ACCESS MULTIPLEXER

• US 20070140119A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Cetin, Riza, Peeters, Ronny
• Application Number:
  US11/611,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20070140119A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2881 IP/Ethernet DSLAM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4645 Details on frame tagging routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation

Abstract

In access multiplexers (1) comprising network interfaces (22) for interfacing network links (12) with network units (2) and comprising customer interfaces (23-25) for interfacing customer links (13-15) with customer units (3-5) and comprising coupling means (31) for coupling the interfaces (22-25), allocating means (32) are introduced for allocating Medium Access Control addresses to Internet Protocol sessions and controlling means (30) are introduced for controlling the access multiplexers (1) in dependence of allocations, for increasing efficiencies. The customer units (3-5) form part of one subnet (10). The network links (12) comprise Ethernet connections defined by Virtual Local Area Network tags per subnet (10). The allocating means (32) comprise relating means (33) for relating combinations of Virtual Local Area Network tags and Medium Access Control addresses to session identifications of the Internet Protocol sessions, with the allocations comprising relationships. The customer links (13-15) comprise Asynchronous Transfer Mode connections or Ethernet connections.

Claims

1. Access multiplexer (1) comprising a network interface (22) for interfacing a network link (12) with a network unit (2) and comprising a customer interface (23) for interfacing a customer link (13) with a customer unit (3) and comprising means (31) for coupling the network interface (22) and the customer interface (23), characterized in that the access multiplexer (1) comprises means (32) for allocating a Medium Access Control address to an Internet Protocol session and comprises means (30) for controlling the access multiplexer (1) in dependence of an allocation.

2. Access multiplexer (1) as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the Medium Access Control address of the Internet Protocol session is an internal Medium Access Control address that is a destination address in a downstream direction from the network unit (2) to the access multiplexer (1) and that is a source address in an upstream direction from the access multiplexer (1) to the network unit (2).

3. Access multiplexer (1) as defined in claim 2, characterized in that the coupling means (31) comprise a cross connect per subnet (10), the customer unit (3) forming part of the subnet (10).

4. Access multiplexer (1) as defined in claim 3, characterized in that the network link (12) comprises an Ethernet connection defined by a Virtual Local Area Network tag per subnet (10).

5. Access multiplexer (1) as defined in claim 4, characterized in that the allocating means (32) comprise means (33) for relating a combination of a Virtual Local Area Network tag and a Medium Access Control address to a session identification of the Internet Protocol session and in that the allocation comprises a relationship originating from the relating means (33).

6. Access multiplexer (1) as defined in claim 5, characterized in that the customer link (13, 14) comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode connection or an Ethernet connection.

7. Means (32, 33) as defined in claim 1 for use in an access multiplexer (1).

8. Method for use in an access multiplexer (1) comprising a network interface (22) for interfacing a network link (12) with a network unit (2) and comprising a customer interface (23) for interfacing a customer link (13) with a customer unit (3) and comprising means (31) for coupling the network interface (22) and the customer interface (23), characterized in that the method comprises a first method step of allocating a Medium Access Control address to an Internet Protocol session the customer interfaces (23, 24) and comprises a second method step of controlling the access multiplexer (1) in dependence of an allocation.

9. Computer program product for performing the method steps of the method as defined in claim 8.

10. Medium comprising the computer program product as defined in claim 9.