PROVISIONING NETWORK DEVICES IN ETHERNET-BASED ACCESS NETWORKS

• US 20120093508A1
• Filed: 04/25/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Calix Incorporated
• Inventors: Baykal, Berkay, Missett, Shaun N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,025,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2881 IP/Ethernet DSLAM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2885 Arrangements interfacing with optical systems optical network equipment H04B10/00; optical multiplexers H04J14/05 and H04J14/07
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint

Abstract

In general, techniques are described for provisioning network devices in an Ethernet-based access network. For example, an access node located in an Ethernet-based access network positioned intermediate to a back office network and a customer network may implement the techniques. The access node comprises a control unit that discovers a demarcation point device that terminates the access network of the service provider network at the customer network. The control unit of the access node implements an Ethernet protocol to provide layer two network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network, authenticates the demarcation point device based on a unique identifier assigned to the demarcation point device and, after successfully authenticating the demarcation point device, provisions the demarcation point device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

discovering, with an access node located in an access network of a service provider network, a demarcation point device that terminates the access network of the service provider network at a customer network and transfers data between a first physical communication medium used within the access network to communicate the data and a second physical communication medium used within the customer network to communicate the data, wherein the access network implements an Ethernet protocol to provide layer two (L2) network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network;

authenticating, with the access node, the demarcation point device based on a unique identifier assigned to the demarcation point device; and

after successfully authenticating the demarcation point device, provisioning the demarcation point device with the access node.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the access network includes at least one optical fiber link that connects the access node to the demarcation point device, and

wherein the access node implements the Ethernet protocol in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3ah standard over the at least one optical fiber link to provide layer two (L2) network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network,

wherein the access node comprises an optical line terminal (OLT), and

wherein the demarcation point device comprises an optical network terminal (ONT).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein provisioning the demarcation point device comprises:

establishing a first communication session between the access node and the demarcation point device, wherein the access node terminates the first communication session;

in response to establishing the communication session, establishing a second communication session with the access node between the access node and a provisioning system located remote from the access network in the service provider network;

receiving a first request from the demarcation point device via the first communication session that requests provisioning data;

generating a second request that requests the provisioning data with the access node in response to receiving the first request;

transmitting the second request with the access node via the second communication session to the provisioning system;

receiving the provisioning data from the provisioning system via the second communication session; and

forwarding the provisioning data to the demarcation point device via the first communication session to provision the demarcation point device.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein establishing the first communication session comprises establishing the first communication session between the access node and the demarcation point device in accordance with a first protocol,

wherein establishing the second communication session comprises establishing the second communication session with the access node between the access node and the provisioning system in accordance with a second protocol, and

wherein the first and second protocols are different from one another.

5. The method of claim 3,

wherein the provisioning data comprises configuration data used to configure both the access node and the demarcation point device to deliver one or more services to the customer network, and

wherein the method further comprises:

provisioning the access node using a portion of the configuration data used for configuring the access node so as to configure the access node to deliver the one or more services to the customer network, and

wherein forwarding the provisioning data comprises forwarding a portion of the configuration data not used to configure the access node to the demarcation point device.

6. The method of claim 3,

wherein the demarcation point device does not support network-wide layer three (L3) addressability, and

wherein the access node provides a provisioning bridge between the provisioning system and the demarcation point device so that the provisioning system is able to provision the demarcation point device despite the lack of support for network-wide L3 addressability by the demarcation point device.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein provisioning the demarcation point device comprises provisioning the demarcation point device with a link-local L3 address, and

