System and method for monitoring, controlling and provisioning a telecommunications access network

• US 20060153070A1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing 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 8,891,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2254 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/301 Circuit arrangements at the subscriber's side of the line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/303 and using PCM multiplexers, e.g. pair gain systems

Abstract

An access device includes a first port configured to communicatively couple to a network node via a communications link, with the communications link having a plurality of information flows. At least one of the flows is configured as a maintenance and control flow and at least one of the flows is configured to carry customer data. The access device has a second port configured to communicatively couple to one or more demarcation devices via another communications link, and the demarcation device(s) is communicatively coupled to one or more customer premise equipment (CPE). A processing unit is configured to respond to commands received in the maintenance and control flow and to transmit access device information on the maintenance and control flow.

Claims

1. An access device comprising:

a first port configured to communicatively couple to a network node via a first communications link, the first communications link having a plurality of flows, at least one of the flows being configured as a maintenance and control flow and at least one of the flows being configured to carry customer data;

a second port configured to communicatively couple to one or more demarcation devices via a second communications link, the demarcation devices being communicatively coupled to one or more customer premise equipment (CPE); and

a processing unit configured transmit communications between the first port and the second port and configured to respond to commands received in the maintenance and control flow and to transmit access device information on the maintenance and control flow.

2. The access device of claim 1, wherein the first port is configured to communicate to an access network via an optical link.

3. The access device of claim 2, wherein the optical link is a DS-3 link.

4. The access device of claim 1, wherein the second communications link is an Ethernet link.

5. The access device of claim 1, wherein the first port is communicatively coupled to an add/drop multiplexer.

6. The access device of claim 1, wherein the maintenance and control flow is a VLAN.

7. The access device of claim 6, wherein the VLAN utilizes VLAN identifier 4095.

8. The access device of claim 1, wherein the maintenance and control flow is a pseudowire.

9. The access device of claim 1, wherein the access device information includes at least one of performance data, configuration data, and status data.

10. The access device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to retrieve demarcation device information from at least one of the demarcation devices.

11. The access device of claim 10, wherein the demarcation device information includes at least one of performance data, configuration data, and status data.

12. The access device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to receive configuration commands via the maintenance and control flow.

13. The access device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to initiate transfer of management information via the maintenance and control flow.

14. The access device of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is further configured to transfer management information upon the occurrence of a first event or periodically.

15. The access device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to detect equipment communicatively coupled to the access device and to transmit an indication of the detected equipment on the first port via the processing unit.

16. The access device of claim 1, wherein the access device is further configured to block attempts from the second port to access the processing unit.

17. An access device comprising:

a first port configured to communicatively couple to an access network; and

a second port configured to communicatively couple to one or more demarcation devices that are communicatively coupled to one or more customer premise equipment (CPE);

wherein the access device is configured to transmit management information via an in-band management channel on the first port.

18. The access device of claim 17, wherein the first port is configured to communicate to the access network via an optical link.

19. The access device of claim 18, wherein the optical link is a DS-3 link.

20. The access device of claim 17, wherein the first port is communicatively coupled to an add/drop multiplexer.

21. The access device of claim 17, wherein the first port is communicatively coupled to an access switch.

22. The access device of claim 17, wherein the in-band management channel is a VLAN.

23. The access device of claim 22, wherein the VLAN utilizes VLAN identifier 4095.

24. The access device of claim 17, wherein the in-band management channel is a pseudowire.

25. The access device of claim 17, wherein the management information includes at least one of performance data, configuration data, and status data.

26. The access device of claim 17, further comprising a demarcation device manager configured to retrieve demarcation device information from at least one of the demarcation devices.

27. The access device of claim 26, wherein the demarcation device information includes at least one of performance data, configuration data, and status data.

28. The access device of claim 17, wherein the access device is further configured to receive configuration commands via the in-band management channel.

29. The access device of claim 17, wherein the access device is further configured to initiate the transfer of management information on the first port via the in-band management channel.

30. The access device of claim 29, wherein the access device is configured to transfer management information upon the occurrence of a first event or periodically.

31. The access device of claim 17, wherein the access device is further configured to detect equipment communicatively coupled to the access device and to transmit an indication of the detected equipment on the first port via the in-band management channel.

32. The access device of claim 17, wherein the access device is further configured to block attempts from the second port to access the in-band management channel.

33. An access device for providing customer premise equipment access to an access network, the access device comprising:

a first port configured to communicatively couple to the access network; and

a second port configured to communicatively couple to one or more demarcation devices that are communicatively coupled to one or more customer premise equipment (CPE); and

a processing unit configured for performing the steps of;

communicating via a first communications link coupled to the first port, the first communications link having a plurality of flows;

establishing an in-band management flow in the first communications link;

establishing one or more customer flows in the first communications link; and

transmitting access device information via the in-band management flow demarcation device information to the network element.

