Change of subscriber information in a multi-chassis network access environment

• US 20080183769A1
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Cuervo, Fernando, Regan, Joseph M., Haberman, Ron E., Vrana, Miroslav, Farid, Hamdy
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Managing subscriber host information is disclosed. A new or updated information about a subscriber host is received. It is determined whether the subscriber host is associated with a multi-chassis peering. If it is determined that the subscriber host is associated with a multi-chassis peering, the new or updated information is propagated to a peer chassis associated with the multi-chassis peering.

Claims

1. A method of managing subscriber host information, comprising:

receiving a new or updated information about a subscriber host;

determining whether the subscriber host is associated with a multi-chassis peering; and

in the event it is determined that the subscriber host is associated with a multi-chassis peering, propagating the new or updated information to a peer chassis associated with the multi-chassis peering.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving a new or updated information about a subscriber host comprises extracting information from a monitored DHCP lease communication.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving a new or updated information about a subscriber host comprises retrieving information from a RADIUS server or other external repository of subscriber host information.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of propagating is not performed with respect to subscriber host information received from a sending peer chassis included in said multi-chassis peering.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising enabling a subscriber management functionality with respect to said subscriber host.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said subscriber host information is propagated to said peer chassis via a communication path associated with said multi-chassis peering.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said communication path has associated with it an IP or other address specific to the multi-chassis peering.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the new or updated information indicates a change of authorization with respect to the subscriber host.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the new or updated information indicates a change in a service level to be provided with respect to the subscriber host.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining whether the subscriber host is associated with a multi-chassis peering comprises determining whether a “

q tag”

or other identifier associated with a port or circuit with which the subscriber host is associated is associated with a multi-chassis peering.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multi-chassis peering is one of a plurality of multi-chassis peerings, each associated with a different set of one or more peer chassis.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein a separate peering-specific communication path is associated with each of at least a subset of said plurality of multi-chassis peerings.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication to transition from an active state to a standby state with respect to the subscriber host.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising continuing to propagate to said peer chassis, while in the standby state, new or updated subscriber host information received subsequent to entering the standby state, in the event it is determined that the subscriber host is associated with the multi-chassis peering.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, in the event the subscriber host is associated with the multi-chassis peering, configuring the peer chassis to associate with a communication port with which the subscriber host is associated at the peer chassis a tag or other identifier associated with the multi-chassis peering.

16. A network provider equipment, comprising:

an inter-chassis communication interface; and

a processor coupled to the inter-chassis communication interface and configured to;

receive a new or updated information about a subscriber host;

determine whether the subscriber host is associated with a multi-chassis peering; and

in the event it is determined that the subscriber host is associated with a multi-chassis peering, propagate to a peer chassis associated with the multi-chassis peering, via the inter-chassis communication interface, the new or updated information.

17. A system as recited in claim 16, further comprising a second communication interface associated with the subscriber host.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the second communication interface has associated with it a q tag or other identifier associated with the multi-chassis peering and it is determined based at least in part on the q tag or other identifier that the subscriber host is associated with the multi-chassis peering.

19. A system as recited in claim 16, further comprising a storage configured to store the new or updated subscriber host information.

20. A computer program product for managing subscriber information, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a new or updated information about a subscriber host;

determining whether the subscriber host is associated with a multi-chassis peering; and

in the event it is determined that the subscriber host is associated with a multi-chassis peering, propagating the new or updated information to a peer chassis associated with the multi-chassis peering.