wherein the link-local L3 address is unique within the L3 address pool assigned for use in the access network but limited for use by the demarcation point device to the access network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein provisioning the demarcation point device comprises provisioning the demarcation point device in accordance with a link-layer operation, administration and management (OAM) protocol defined in clause 57 of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) 802.3ah standard.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein provisioning the demarcation point device further comprises defining one or more type-length-value (TLV) fields to extend the link-layer OAM protocol to specify at least some portion of initial provisioning data used to provision the demarcation point device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein discovering the demarcation point device further comprises discovering the demarcation point device in accordance with a link-layer operation, administration and management (OAM) protocol defined in clause 57 of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) 802.3ah standard.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein discovering the demarcation point device further comprises defining one or more type-length-value (TLV) fields to extend the link-layer OAM protocol to specify at least some portion of device data used to discover and then authenticate the demarcation point device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the demarcation point device comprises authenticating the demarcation point device based on a layer two (L2) media access control (MAC) address assigned to the demarcation point device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a first communication session in accordance with a first protocol between the access node and the demarcation point device, wherein the access node device terminates the first communication session;

establishing a second communication session with the access node between the access node and a provisioning system located remote from the access network in the service provider network in accordance with a second protocol;

receiving service status data from the demarcation point device via the first communication session, wherein the service status data includes data regarding a status of one or more services delivered by the demarcation point device to the customer network; and

transmitting the service status data with the access node via the second communication session to the provisioning system.

14. An access node located in an access network of a service provider network positioned intermediate to a back office network of the service provider network and a customer network, the access node comprising:

a control unit that discovers a demarcation point device that terminates the access network of the service provider network at the customer network, wherein the demarcation point device transfers data between a first physical communication medium used within the access network to communicate the data and a second physical communication medium used within the customer network to communicate the data,

wherein the control unit further implements an Ethernet protocol to provide layer two (L2) network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network, authenticates the demarcation point device based on a unique identifier assigned to the demarcation point device and, after successfully authenticating the demarcation point device, provisions the demarcation point device.

15. The access node of claim 14,

wherein the access network includes at least one optical fiber link that connects the access node to the demarcation point device, and

wherein the control unit implements the Ethernet protocol in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3ah standard over the at least one optical fiber link to provide layer two (L2) network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network,

wherein the access node comprises an optical line terminal (OLT), and

wherein the demarcation point device comprises an optical network terminal (ONT).

16. The access node of claim 14, wherein the control unit includes a provisioning bridge module that establishes a first communication session between the access node and the demarcation point device, wherein the access node terminates the first communication session, in response to establishing the communication session, establishes a second communication session with the access node between the access node and a provisioning system located remote from the access network in the service provider network,

wherein the access node further comprises one or more interfaces that receive a first request from the demarcation point device via the first communication session that requests provisioning data,

wherein the provisioning bridge module generates a second request that requests the provisioning data with the access node in response to receiving the first request, and

wherein the one or more interfaces transmit the second request with the access node via the second communication session to the provisioning system, receives the provisioning data from the provisioning system via the second communication session and forwards the provisioning data to the demarcation point device via the first communication session to provision the demarcation point device.

17. The access node of claim 16,

wherein the provisioning bridge module establishes the first communication session between the access node and the demarcation point device in accordance with a first protocol, establishes the second communication session with the access node between the access node and the provisioning system in accordance with a second protocol, and

wherein the first and second protocols are different from one another.

18. The access node of claim 16,

wherein the provisioning data comprises configuration data used to configure both the access node and the demarcation point device to deliver one or more services to the customer network, and

wherein the control unit provisions the access node using a portion of the configuration data used for configuring the access node so as to configure the access node to deliver the one or more services to the customer network, and forwards a portion of the configuration data not used to configure the access node to the demarcation point device.

19. The access node of claim 16,

wherein the demarcation point device does not support network-wide layer three (L3) addressability, and

wherein the provisioning bridge module provides a provisioning bridge between the provisioning system and the demarcation point device so that the provisioning system is able to provision the demarcation point device despite the lack of support for network-wide L3 addressability by the demarcation point device.

20. The access node of claim 14,

wherein the control unit provisions the demarcation point device with a link-local L3 address, and

wherein the link-local L3 address is unique within the L3 address pool assigned for use in the access network but limited for use by the demarcation point device to the access network.

21. The access node of claim 14, wherein the control unit provisions the demarcation point device in accordance with a link-layer operation, administration and management (OAM) protocol defined in clause 57 of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) 802.3ah standard.

