SYSTEM AND METHOD TO PROVIDE MULTIPLE PRIVATE NETWORKS USING MPLS

• US 20080310424A1
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entry Point LLC
• Original Assignee: Entry Point LLC
• Inventors: Peterson, C. Robert, Herbert, Thomas F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,843,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.53
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A system and method are supplied to provide multiple private networks. The system can include an Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) interface configured to receive a plurality of data stream types from a packet switched network. A plurality of local area network ports can be configured to communicate data to local area networks. A switching process can be provided between the MPLS interface and the local area network ports. The switching process can be configured to map individual data stream types from the MPLS interface to each of the respective local area network ports. In addition, the switching process can communicate packets between the MPLS interface and the mapped local area network ports.

Claims

1. A system to provide multiple private networks, comprising:

a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) interface configured to receive a plurality of data stream types from a packet switched network;

a plurality of local area network (LAN) ports configured to communicate data to LANs; and

a switching process between the MPLS interface and the LAN ports, the switching process being configured to map individual data stream types from the MPLS interface to each of the respective LAN ports and to communicate packets between the MPLS interface and the mapped LAN ports.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the LAN ports are separate Ethernet ports.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein the individual data stream type that is bound to a single Ethernet port is a Virtual Circuit (VC) using a VC label.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein the individual data stream type that is bound to a single Ethernet port by desired Quality of Service (QoS).

5. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a user space control process configured to control settings and switching paths for the switching process.

6. A system as in claim 5, further comprising a remote management interface in communication with the user space control process.

7. A system as in claim 6, wherein the remote management interface includes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) interface and a web interface.

8. A system as in claim 1, wherein the MPLS interface further comprises a plurality of VCs through which packets are received from a Wide Area Network (WAN) network.

9. A system as in claim 1, wherein the switching process registers each LAN by port number and communicates through an operating system to each LAN.

10. A system as in claim 1, wherein the LANs are Ethernet packet switched networks.

11. A system as in claim 1, wherein the packet switched network is MPLS.

12. A system as in claim 1, wherein the switching process maps individual VC'"'"'s to Ethernet ports using Request for Comments (RFC) 4448 (EoMPLS).

13. A system as in claim 1, wherein the LAN ports are virtual network interface devices.

14. A system as in claim 1, wherein the virtual network interfaces devices are wireless LAN ports.

15. A method for interfacing with a network, comprising:

receiving a plurality of data stream types via one of a plurality of virtual circuits in an MPLS interface using a packet switched network;

mapping each data stream type from a virtual circuit to a separate LAN port; and

communicating packets in each separate data stream type from each virtual circuit through to the respectively mapped LAN port when packets are received from the MPLS interface.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein the step of communicating packets further comprises the step of transmitting each data stream type through mapped Ethernet ports.

17. A method as in claim 15, wherein the mapping each data stream type to a separate LAN further comprises the step of mapping each data stream type to a physical Ethernet Port using RFC 4448 EoMPLS.

18. A method as in claim 15, further comprising the step of switching packets from the MPLS interface to separately mapped Ethernet ports using a switching process.

19. A method as in claim 15, further comprising the step of controlling the switching process via a user space control process configured to control switching process settings.

20. A system as in claim 15, further comprising the step of receiving user input via a remote management interface in communication with the user space control process.

21. A system for interfacing between networks, comprising:

an MPLS interface configured to receive a plurality of data stream types via one of a plurality of VCs over a packet switched network;

a plurality of Ethernet ports configured to communicate data to a LAN; and

a switching process in communication with the MPLS interface and the Ethernet ports, the switching process being configured to map each of the VCs to each of the separate Ethernet ports and to forward packets between the MPLS interface and the mapped Ethernet ports.

22. A system as in claim 21, wherein the switching process maps individual VCs to individual Ethernet ports using RFC 4448 EoMPLS.

23. A system as in claim 21, further comprising a user space control process configured to control settings and input for the switching process.

24. A system as in claim 23, further comprising a remote management interface in communication with the user space control process.