Enhanced CSU/DSU (channel service unit/data service unit)

• US 20040187026A1
• Filed: 03/19/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Chen, Zesen, Gonsalves, Brian A., Jones, Kenneth Roger
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

In an embodiment, a communication node coupled to a first data network and a second data network is disclosed. The first data network is a wide area data network. The communication node includes a first data interface to the first data network, a second data interface to the second data network, a data processor responsive to the first data interface and to the second data interface, and an encryption module coupled to the data processor. The first data interface is a telephony type interface and the second data interface is a packet data interface. The data processor receives input traffic data carried over the first data interface and generates management performance data based on measurements with respect to the input traffic data. The encryption module receives the management performance data to produce encrypted management performance data to be communicated to the second data network via the second data interface.

Claims

1. A data communication node coupled to a first data network and coupled to a second data network, the first data network being a wide area data network, the data communication node comprising:

a first data interface to the first data network, the first data interface comprising a telephony type interface;

a second data interface to the second data network, the second data interface comprising a packet data interface;

a data processor responsive to the first data interface and to the second data interface, the data processor receiving input traffic data carried over the first data interface and generating management performance data based on measurements with respect to the input traffic data; and

an encryption module coupled to the data processor, the encryption module to receive the management performance data and to produce encrypted management performance data to be communicated to the second data network via the second data interface.

2. The data communication node of claim 1, further comprising a third data interface, the third data interface comprising a serial data interface and wherein the data processor is further coupled to the third data interface.

3. The data communication node of claim 1, wherein operating system software is loaded onto the data processor.

4. The data communication node of claim 1, wherein the encryption module is implemented as a hardware element.

5. The data communication node of claim 1, wherein the encryption module is implemented as a software program loaded onto a computing device.

6. The data communication node of claim 5, wherein the computing device is the data processor.

7. The data communication node of claim 1, wherein the second data interface is coupled to a data router within the second data network.

8. The data communication node of claim 7, wherein the second data network includes a remote terminal, the remote terminal including decryption software, and wherein the remote terminal receives and decrypts the encrypted management performance data for display to a user of the remote terminal.

9. The data communication node of claim 8, wherein the remote terminal is a network management workstation.

10. The data communication node of claim 1, wherein the data communication node is implemented as a channel service unit/data service unit and wherein the encryption module is configured to perform data encryption standard (DES) encryption.

11. The data communication node of claim 1, wherein the first data interface is a digital line.

12. The data communication node of claim 11, wherein the digital line is one of a T1 line, an E1 line, and a DS3 line.

13. The data communication node of claim 1, wherein the second data network is a local area network.

14. A method of processing data and of communicating encrypted data, the method comprising:

receiving input data from a first interface, the first interface responsive to a wide area network;

processing the input data using a data processing device to produce traffic data and management data associated with the input data;

performing encryption on the traffic data and the management data to produce encrypted data; and

communicating the encrypted data via a second interface to a local area network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the management data is selected from service level data, traffic performance data, network management data, configuration data, and error reporting data.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the encrypted data is communicated to a layer three data router coupled to the local area network.

17. A method of handling encrypted data at a data network router, the method comprising:

receiving encrypted data at a data network router, the encrypted data received from a communication node coupled to the data network router and coupled to a wide area network, the encrypted data associated with traffic data and management data; and

communicating the encrypted data from the data network router to a remote node within a local area data network.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising accessing a router table within the data network router after receiving the encrypted data to select the remote node from a plurality of available nodes within the local area data network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the encrypted data is decrypted at the remote node and wherein the management data is displayed.

20. A method of using data communications equipment coupled to a first data network and coupled to a second data network, the first data network being a wide area data network, the second data network being a local area network, the method comprising:

receiving a first wide area data frame at a first data interface to the first data network;

processing the first wide area data frame at a data processor responsive to the first data interface to produce traffic data and management data;

sending an encryption request along with the traffic data and the management data from the data processor to an encryption module coupled to the data processor;

receiving the encryption request along with the traffic data and the management data at the encryption module;

encrypting the traffic data and the management data at the encryption module to produce encrypted data;

communicating the encrypted data to the data processor in response to the encryption request; and

communicating the encrypted data to the second data network via a second data interface to the second data network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second data network includes a remote terminal, the remote terminal including decryption software, and wherein the remote terminal receives and decrypts the encrypted data for display to a user of the remote terminal.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the encryption module is configured to perform data encryption standard (DES) encryption.