22. The access node of claim 21, wherein the control unit further defines one or more type-length-value (TLV) fields to extend the link-layer OAM protocol to specify at least some portion of initial provisioning data used to provision the demarcation point device.

23. The access node of claim 14, wherein the control unit discovers the demarcation point device in accordance with a link-layer operation, administration and management (OAM) protocol defined in clause 57 of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) 802.3ah standard.

24. The access node of claim 23, wherein the control unit defines one or more type-length-value (TLV) fields to extend the link-layer OAM protocol to specify at least some portion of device data used to discover and then authenticate the demarcation point device.

25. The access node of claim 14, wherein the control unit authenticates the demarcation point device based on a layer two (L2) media access control (MAC) address assigned to the demarcation point device.

26. The access node of claim 14,

wherein the control unit further establishes a first communication session in accordance with a first protocol between the access node and the demarcation point device, wherein the access node device terminates the first communication session, and establishes a second communication session with the access node between the access node and a provisioning system located remote from the access network in the service provider network in accordance with a second protocol,

wherein the access node further comprises one or more interfaces that receive service status data from the demarcation point device via the first communication session, wherein the service status data includes data regarding a status of one or more services delivered by the demarcation point device to the customer network and transmit the service status data with the access node via the second communication session to the provisioning system.

27. A network system comprising:

a customer network; and

a service provider network that provides one or more services,

wherein the service provider network includes;

a provisioning system; and

an access network comprising an access node and a demarcation point device,

wherein the access network implements an Ethernet protocol to provide layer two (L2) network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network,

wherein the demarcation point device terminates the access network of the service provider network at the customer network and transfers data between a first physical communication medium used within the access network to communicate the data and a second physical communication medium used within the customer network to communicate the data,

wherein the access node is positioned intermediate to the provisioning system and the demarcation point device, and

wherein the access node includes a control unit that discovers the demarcation point device, authenticates the demarcation point device based on a unique identifier assigned to the demarcation point device and, after successfully authenticating the demarcation point device, provisions the demarcation point device.

28. The network system of claim 27,

wherein the access network includes at least one optical fiber link that connects the access node to the demarcation point device, and

wherein the control unit implements the Ethernet protocol in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3ah standard over the at least one optical fiber link to provide layer two (L2) network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network,

wherein the access node comprises an optical line terminal (OLT), and

wherein the demarcation point device comprises an optical network terminal (ONT).

29. The network system of claim 27, wherein the control unit includes a provisioning bridge module that establishes a first communication session between the access node and the demarcation point device, wherein the access node terminates the first communication session, in response to establishing the communication session, establishes a second communication session with the access node between the access node and the provisioning system located remote from the access network in the service provider network,

wherein the access node further comprises one or more interfaces that receive a first request from the demarcation point device via the first communication session that requests provisioning data,

wherein the provisioning bridge module generates a second request that requests the provisioning data with the access node in response to receiving the first request, and

wherein the one or more interfaces transmit the second request with the access node via the second communication session to the provisioning system, receives the provisioning data from the provisioning system via the second communication session and forwards the provisioning data to the demarcation point device via the first communication session to provision the demarcation point device.

30. The network system of claim 29,

wherein the provisioning bridge module establishes the first communication session between the access node and the demarcation point device in accordance with a first protocol, establishes the second communication session with the access node between the access node and the provisioning system in accordance with a second protocol, and

wherein the first and second protocols are different from one another.

31. The network system of claim 29,

wherein the provisioning data comprises configuration data used to configure both the access node and the demarcation point device to deliver one or more services to the customer network, and

wherein the control unit provisions the access node using a portion of the configuration data used for configuring the access node so as to configure the access node to deliver the one or more services to the customer network, and forwards a portion of the configuration data used to configure the access node to the demarcation point device.

32. The network system of claim 29,

wherein the demarcation point device does not support network-wide layer three (L3) addressability, and

wherein the provisioning bridge module provides a provisioning bridge between the provisioning system and the demarcation point device so that the provisioning system is able to provision the demarcation point device despite the lack of support for network-wide L3 addressability by the demarcation point device.

