Method and array for determining the virtual address of a terminal

• US 20040081161A1
• Filed: 12/03/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 12, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Held, Walter, Mendisch, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 6,934,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2883 ATM DSLAM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, a network management unit for assigning virtual addresses (e.g. IP addresses) and a network temnination unit for determining virtual addresses(e.g. IP addresses) of a terminal unit (EAO) that is connected by means of a terminal connection (S0-0) and a subscriber-side network termination unit (IAD) of a virtual network (e. g. an IP network) (IP-NET). A network management unit (BOOTP-S) transmits a second identifier (d:e:0) assigned to the terminal connection (S0-0) togethcr with virtual addresses (x.x.x) of the network termination unit (IAD) in order to assign virtual addresses of the network termination unit (IAD) in response to its address request messages. A virtual address (y.y.0) requested with said second identifier (d:e:0) is used as virtual address of the terminal unit (EA0).

Claims

1. (Currently amended). A Method method for determining a virtual address that is uniquely assigned to a subscriber-side terminal unit (EA0) connected to a virtual network (ATM/SDH, DSLAM, TAL, IPER, IPR1, IPR2, IPR3, (NMS) via a subscriber-side network termination unit of a subscriber line (TAL) of thisthe virtual network (ATM/SDH, DSLAM, TAL, IPER, IPR1, IPR2, IPR3, (NMS)) and to a terminal connection (S0-0) downstream of thisthe network termination unit, bycomprising:

[[-]] Sending sending an address request message (boot request/a;

b;

c) from the network termination unit (IAD) with a unique first identifier of the network termination unit (a;

b;

c) to a network management unit (BOOTP-S) to assign virtual addresses in order to request the a virtual address of the network termination unit (IAD);

an

[[-]] Assigning assigning the virtual address (x.x.x) of the network termination unit (IAD) using the said first identifier (a;

b;

c) by the network management unit (BOOTP-S), charaeterized by,;

[[-]] Sending this sending the virtual address (x.x.x) of the network termination unit (IAD) and a unique second identifier of the downstream terminal connection (d;

e;

0) from the network management unit (BOOTP-S) in order to assign virtual addresses to the network termination unit (IAD);

[[-]] Sending sending an address request message (boot request/d;

e;

0) with the unique second identifier of the downstream terminal connection (d;

e;

0) from the network termination unit (IAD) to the network management unit (BOOTP-S) in order to assign virtual addresses;

[[-]] Assigning assigning the virtual address (y.y.0) of the downstream terminal connection (S0-0) using the said identifier (d;

e;

0) by the network management unit (BOOTP-S);

[[-]] Sending this sending the virtual address (y;

y;

0) of the downstream terminal connection (S0-0) from the network management unit (BOOTP-S) in order to assign virtual addresses to the network termination unit (IAD); and

[[-]] Transmitting this transmitting the virtual address (y.y.0) of the downstream terminal connection (S0-0) as the virtual address for the terminal unit (EA0) to the terminal unit

3. (Currently amended). Methed The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that wherein the virtual network (ATM/SDH, DSLAM, TAL, IPER, IPR1, IPR2, IPR3, NMS) is an IP network, the address request messages (boot request/d:

e;

0, boot request/a;

b;

c) are IP address request messages and the virtual addresses (x.x.x, y.y.0) are IP addresses.

4. (Currently amended). Method The method according to one of the claims claim 1 to 3 characterized in that, wherein the first unique identifier (a:

b;

c) of the network termination unit (IAD) is the a hardware MAC address of this the network termination unit (IAD).

5. (Currently amended). Method The method according to one of the claims 1 to 3 claims 1 or 2 characterized in that wherein the network termination unit (IAD) is a network termination unit of a telecommunications network (ATM/SDH, DSLAM, TAL, IPER) forming part of the virtual network (ATM/SDH, DSLAM, TAL, IPER, IPR1, IPR2, IPR3, NMS) with subscriber lines (TAL), and that the first unique identifier (a:

b;

c) of the network termination unit (IAD) is a pseudo-hardware address of the subscriber line of this the network termination unit (IAD).

6. (Currently amended). Method The method according to claim 5, characterized in that wherein the first unique identifier (a:

b;

c) of the network termination unit (IAD) is stored in the a network-side peripheral area (DSLAM;

IAD) of the telecommunications network (ATM/SDH, DSLAM, TAL;

ATM NET) when the subscriber line is configured and is transmitted via the subscriber line (TAL) to the network termination unit (IAD) when the network termination unit (IAD) is initialized.

7. (Currently amended). Method The method according to one of the above claims claims 1 or 2, eharacterized in that wherein the downstream terminal connection (S0-0) is a telecommunications terminal connection and the second unique identifier (d:

e;

0) of the telecommunication terminal connection (S0-0) is a pseudo-hardware address assigned to it thereto that is stored in addition to the first virtual address (x.x.x) of the network termination unit (IAD) and to the first unique identifier (a;

b;

c) of the network termination unit in the network management unit (BOOTP-S).

