System and method for indicating classification of a communications flow

• US 20050220107A1
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Bencheck, Michael U., DelRegno, Nick, McDysan, David E., Kotrla, Scott R., Turlington, Matthew W., Drake, William, Hardin, Ross S., Bengston, Lee D., Schell, Richard C., Chiu, Howard
• Granted Patent: US 8,289,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/66 Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control

Abstract

System and method for providing a layer 2 switch in the access network that switches based upon one or more carrier tags identifying customer traffic. Customer traffic conforming to any variety of different layer 1 or layer 2 protocols may be encapsulated and identified according to carrier tag values. The layer 2 switch may determine how to handle the traffic by interpreting and manipulating the carrier tag values. The layer 2 switch may be capable of switching TDM input traffic to either TDM or packet output traffic, and switching packetized input traffic to either TDM or packet output traffic. Handling classification values may also be processed by the layer 2 switch to affect prioritization of handling of encapsulated traffic.

Claims

1. In a communication system, a method of processing communications comprising:

receiving a first communication having a handling classification value;

adding a carrier tag to the communication, wherein the carrier tag comprises a handling classification field;

setting the handling classification field of the carrier tag according to the value of the handling classification value; and

sending the communication including the carrier tag and the handling classification value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the carrier tag comprises at least one of a tunnel label, a logical networking tag, a service emulation instance mapping identifier, a label switched path label and a pseudowire label.

3. In a communication system, a method of processing communications comprising:

receiving a communication comprising a first carrier tag and a second carrier tag, wherein the first carrier tag comprises a first handling classification field and the second carrier tag comprises a second handling classification field;

setting a value of the second handling classification field based upon a value of the first handling classification field; and

sending the communication comprising the second handling classification field.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

removing the first carrier tag from the communication.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein sending the communication comprises sending the communication to service edge.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the setting the value of the second handling classification field comprises copying the value of the first handling classification field into the second handling classification field.