Method for facilitating application server functionality and access node comprising same

• US 20060203827A1
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Absillis, Luc
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.540
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers

Abstract

An access node comprises an application server, a logical access port coupled to the application server and a redirection filter module coupled to the logical access port. The redirection filter module includes a data redirection filter and an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) redirection filter. The data redirection filter facilitates a data packet received on the access port being directed to the application server when a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the data packet corresponds to a MAC address of the application server or when a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address of the data packet corresponds to an IP address of the application server. The ARP redirection filter facilitates an ARP reply message being issued when a target IP address of an ARP request message received on the access port corresponds to the IP address of the application server.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating application server functionality in an access node;

comprising;

accessing an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request message designating a target Internet Protocol (IP) address in response to the ARP request message being received on a logical access port of the access node;

issuing an ARP reply message associating the target IP address with a Media Access (MAC) address of an application server integrated within the access node in response to successful correlation of the target IP address with an IP address assigned to the application server; and

redirecting to the application server an data packet received on the logical access port in response to a destination address of the data packet corresponding to one of an IP address and MAC address of the application server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said issuing includes determining the MAC address in response to accessing the ARP request message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing redirection filtering functionality for the access port, wherein said providing redirection filtering functionality includes specifying conditional information for a data redirection filter and specifying conditional information for an ARP redirection filter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

said specifying conditional information for the data redirection filter includes specify that a data packet received on the access port is directed to application server when a Destination MAC address of the data packet corresponds to the MAC address of the application server or when a Destination IP address of the data packet corresponds to the IP address of the application server; and

said specifying conditional information of the ARP redirection filter includes specify that an ARP reply message is issued when a target IP address of an ARP request message received on the access port corresponds to the IP address of the application server.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

assigning the IP address of the application server to the application server, wherein the IP address of the application server is in a same IP subnet as the IP address of the client premise equipment (CPE) having access to the logical access port; and

assigning the MAC address of the application server, wherein the MAC address of the application server is coupled to the IP address assigned to the application server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning the IP address of the application server to the application server, wherein the IP address of the application server is in a same IP subnet as the IP address of the client premise equipment (CPE) having access to the logical access port; and

assigning the MAC address of the application server, wherein the MAC address of the application server is coupled to the IP address assigned to the application server.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

sending a message from the application server to an appropriate logical access port in response to the redirection filter module determining the appropriate access port.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said determining includes assessing a destination MAC address designated in the message sent from the application server.

9. An access node, comprising:

at least one data processing device;

a logical access port coupled to said at least one data processing device;

an application server coupled to said at least one data processing device;

memory coupled to said at least one data processing device; and

instructions accessible from said memory and processable by said at least one data processing device, wherein said instructions are configured for enabling said at least one data processing device to facilitate;

accessing an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request message designating a target Internet Protocol (IP) address in response to the ARP request message being received on the logical access port;

issuing an ARP reply message associating the target IP address with a Media Access (MAC) address of the application server in response to successful correlation of the target IP address with an IP address assigned to the application server; and

redirecting to the application server an data packet received on the logical access port in response to a destination address of the data packet corresponding to one of an IP address and MAC address of the application server.

10. The access node of claim 9 wherein said issuing includes determining the MAC address in response to accessing the ARP request message.

11. The access node of claim 9 wherein:

said instructions are further configured for enabling said at least one data processing device to facilitate providing redirection filtering functionality for the access port;

said providing redirection filtering functionality includes specifying conditional information for a data redirection filter and specifying conditional information for an ARP redirection filter.

12. The access node of claim 11, wherein:

said specifying conditional information for the data redirection filter includes specify that a data packet received on the access port is directed to the application server when a Destination MAC address of the data packet corresponds to the MAC address of the application server or when a Destination IP address of the data packet corresponds to the IP address of the application server; and

said specifying conditional information of the ARP redirection filter includes specify that an ARP reply message is issued when a target IP address of an ARP request message received on the access port corresponds to the IP address of the application server.

13. The access node of claim 12 wherein said instructions are further configured for enabling said at least one data processing device to facilitate:

assigning the IP address of the application server to the application server, wherein the IP address of the application server is in a same IP subnet as the IP address of the client premise equipment (CPE) having access to the logical access port; and

assigning the MAC address of the application server, wherein the MAC address of the application server is coupled to the IP address assigned to the application server.

14. The access node of claim 9 wherein said instructions are further configured for enabling said at least one data processing device to facilitate:

assigning the IP address of the application server to the application server, wherein the IP address of the application server is in a same IP subnet as the IP address of the client premise equipment (CPE) having access to the logical access port; and

assigning the MAC address of the application server, wherein the MAC address of the application server is coupled to the IP address assigned to the application server.

15. The access node of claim 14 wherein said instructions are further configured for enabling said at least one data processing device to facilitate:

sending a message from the application server to an appropriate logical access port in response to the redirection filter module determining the appropriate access port.

16. The access node of claim 15 wherein said determining includes assessing a destination MAC address designated in the message sent from the application server.

17. An access node, comprising:

an application server;

a logical access port coupled to the application server; and

a redirection filter module coupled to the logical access port, wherein the redirection filter module includes a data redirection filter and an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) redirection filter.

18. The access node of claim 17 wherein:

the data redirection filter facilitates a data packet received on the access port being directed to the application server when a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the data packet corresponds to a MAC address of the application server or when a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address of the data packet corresponds to an IP address of the application server; and

the ARP redirection filter facilitates an ARP reply message being issued when a target IP address of an ARP request message received on the access port corresponds to the IP address of the application server.

19. The access node of claim 18 wherein:

the IP address of the application server is in a same IP subnet as the IP address of the client premise equipment (CPE) having access to the logical access port; and

the MAC address of the application server is coupled to the IP address assigned to the application server.