8. (Currently amended). Method The method according to one of the above claims claims 1 or 2, characterized in that wherein several second unique identifiers (d:

e;

0;

d;

e;

1;

d;

e;

2) of the appropriate terminal connections (S0-0;

S0-1;

S0-2) are sent from the network management unit (BOOTPS) to assign virtual addresses to the network termination unit (IAD), and that for each of these terminal connections (S0-0;

S0-1;

S0-2), an address request message (boot request) with the unique second identifier (d;

e;

0;

d;

e;

1;

d;

e;

2) of the terminal connection (S0-0;

S0-1;

S0-2) is sent to the network management unit (BOOTP-S) to assign virtual addresses.

2. (Currently amended) Methed A method for determining a virtual address that is uniquely assigned to a subscriber-side terminal unit (EA0) connected to a virtual network (ATM/SDH, DSLAM, TAL, IPER, IPR1, IPR2, IPR3, (NMS) via a subscriber-side network termination unit of a subscriber line (TAL) of this the virtual network (ATM/SDH, DSLAM, TAL, IPER, IPR1, IPR2, IPR3, (NMS)) and to a terminal connection (S0-0) downstream of this the network termination unit, by comprising:

[[-]] Sending sending an address request message (boot request/a;

b;

c) from the network termination unit (IAD) with a unique first identifier of the network termination unit (a;

b;

c) to a network management unit (BOOTP-S) to assign virtual addresses in order to request the a virtual address of the network termination unit (IAD); and

[[-]] Assigning assigning the virtual address (x.x.x) of the network termination unit (IAD) using the said first identifier (a;

b;

c) by the network management unit (BOOTP-S), characterized by,

[[-]] Sending this the virtual address (x.x.x) of the network termination unit (IAD) and a unique second identifier of the downstream terminal connection (d;

e;

0) from the network management unit (BOOTP-S) in order to assign virtual addresses to the network termination unit (IAD);

[[-]] Transmitting transmitting the unique second identifier of the downstream terminal connection (d;

e;

0) to the subscriber-side terminal unit (EA0); and

[[-]] Sending sending an address request message (boot request/d;

e;

0) with the unique second identifier of the downstream terminal connection (d;

e;

0) from the subscriber-side terminal unit to the network management unit (BOOTP-S) in order to assign virtual addresses;

[[-]] Assigning assigning the virtual address (y.y.0) of the downstream terminal connection (S0-0) using the said identifier (d;

e;

0) using the network management unit (BOOTP-S);

[[-]] Sending sending this virtual address (y.y.0) of the downstream terminal connection (S0-0) from the network management unit (BOOTP-S) in order to assign virtual addresses to the subscriber-side terminal unit (EA0); and

[[-]] Accepting this accepting the virtual address (y.y.0) of the downstream terminal connection (S0-0) as the virtual address for the terminal unit (EA0).

9. Network A network termination unit (IAD) with a communications interface to connect to a virtual network (IP NET) with an identifier memory array (HM) to store a first unique identifier of the network termination unit (IAD), characterized by comprising a controller (MP) to send an address request message using is the stored first unique identifier (a:

b;

c) via the communications interface (KIF), to receive a first virtual address (x.x.x) of the network termination unit (IAD) and a second unique identifier (d;

e;

0) of a subscriber-side terminal connection (S0-0) connected with the network termination unit, to send an address request message using is the second unique identifier (d;

e;

0) of the terminal connection (S0-0) via the communications interface (KIF), to receive a second virtual address (y.y.0) of the terminal connection (S0-0) and to transmit this the IP address (y.y.0) of the terminal connection (S0-0) to a terminal unit (EA0) connected to is the terminal connection (S0-0).

10. (Currently amended). Network The network termination unit (IAD) according to claim 9, characterzed in that wherein the virtual network (ATM/SDH, DSLAM, TAL, IPER, IPR1, IPR2, IPR3, NMS) is an IP network, the address request messages (boot request/d:

e;

0, boot request/a;

b;

c) are IP address request messages and the virtual addresses (x.x.x, y.y.0) are IP addresses.

11. (Currently amended). Network A network management unit (BOOTP-S) to assign virtual addresses, comprising:

[[- with]] memory facilities (MEM) to store first and second identifiers (a;

b;

c, d;

e;

0, d;

e;

1, d;

e;

2) that are uniquely assigned to network elements[[;

]], to store first or second virtual addresses (x.x,x, y.y.0, y.y,1, y.y.2) assigned to these first and second identifiers[[;

]], and to store a second identifier (d;

e;

0, d;

e;

1, d;

e;

2)[[;

]], assigned to such a first identifier (a;

b;

c); and

[[- with]] a controller (CONT) to receive an address request message (boot request) containing such a first identifier (a;

b;

c) of a network termination unit (IAD) from this item of the network equipment termination unit (IAD)[[;

]], to determine the first virtual address (x.x.x) assigned to this the first identifier (a;

b;

c) and the second identifier (d;

e;

0, de;

1, d;

e;

2) assigned to this first identifier[[;

]], and to send this first virtual address (x.x.x) and this second identifier (d;

e;

0, d;

e;

1, d;

e;

2) to the item of network equipment (IAD).

12. (Currently amended). Network The network management unit (BOOTP-S) to assign virtual addresses according to claim 11, characterized in that wherein the address request messages (boot request/d:

e;

0, BOOTREQUEST/a;

b;

c) are IP address request messages and that the virtual addresses (x.x.x, y.y.0) are IP addresses.