Auto-provisioning of network services over an Ethernet access link

• US 20080117902A1
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vinneras, Ulf
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an Ethernet port, for connection to an Ethernet access network providing multiple different services. A plurality of local service ports are provided for connection to items of peripheral customer premises equipment (CPE), each item supporting a different, respective service. A bridge is coupled to convey data frames between the Ethernet port and the local service ports. A controller is coupled to receive via the Ethernet port at least one provisioning message indicating associations between the services and respective Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifiers, and to configure the bridge, responsively to the provisioning message, to forward the data frames received via the Ethernet port on each VLAN to a respective service port in accordance with the associations.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an Ethernet port, for connection to an Ethernet access network providing multiple different services, selected from a group of services consisting of video, telephony, and Internet data services;

a plurality of local service ports for connection to items of peripheral customer premises equipment (CPE), each item supporting a different, respective service among the multiple different services provided by the Ethernet access network;

a bridge, which is coupled to convey data frames between the Ethernet port and the local service ports; and

a controller, which is coupled to receive via the Ethernet port at least one provisioning message indicating associations between the services and respective Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifiers, and to configure the bridge, responsively to the provisioning message, to forward the data frames received via the Ethernet port on each VLAN to a respective service port in accordance with the associations.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged, upon connection of the Ethernet port to the Ethernet access network, to transmit an identification frame via the Ethernet port to the Ethernet access network, requesting the at least one provisioning message.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is arranged to transmit the identification frame and to receive the at least one provisioning message without using an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one provisioning message indicates a further VLAN to be used for management communications, and wherein the controller is arranged to configure the bridge to convey the data frames on the further VLAN to the controller.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to configure the apparatus for operation automatically, responsively to the at least one provisioning message, without human intervention other than connection of the ports to the Ethernet access network and to the items of peripheral CPE.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to transmit an acknowledgment frame via the Ethernet port to the Ethernet access network in response to receiving the at least one provisioning message.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one provisioning message comprises respective quality of service (QoS) parameters assigned to the VLAN identifiers, and wherein the controller is arranged to configure the bridge to forward the data frames associated with the different services at different, respective service levels according to the QoS parameters.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the local service ports are marked on an exterior of the apparatus to indicate the respective service that is supported by each of the local service ports.

9. A method comprising:

receiving an indication that customer premises equipment (CPE) has been connected to a port of an Ethernet access network providing multiple different services, selected from a group of services consisting of video, telephony, and data services;

responsively to the indication, transmitting via the port at least one provisioning message indicating associations between the services and respective Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifiers; and

after transmitting the at least one provisioning message, conveying from the network to the port Ethernet frames containing data provided by one or more of the services, each frame comprising a VLAN identifier in accordance with the indicated associations.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one provisioning message indicates a different VLAN identifier to be respectively associated with each of the services.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein receiving the indication comprises receiving an upstream Ethernet frame transmitted via the port by a customer premises gateway, and wherein transmitting the at least one provisioning message comprises transmitting a downstream Ethernet frame to the customer premises gateway.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the upstream and downstream Ethernet frames are transmitted without using an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one provisioning message indicates a further VLAN to be used for management communications, and comprising transmitting management frames on the further VLAN to the CPE.

14. The method according to claim 9, transmitting the at least one provisioning message comprises configuring the CPE for operation automatically, without human intervention other than connecting the CPE to the port and to peripheral equipment.

15. The method according to claim 9, and comprising receiving an acknowledgment frame via the port in response to transmitting the at least one provisioning message.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one provisioning message comprises respective quality of service (QoS) parameters assigned to the VLAN identifiers.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an indication that customer premises equipment (CPE) has been connected to a port of an Ethernet access network providing multiple different services, selected from a group of services consisting of video, telephony, and data services;

means responsive to the indication for transmitting via the port at least one provisioning message indicating associations between the services and respective Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifiers; and

means operative after transmitting the at least one provisioning message for conveying from the network to the port Ethernet frames containing data provided by one or more of the services, each frame comprising a VLAN identifier in accordance with the indicated associations.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the means for transmitting comprise an Ethernet switch, which comprises the port to which the CPE is connected.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the means for transmitting comprise an access control server (ACS), which is coupled to communicate with the port via the Ethernet access network.