Asynchronous digital subscriber line (ADSL) resource planning

• US 20090046722A1
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tang, Hary
• Granted Patent: US 7,688,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13039 Asymmetrical two-way transmission, e.g. ADSL, HDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0083 Network planning or design; Modelling of planned or existing networks

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to assign permanent virtual circuits (PVC) to subscribers are disclosed. A disclosed example method to assign a PVC to a subscriber comprises obtaining a parameter representative of a port associated with the subscriber, computing a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for the PVC from the parameter, and storing the virtual circuit identifier in association with the PVC.

Claims

1. A method to assign a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) to a subscriber, the method comprising:

obtaining a parameter representative of a port associated with the subscriber;

computing a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for the PVC from the parameter; and

storing the virtual circuit identifier in association with the PVC.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the port comprises at least one of a port of a remote access multiplexer (RAM) via which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled to the RAM, or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) port via which the subscriber is communicatively coupled to the DSLAM.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein, when the port comprises a remote access multiplexer (RAM) port associated with a RAM to which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled, computing the VCI for the PVC comprises:

subtracting one from the parameter to form a first value;

computing a product of the first value and a number of ports of the RAM to; and

adding the product, a second value and an offset to form the VCI, the second value representing a port of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to which the RAM is communicatively coupled.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein, when the port comprises a digital subscriber line access multiplexer port to which a remote access multiplexer (RAM) is communicatively coupled, computing the VCI for the PVC comprises:

subtracting one from a first value to form a second value, the first value representing a second port of the RAM to which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled;

computing a product of the second value and a number of ports of the RAM; and

adding the product, the parameter and an offset to form the VCI, wherein.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein, when the port comprises a remote access multiplexer (RAM) port associated with a RAM to which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled, computing the VCI for the PVC comprises:

subtracting one from the parameter to form a first value;

computing a remainder of a division of the first value and a second value, the second value being selected to avoid duplicate assignment of VCI values;

subtracting one from the remainder to form a third value,

computing a product of the third value and a number of ports of the RAM; and

adding the product, a fourth value and an offset to form the VCI, the fourth value representing a port of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to which the RAM is communicatively coupled.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising configuring a remote access multiplexer and a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to implement the PVC for the subscriber.

7. A system to assign a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) to a subscriber, the system comprising:

a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM);

a remote access multiplexer (RAM) communicatively coupled to the DSLAM via a first port of the DSLAM; and

a network management system (NMS) to compute a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for assignment to the PVC, the NMS to compute the VCI based on a first identifier associated with the first port and a second identifier associated with a second port of the RAM with which the subscriber is associated.

8. A system as defined in claim 7, wherein the NMS is to compute the VCI by:

subtracting a constant from the first identifier to form a first value;

computing a product of the first value and a number of ports of the RAM; and

adding the product, the second identifier and an offset to form the VCI.

9. A system as defined in claim 7, wherein the NMS is to compute the VCI by:

comparing the first identifier to a threshold; and

when the first identifier is greater than the threshold;

subtracting a constant from the first identifier to form a first value;

subtracting one from the threshold to form a second value;

computing a remainder of a division of the first and second values;

subtracting one from the remainder to form a third value,

computing a product of the third value and a number of ports implemented by the RAM; and

adding the product, the second identifier and an offset to form the VCI.

10. A system as defined in claim 7, further comprising an element management system to configure the RAM and the DSLAM to implement the PVC for the subscriber.

11. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to assign a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) to a subscriber by:

obtaining a parameter representative of a port associated with the subscriber;

computing a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for the PVC from the parameter; and

storing the virtual circuit identifier in association with the PVC.

12. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 11, wherein the port comprises at least one of a port of a remote access multiplexer (RAM) via which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled to the RAM, or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) port via which the subscriber is communicatively coupled to the DSLAM.

13. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 11, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to, when the port comprises a remote access multiplexer (RAM) port associated with a RAM to which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled, compute the VCI for the PVC by:

subtracting one from the parameter to form a first value;

computing a product of the first value and a number of ports of the RAM to; and

adding the product, a second value and an offset to form the VCI, the second value representing a port of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to which the RAM is communicatively coupled.

14. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 11, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to, when the port comprises a digital subscriber line access multiplexer port to which a remote access multiplexer (RAM) is communicatively coupled, compute the VCI for the PVC by:

subtracting one from a first value to form a second value, the first value representing a second port of the RAM to which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled;

computing a product of the second value and a number of ports of the RAM; and

adding the product, the parameter and an offset to form the VCI, wherein.

15. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 11, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to configure a remote access multiplexer and a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to implement the PVC for the subscriber.