34. The access device of claim 33, wherein the processing unit is further configured for reporting via the in-band management flow demarcation device information to the network element.

35. The access device of claim 34, wherein the access device information and the demarcation device information includes at least one of performance data, configuration data, and status data.

36. The access device of claim 33, wherein the first port is configured to be coupled to an optical link.

37. The access device of claim 33, wherein the second port is configured to be coupled to an Ethernet link.

38. The access device of claim 33, wherein the in-band management flow is a VLAN.

39. The access device of claim 38, wherein the VLAN uses a VLAN identifier of 4095.

40. The access device of claim 33, wherein the processing unit is further configured for receiving configuration commands via the in-band management flow.

41. The access device of claim 33, wherein the processing unit is further configured for initiating the transfer of access device information on the first port via the in-band management flow.

42. The access device of claim 41, wherein the access device is configured to transfer management information upon the occurrence of a first event or periodically.

43. The access device of claim 33, wherein the processing unit is further configured for detecting equipment communicatively coupled to the access device and transmitting an indication of the detected equipment on the first port via the in-band management flow.

44. The access device of claim 33, wherein the processing unit is further configured for blocking attempts from the second port to access the in-band management flow.

45. A method of providing management information of an access device, the method comprising:

establishing a first communications link on a first port to a telecommunications network, the first communications link having a plurality of flows, at least one of the plurality of flows carrying customer communications;

establishing a second communications link on a second port, the second communications link being configured for communicatively coupling to customer premise equipment; and

transmitting management information on the first port via a first flow of the plurality of flows.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the first flow is a VLAN.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the VLAN utilizes a VLAN identifier of 4095.

48. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

establishing a communications session on the second port to a demarcation device;

receiving demarcation device information from the demarcation device; and

transmitting the demarcation device information on the first port via the first flow.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the communications session is a Telnet session.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the communications session comprises a second flow on the second communications link.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the demarcation device information includes at least one of performance data, configuration data, and status data.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein the management information includes at least one of performance data, configuration data, and status data.

53. The method of claim 45, further comprising receiving a request for the management information on the first flow.

54. The method of claim 45, further comprising receiving configuration commands via the first flow.

55. The method of claim 45, further comprising initiating a transfer of the management information on the first flow.

56. The method of claim 45, further comprising detecting equipment communicatively coupled to the access device and transmitting an indication of the detected equipment on the first flow.

57. The method of claim 45, further comprising blocking attempts from the second port to access the in-band management channel.

58. A control system in a telecommunications network, the control system comprising:

a first port configured to communicatively couple to the telecommunications network; and

a processing unit configured for performing the steps of;

establishing a communications link over the telecommunications network to an access device, the access device being communicatively coupled to one or more demarcation devices, the communications link having a plurality of flows, and at least one of the flows configured to transmit customer data;

establishing an in-band management flow via the communications link; and

receiving management information from the access device via the in-band management flow.

59. The control system of claim 58, wherein the in-band management flow is a VLAN.

60. The control system of claim 59, wherein the VLAN utilizes a VLAN identifier of 4095.

61. The control system of claim 58, wherein the communications link comprises a packet-based communications link and the telecommunications network includes a packet-switched network.

62. The control system of claim 58, wherein the management information includes at least one of performance data, configuration data, and status data.

63. The control system of claim 58, wherein the processing unit is further configured to retrieve demarcation device information from at least one of the demarcation devices.

64. The control system of claim 63, wherein the demarcation device information includes at least one of performance data, configuration data, and status data.

65. The control system of claim 58, wherein the processing unit is further configured to transmit configuration commands to the access device via the in-band management flow.

66. In a service provisioning system for establishing information flows between a service edge and a customer premise equipment (CPE) in a telecommunications network, a method of automated provisioning of one or more network elements within the telecommunications network, wherein the network elements are interconnected by one or more communication links with each link carrying a plurality of information flows, comprising the steps of:

receiving a service provisioning request at a centralized remote location, the service provisioning request defining a flow desired by a customer between the service edge and the customer premise equipment (CPE);

retrieving a network topology between the CPE and the service edge, the CPE being communicatively coupled to an access device;

generating provisioning instructions based at least in part on the network topology; and

issuing the provisioning instructions to at least one of the access device and the service edge to establish the flow between the CPE and the service edge.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein retrieving includes retrieving the network topology from a network database.

68. The method of claim 66, wherein retrieving includes requesting network topology information from one or more of the network elements.

69. The method of claim 66, wherein generating provisioning instructions includes determining a communication path from the CPE to the service edge through one or more of the network elements and issuing the provisioning instructions includes issuing provisioning instructions to each network element in the communication path.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein determining is based at least in part on the network topology retrieve from a database.

