Systems and methods for configuring a network to include redundant upstream connections using an upstream control protocol
First Claim
1. A network, comprising:
- a primary upstream node associated with a predetermined type of traffic;
a secondary upstream node associated with the predetermined type of traffic, wherein the secondary upstream node is communicatively coupled to the primary upstream node; and
a plurality of traffic nodes communicatively coupled to the primary upstream node and to the secondary upstream node, wherein;
each of the plurality of traffic nodes comprises a plurality of ports;
the primary upstream node is configured to transmit a plurality of periodic indicator messages to each of the plurality of traffic nodes and to the secondary upstream node indicating that the primary upstream node currently is operating as a master upstream node for the network with respect to the predetermined type of traffic; and
for each of the plurality of traffic nodes, at least one port of the plurality of ports that receives a most recent one of the plurality of periodic indicator messages from the master upstream node is configured to operate as a master upstream port for the traffic node with respect to the predetermined type of traffic, wherein all packets of information that are associated with the predetermined type of traffic and that are transmitted by the traffic node are transmitted via the master upstream port.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network includes a primary upstream node associated with a predetermined type of traffic, and a secondary upstream node that is associated with the predetermined type of traffic and is communicatively coupled to the primary upstream node. The network also includes a plurality of traffic nodes communicatively coupled to the primary upstream node and to the secondary upstream node, and each of the plurality of traffic nodes includes a plurality of ports. The primary upstream node is configured to transmit a plurality of periodic indicator messages to each of the plurality of traffic nodes and to the secondary upstream node indicating that the primary upstream node currently is operating as a master upstream node for the network with respect to the predetermined type of traffic. Moreover, for each of the plurality of traffic nodes, a port of the plurality of ports that receives a most recent one of the plurality of periodic indicator messages from the master upstream node is configured to operate as a master upstream port for the traffic node with respect to the predetermined type of traffic.
30 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A network, comprising:
-
a primary upstream node associated with a predetermined type of traffic; a secondary upstream node associated with the predetermined type of traffic, wherein the secondary upstream node is communicatively coupled to the primary upstream node; and a plurality of traffic nodes communicatively coupled to the primary upstream node and to the secondary upstream node, wherein; each of the plurality of traffic nodes comprises a plurality of ports; the primary upstream node is configured to transmit a plurality of periodic indicator messages to each of the plurality of traffic nodes and to the secondary upstream node indicating that the primary upstream node currently is operating as a master upstream node for the network with respect to the predetermined type of traffic; and for each of the plurality of traffic nodes, at least one port of the plurality of ports that receives a most recent one of the plurality of periodic indicator messages from the master upstream node is configured to operate as a master upstream port for the traffic node with respect to the predetermined type of traffic, wherein all packets of information that are associated with the predetermined type of traffic and that are transmitted by the traffic node are transmitted via the master upstream port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A method of configuring a network to include redundant upstream connections, wherein the network comprises a plurality of nodes, and each of the nodes comprise a plurality of ports, the method comprising:
-
selecting a primary upstream node associated with a predetermined type of traffic from the plurality of nodes; selecting a secondary upstream node associated with the predetermined type of traffic from the plurality of nodes, wherein the secondary upstream node is communicatively coupled to the primary upstream node, and a remainder of the plurality of nodes not selected as the primary upstream node or the secondary upstream node comprise a plurality of traffic nodes communicatively coupled to the primary upstream node and to the secondary upstream node; transmitting a plurality of periodic indicator messages from the primary upstream node to each of the plurality of traffic nodes and to the secondary upstream node indicating that the primary upstream node currently is operating as a master upstream node for the network with respect to the predetermined type of traffic; for each of the plurality of traffic nodes, designating at least one port of the plurality of ports that receives a most recent one of the plurality of periodic indicator messages from the master upstream node as a master upstream port for the traffic node with respect to the predetermined type of traffic; and at each of the plurality of traffic nodes, transmitting all packets of information that are associated with the predetermined type of traffic via the master upstream port. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A software arrangement, which, when executed by a processing system, is operable to configure a network to include redundant upstream connections, wherein the network comprises a plurality of nodes, and each of the nodes comprise a plurality of ports, wherein the processing system is operable to:
-
select a primary upstream node associated with a predetermined type of traffic from the plurality of nodes; select a secondary upstream node associated with the predetermined type of traffic from the plurality of nodes, wherein the secondary upstream node is communicatively coupled to the primary upstream node, and a remainder of the plurality of nodes not selected as the primary upstream node or the secondary upstream node comprise a plurality of traffic nodes communicatively coupled to the primary upstream node and to the secondary upstream node; transmit a plurality of periodic indicator messages from the primary upstream node to each of the plurality of traffic nodes and to the secondary upstream node indicating that the primary upstream node currently is operating as a master upstream node for the network with respect to the predetermined type of traffic; for each of the plurality of traffic nodes, designate at least one port of the plurality of ports that receives a most recent one of the plurality of periodic indicator messages from the master upstream node as a master upstream port for the traffic node with respect to the predetermined type of traffic; and at each of the plurality of traffic nodes, transmit all packets of information that are associated with the predetermined type of traffic via the master upstream port. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A network, comprising:
-
a first upstream node; a second upstream node communicatively coupled to the first upstream node; and a traffic node communicatively coupled to the first upstream node and to the second upstream node, wherein; the traffic node comprises a plurality of ports; the first upstream node is configured to transmit a plurality of periodic indicator messages to the traffic node and to the second upstream node indicating that the first upstream node currently is operating as a master upstream node for the network; and a port of the plurality of ports that receives a most recent one of the plurality of periodic indicator messages from the master upstream node is configured to operate as a master upstream port for the traffic node. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A network, comprising:
-
a master upstream node; and a traffic node communicatively coupled to the master upstream node, wherein the traffic node comprises a plurality of ports, the master upstream node is configured to transmit a plurality of periodic messages to the traffic node, and a port of the plurality of ports that receives a most recent one of the plurality of periodic messages from the master upstream node is configured to operate as a master upstream port for the traffic node. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
Specification