plural servers a second message that includes a routing ID for the one network element;

program code for sending from the one network element to the plural servers a third message that identifies the one server;

program code for receiving from the one server a fourth message that confirms the routing ID.

19. In a network having plural network elements, apparatus for assigning a routing ID to one of the network elements comprising:

means for sending from the one network element to plural servers connected to the network a first message that includes information identifying the one network element;

means for receiving from one of the plural servers a second message that includes a routing ID for the one network element;

means for sending from the one network element to the plural servers a third message that identifies the one server;

means for receiving from the one server a fourth message that confirms the routing ID.