BROADBAND NETWORK ACCESS

• US 20110246663A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Andersen, Ole Helleberg, Karkov, Jorgen, Melsen, Torben
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/659 Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A method and Access Network Node for handling dissimilar protocols when a Host accesses a Broadband Network. The Access Network Node includes a protocol converter for interworking between the Neighbor Discovery (ND) protocol and the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). When an ND Router Solicitation message is received from a Host that does not support DHCP, the converter converts the ND message to a DHCP Solicit message and forwards it to a Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) together with a port ID. When the Access Network Node receives a DHCP Reply message from the BNG destined for the same Host, the converter converts the DHCP Reply message to an ND Router Advertisement message before sending it to the Host.

Claims

1. A method of handling dissimilar protocols when a Host accesses a Broadband Network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving in an Access Network Node, an initial discovery request from the Host;

determining by the Access Network Node whether the initial discovery request is formatted in a protocol that allows a port identity to be conveyed to a gateway in the Broadband Network;

upon determining the initial discovery request is formatted in the protocol that allows a port identity to be conveyed to the gateway, forwarding the initial discovery request with the port identity from the Access Network Node to the gateway;

upon determining the initial discovery request is not formatted in the protocol that allows the port identity to be conveyed to the gateway;

converting by the Access Network Node, the initial discovery request to a modified discovery request formatted in the protocol that allows the port identity to be conveyed to the gateway; and

sending the modified discovery request with the port identity from the Access Network Node to the gateway.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the initial discovery request is a Neighbor Discovery (ND) Router Solicitation request; and

the modified discovery request is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Solicit message.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving in the Access Network Node, an initial reply message from the gateway;

determining by the Access Network Node whether the initial reply message is formatted in a protocol compatible with the Host;

upon determining the initial reply message is formatted in the protocol compatible with the Host, forwarding the initial reply message from the Access Network Node to the Host;

upon determining the initial reply message is not formatted in the protocol compatible with the Host;

converting by the Access Network Node, the initial reply message to a modified reply message formatted in the protocol compatible with the Host; and

sending the modified reply message from the Access Network Node to the Host.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein:

the initial reply message is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Reply message; and

the modified reply message is a Neighbor Discovery (ND) Router Advertisement message.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the initial reply message includes a Lifetime indication, and the step of converting the initial reply message to a modified reply message includes the step of the Access Network Node including in the modified reply message, a modified Lifetime indication shorter than the Lifetime indication received in the initial reply message.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the receiving step includes receiving in the Access Network Node, a Neighbor Discovery (ND) Router Solicitation request from the Host;

the converting step includes utilizing an Interworking Function, IWF, in the Access Network Node to convert the ND Router Solicitation request to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Solicit message; and

the sending step includes sending the DHCP Solicit message with a port identity from the Access Network Node to a Broadband Network Gateway, BNG;

wherein the method further comprises the steps of;

receiving in the Access Network Node, a DHCP Reply message from the BNG;

utilizing the IWF in the Access Network Node to convert the DHCP Reply message to an ND Router Advertisement message; and

sending the ND Router Advertisement message from the Access Network Node to the Host.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a rapid commit procedure is not utilized, and the method also includes, after sending the DHCP Solicit message with a port identity to the BNG, the steps of:

receiving in the Access Network Node, a DHCP Advertise message from the BNG; and

sending a DHCP Request message from the Access Network Node to the BNG in response to the DHCP Advertise message.

8. An Access Network Node for handling dissimilar protocols when a Host accesses a Broadband Network, said Access Network Node comprising:

a message analyzer for determining whether an initial discovery request received from the Host is formatted in a protocol that allows a port identity to be conveyed to a gateway in the Broadband Network; and

an interworking function for converting the initial discovery request to a modified discovery request formatted in the protocol that allows the port identity to be conveyed to the gateway, when the message analyzer determines that the initial discovery request is not formatted in the protocol that allows the port identity to be conveyed to the gateway.

9. The Access Network Node according to claim 8, wherein the initial discovery request is formatted in the protocol that allows the port identity to be conveyed to the gateway, and the Access Network Node is adapted to forward the initial discovery request with the port identity to the gateway without conversion.

10. The Access Network Node according to claim 9, wherein:

the initial discovery request is a Neighbor Discovery (ND) Router Solicitation request; and

the modified discovery request is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Solicit message.

11. The Access Network Node according to claim 8, wherein:

the message analyzer also includes means for determining whether an initial reply message received from the gateway is formatted in a protocol compatible with the Host; and

the interworking function includes means for converting the initial reply message to a modified reply message formatted in the protocol compatible with the Host.

12. The Access Network Node according to claim 11, wherein:

the initial reply message is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Reply message; and

the modified reply message is a Neighbor Discovery (ND) Router Advertisement message.