71. The method of claim 66, further comprising:

retrieving one at a time configuration information from network elements between the access device and the service edge, beginning with the access device, the configuration information defining a first communications path;

issuing provisioning commands to each network element in the first communication path;

retrieving one at a time configuration information from network elements between the access device and the service edge, beginning with the service edge, the configuration information defining a second communications path; and

issuing provisioning commands to each network element in the first communication path.

72. The method of claim 66, wherein issuing instructions to the access device includes establishing a maintenance and control flow to the access device and issuing provisioning commands to the access device via the maintenance and control flow.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein establishing a maintenance and control flow includes establishing a VLAN.

74. In a service provisioning system for establishing information flows between a service edge and a customer premise equipment (CPE) in a telecommunications network, a method of automated provisioning of one or more network elements within the telecommunications network, wherein the network elements are interconnected by one or more communication links with each link carrying a plurality of information flows, comprising the steps of:

receiving a service provisioning request at a centralized remote location;

determining a communication path from the CPE to the service edge via one or more network elements with an automated control system;

establishing an in-band control and maintenance data flow within one or more of the communication links to communicatively couple the service provisioning system to at least one of the network elements; and

sending instructions for implementing a service change via the in-band control and maintenance data flow to at least one of the network elements, thereby establishing an information flow between the service edge and the customer premise equipment (CPE).

75. The method of claim 74, wherein instructions for implementing a service change are based at least in part on network topology information obtained from a network database.

76. The method of claim 74, wherein the in-band control and maintenance data flow is a VLAN.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein the VLAN utilizes VLAN identifier 4095.

78. The method of claim 74, wherein the instructions for implementing a service change further comprise layer 1 provisioning instructions and layer 2 provisioning instructions.

79. The method of claim 78 further comprising the steps of:

sending layer 2 provisioning instructions to a service edge for establishing an information flow.

80. The method of claim 79 further comprising the steps of:

sending layer 2 provisioning instructions to a switching device for establishing a layer 2 switch configuration.

81. The method of claim 79 further comprising the steps of:

sending layer 2 provisioning instructions to an access device for provisioning layer 2 flows and services.

82. A service provisioning system for establishing information flows between a service edge and a customer premise equipment (CPE) in a telecommunications network, the service provisioning system comprising:

a first port configured to communicatively couple to a telecommunications network; and

a processing unit configured for performing the steps of;

receiving a service provisioning request;

determining a communication path from the CPE to the service edge via one or more network elements, wherein the network elements are interconnected by one or more communication links with each link carrying a plurality of information flows;

establishing an in-band control and maintenance data flow within one or more of the communication links to communicatively couple the control system to at least one of the network elements; and

sending instructions for implementing a service provisioning request via the in-band control and maintenance data flow to at least one of the network elements, thereby establishing an information flow between the service edge and the customer premise equipment (CPE).

83. The service provisioning system of claim 82, wherein the in-band control and maintenance data flow is a VLAN.

84. The service provisioning system of claim 83, wherein the VLAN utilizes VLAN identifier 4095.

85. The service provisioning system of claim 82, wherein instructions for implementing a service provisioning request are based at least in part on network topology information obtained from a network database.

86. The service provisioning system of claim 82, further comprising receiving an indication of detected equipment via the in-band control and maintenance data flow, the detected equipment having been detected by at least one of the network elements as being couple to that network element.

87. The service provisioning system of claim 82, wherein the network element comprises an access device.

88. The service provisioning system of claim 82, wherein the network element comprises a demarcation device.

89. The service provisioning system of claim 82, wherein the network element comprises a switching device.

90. A service provisioning system for establishing information flows between a service edge and a customer premise equipment (CPE) in a telecommunications network, the service provisioning system comprising:

a control system adapted to accept a service provisioning request, the control system having at least one network database storing network topology information and a provisioning module for converting a service provisioning request into instructions for implementing a service change identified by the request, the instructions based at least in part on the network topology information obtained from the network database, wherein the control system is communicatively coupled to an integrated data network (IDN);

a demarcation device having a first communication link with the CPE and adapted to translate information from the CPE into a packetized information flow;

an access device having a second communication link with the demarcation device; and

a switching device having a third communication link with the access device, the switching device also being communicatively couple to the IDN and to a service edge,

wherein the control system is configured to establish an in-band control and maintenance data flow within the second communications link allowing the control system to pass the instructions for implementing a service change to the access device via the in-band control and maintenance data flow.

91. The service provisioning system of claim 90, wherein the control system is configured to establish an in-band control and maintenance data flow within the third communications link allowing the control system to pass the instructions for implementing a service change to the switching device via the in-band control and maintenance data flow.

92. The service provisioning system of claim 90, wherein the access device is configured to pass the instructions for implementing a service change to the demarcation device via a LAN.