Modular gateway
First Claim
1. A gateway module for use in a scalable gateway coupled to a provided network, the gateway module comprising:
- a commissioned communication engine and a reserve communication engine that each facilitate voice communication between any two or more network ports of a plurality of network ports, the network ports comprising a first set operative in accordance with a first protocol and a second set operative in accordance with a second protocol different from the first protocol, each communication engine comprising for each port an input queue that receives network traffic and an output queue, each engine enqueueing into each output queue messages prepared in accordance with dequeueing from the respective input queue, each engine dequeueing from each output queue in accordance with the respective protocol;
a switchover circuit that couples data dequeued from each output queue of the commissioned communication engine to the provided network and, in response to either communication engine detecting an exceptional condition, decommissions the formerly commissioned communication engine and commissions the formerly reserve communication engine, wherein decommissioning comprises disabling the coupling to the provided network of data dequeued from the output queues of the formerly commissioned communication engine without disabling dequeueing from each output queue of the decommissioned engine; and
a scaling circuit that determines whether the gateway module is a provider of expansion signals;
wherein if so, each communication engine and an interface of the gateway module are coupled to the scaling circuit to receive the expansion signals as provided by the scaling circuit; and
if not, each communication engine is coupled to an interface of the gateway module to receive expansion signals as provided by a provided other gateway module;
the expansion signals facilitating an expansion of the plurality of network ports to include network ports of the provided other gateway module.
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Abstract
A gateway includes a plurality of gateway modules, coupled together for servicing communication among all of the ports coupled to any of the modules. The number of ports serviced may be increased by adding a gateway module with a minimum of physical and operational configuration changes to the existing gateway modules of the gateway. A gateway module is particularly suitable for use in a scalable gateway. The gateway module includes: a plurality of network ports, a commissioned communication engine, a reserve communication engine, a switchover circuit, and a scaling circuit. In one implementation protocol conversion by the gateway module facilitates voice over Internet (VOIP) communication including network ports coupled to T1/E1 interfaces of plain old telephone systems (POTS) switched telephone networks.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A gateway module for use in a scalable gateway coupled to a provided network, the gateway module comprising:
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a commissioned communication engine and a reserve communication engine that each facilitate voice communication between any two or more network ports of a plurality of network ports, the network ports comprising a first set operative in accordance with a first protocol and a second set operative in accordance with a second protocol different from the first protocol, each communication engine comprising for each port an input queue that receives network traffic and an output queue, each engine enqueueing into each output queue messages prepared in accordance with dequeueing from the respective input queue, each engine dequeueing from each output queue in accordance with the respective protocol;
a switchover circuit that couples data dequeued from each output queue of the commissioned communication engine to the provided network and, in response to either communication engine detecting an exceptional condition, decommissions the formerly commissioned communication engine and commissions the formerly reserve communication engine, wherein decommissioning comprises disabling the coupling to the provided network of data dequeued from the output queues of the formerly commissioned communication engine without disabling dequeueing from each output queue of the decommissioned engine; and
a scaling circuit that determines whether the gateway module is a provider of expansion signals;
wherein if so, each communication engine and an interface of the gateway module are coupled to the scaling circuit to receive the expansion signals as provided by the scaling circuit; and
if not, each communication engine is coupled to an interface of the gateway module to receive expansion signals as provided by a provided other gateway module;
the expansion signals facilitating an expansion of the plurality of network ports to include network ports of the provided other gateway module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A management information base for managing a gateway, the base comprising:
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a first plurality of parameters consistent with a standard as applied to a frame-based network node; and
a second plurality of parameters consistent with a standard as applied to a packet-based network node. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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Specification