ADDRESS ASSIGNMENT PROTOCOL

• US 20090157854A1
• Filed: 12/10/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Balandin, Sergey, Gillet, Michel
• Granted Patent: US 9,571,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a method comprising receiving, at a node, an address assignment message, allocating, by the node, a predetermined address interval of an available address space to a respective port of the node which predetermined address interval is defined in the address assignment message, and assigning at least one address for performing communication via a respective port starting with a center address of the predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for the port concerned. Further, exemplary embodiments of the present invention also relate to respective devices and system.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a node, an address assignment message;

allocating, by the node, a predetermined address interval of an available address space to a respective port of the node which predetermined address interval is defined in the address assignment message,

assigning at least one address for performing communication via a respective port starting with a center address of the predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for the port concerned.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding, by the node, the address assignment message via each of its ports which are distinct from the port at which the address assignment message has been received.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

evaluating, at the node, whether the predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for a respective port is sufficient for assigning at least one individual address to each respective other node connected to this port of the node, and

if the node evaluates that the allocated predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for a respective port is not sufficient, requesting assignment of at least one additional address from at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one other port of the node.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein

if the node evaluates that the allocated predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for a respective port is not sufficient, the assignment of at least one additional address is preferentially requested from at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one other port adjacent to the respective port of the node.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

determining, at the node, whether at least one non-assigned address is available in the at least one predetermined address interval allocated to the at least one other port of the node, and

if it is determined that at least one non-assigned address is available in the at least one predetermined address interval allocated to the other port of the node, assigning that at least one non-assigned address as the at least one additional address for performing communication via the respective port for which it was evaluated that the predetermined address interval allocated thereto is not sufficient.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

if it is determined that at least one non-assigned address is not available in the at least one predetermined address interval allocated to the other port of the node, requesting assignment of at least one additional address from at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one respective port of another node having a higher level in hierarchy than itself.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

determining, at the other node, whether at least one non-assigned address is available in the at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one respective port of the other node having a higher level in hierarchy, and

if it is determined that at least one non-assigned address is available in the at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one respective port of the other node having a higher level in hierarchy, assigning that at least one non-assigned address as the at least one additional address for performing communication via the respective port of the node for which it was evaluated that the predetermined address interval allocated thereto is not sufficient.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein

determining whether at least one non-assigned address is available in the at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one respective port of the other node having a higher level in hierarchy is based on a report of address space usage provided from nodes other than the node requesting assignment of an additional address having a lower level in hierarchy than the other node.

9. A node, comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive an address assignment message;

an allocating unit configured to allocate a predetermined address interval of an available address space to a respective port which predetermined address interval is defined in the address assignment message;

an assigning unit configured to assign at least one address for performing communication via a respective port, starting with a center address of the predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for the port concerned.

10. The node according to claim 9, further comprising:

a forwarding unit configured to forward the address assignment message via each of its ports which are distinct from the port at which the address assignment message has been received.

11. The node according to claim 10, further comprising

a evaluating unit configured to evaluate whether the predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for a respective port is sufficient for assigning at least one individual address to each respective other node connected to this port of the node, and

a requesting unit configured to request, if the evaluating unit evaluates that the allocated predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for a respective port is not sufficient, assignment of at least one additional address from at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one other port of the node.

12. The node according to claim 11, wherein

the requesting unit is further configured to request, if the evaluating unit evaluates that the allocated predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for a respective port is not sufficient, assignment of at least one additional address from at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one other port adjacent to the respective port of the node.

13. The node according to claim 12, further comprising:

a determining unit configured to determine whether at least one non-assigned address is available in the at least one predetermined address interval allocated to the at least one other port of the node, and

if it is determined that at least one non-assigned address is available in the at least one predetermined address interval allocated to the at least one other port of the node, the assigning unit is further configured to assign the at least one non-assigned address as the at least one additional address for performing communication via the respective port for which it was evaluated that the predetermined address interval allocated thereto is not sufficient.

14. The node according to claim 13, wherein

if it is determined that at least one non-assigned address is not available in the at least one predetermined address interval allocated to the at least one other port of the node, the requesting unit is further configured to request assignment of at least one additional address from at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one respective port of another node having a higher level in hierarchy than itself.

15. The node according to claim 11, wherein

the transceiver is further configured to receive a request for an assignment of at least one additional address from at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one respective port from a node having a lower level in hierarchy for which it was evaluated that the predetermined address interval allocated thereto is not sufficient.

16. The node according to claim 13, wherein

the determining unit is further configured to determine whether at least one non-assigned address is available in the at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one respective port, and

if it is determined that at least one non-assigned address is available in the at least one predetermined address interval allocated to the at least one respective port, the assigning unit is further configured to assign the at least one non-assigned address as the at least one additional address for performing communication via the respective port of the node having a lower level in hierarchy for which it was evaluated that the predetermined address interval allocated thereto is not sufficient.

17. The node according to claim 16, wherein

the transceiver is further configured to send and to receive reports of address space usage and the determining whether at least one non-assigned address is available in at least one predetermined address interval allocated to the at least one respective port is based on a report of address space usage provided from nodes other than the node requesting assignment of at least one additional address having a lower level in hierarchy.

18. A system, comprising:

a first node, at least one second node and at least one third node;

the first node comprising;

a sending unit configured to send an address assignment message to the at least one second node attached to the first node;

the at least one second node comprising;

a transceiver configured to receive an address assignment message;

an allocating unit configured to allocate a predetermined address interval of an available address space to a respective port which predetermined address interval is defined in the address assignment message;

an assigning unit configured to assign at least one address for performing communication via a respective port with the at least one third node attached to the respective port, starting with a center address of the predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for the port concerned.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein

the first node is a host,

the at least one second node is a switch, and

the at least one third node is a client.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the system is a system area network.

21. A computer program product including a program for a processing device, comprising software code portions for performing the steps of

receiving an address assignment message;

allocating a predetermined address interval of an available address space to a respective port of the node which predetermined address interval is defined in the address assignment message,

assigning at least one address for performing communication via a respective port starting with a center address of the predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for the port concerned.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21, further comprising software code portions for performing the steps of:

forwarding the address assignment message via each of its ports which are distinct from the port at which the address assignment message has been received.

23. The computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising software code portions for performing the steps of:

evaluating whether the predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for a respective port is sufficient for assigning at least one individual address to each respective other node connected to this port of the node, and

if it is evaluated that the allocated predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for a respective port is not sufficient, requesting assignment of at least one additional address from at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one other port of the node.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein

if it is evaluated that the allocated predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for a respective port is not sufficient, the assignment of at least one additional address is preferentially requested from at least one predetermined address interval allocated to at least one other port adjacent to the respective port of the node.

25. A computer readable medium storing a computer program product according to claim 21.

26. A node, comprising:

a transceiver means for receiving an address assignment message;

an allocating means for allocating a predetermined address interval of an available address space to a respective port which predetermined address interval is defined in the address assignment message;

an assigning means for assigning at least one address for performing communication via a respective port, starting with a center address of the predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for the port concerned.

27. A system, comprising:

a first node, at least one second node and at least one third node;

the first node comprising;

a sending means for sending an address assignment message to the at least one second node attached to the first node;

the at least one second node comprising;

a transceiver means for receiving an address assignment message;

an allocating means for allocating a predetermined address interval of an available address space to a respective port which predetermined address interval is defined in the address assignment message;

an assigning means for assigning at least one address for performing communication via a respective port with the at least one third node attached to the respective port, starting with a center address of the predetermined address interval of the available address space allocated for the port concerned.