33. The network system of claim 27,

wherein the control unit provisions the demarcation point device with a link-local L3 address, and

wherein the link-local L3 address is unique within the L3 address pool assigned for use in the access network but limited for use by the demarcation point device to the access network.

34. The network system of claim 27, wherein the control unit provisions the demarcation point device in accordance with a link-layer operation, administration and management (OAM) protocol defined in clause 57 of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) 802.3ah standard.

35. The network system of claim 34, wherein the control unit further defines one or more type-length-value (TLV) fields to extend the link-layer OAM protocol to specify at least some portion of initial provisioning data used to provision the demarcation point device.

36. The network system of claim 27, wherein the control unit discovers the demarcation point device in accordance with a link-layer operation, administration and management (OAM) protocol defined in clause 57 of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) 802.3ah standard.

37. The network system of claim 36, wherein the control unit defines one or more type-length-value (TLV) fields to extend the link-layer OAM protocol to specify at least some portion of device data used to discover and then authenticate the demarcation point device.

38. The network system of claim 27, wherein the control unit authenticates the demarcation point device based on a layer two (L2) media access control (MAC) address assigned to the demarcation point device.

39. The network system of claim 27,

wherein the control unit further establishes a first communication session in accordance with a first protocol between the access node and the demarcation point device, wherein the access node device terminates the first communication session, and establishes a second communication session with the access node between the access node and the provisioning system in accordance with a second protocol,

wherein the access node further comprises one or more interfaces that receive service status data from the demarcation point device via the first communication session, wherein the service status data includes data regarding a status of one or more services delivered by the demarcation point device to the customer network and transmit the service status data with the access node via the second communication session to the provisioning system.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

discover, with an access node located in an access network of a service provider network, a demarcation point device that terminates the access network of the service provider network at a customer network and transfers data between a first physical communication medium used within the access network to communicate the data and a second physical communication medium used within the customer network to communicate the data, wherein the access network implements an Ethernet protocol to provide layer two (L2) network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network;

authenticate, with the access node, the demarcation point device based on a unique identifier assigned to the demarcation point device; and

after successfully authenticating the demarcation point device, provision the demarcation point device with the access node.

41. A method comprising:

receiving, with a demarcation point device, a layer three (L3) address for use in communicating within a service provider network, wherein the L3 address is unique within the service provider network, wherein the demarcation point device terminates an access network of the service provider network at a customer network and transfers data between a first physical communication medium used within the access network to communicate the data and a second physical communication medium used within the customer network to communicate the data, and wherein the access network implements an Ethernet protocol to provide layer two (L2) network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network;

requesting authentication with the demarcation point device directly from a provisioning system of the service provider network using L3 communications that include the L3 address;

upon being successfully authenticated in response to the authentication request, requesting configuration data with the demarcation point device directly from the provisioning system, wherein the configuration data includes first data to configure the demarcation point device and second data to configure an access node of the access network that is positioned between the demarcation point device and the provisioning system;

provisioning one or more interfaces of the demarcation point device using the first data to provide one or more services to the customer network; and

transmitting to the access node the second data for configuring the demarcation point device.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein requesting the configuration data comprises:

establishing a L3 communication session with a provisioning system located in the back office network through the access node of the access network such that the demarcation point device terminates one end of the L3 communication session and the provisioning system terminates the other end of the L3 communication session; and

requesting the configuration data via the established L3 communication session directly from the provisioning system located in the back office network.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein establishing the L3 communication session comprises establishing the L3 communication session in accordance with a secure file transfer protocol (SFTP).

44. A demarcation point device that terminates an access network of a service provider network at a customer network, the demarcation point device comprising:

one or more interfaces; and

a control unit that receives a layer three (L3) address for use in communicating within the service provider network, wherein the L3 address is unique within the service provider network, requests authentication directly from a back office network of the service provider network using L3 communication that includes the L3 address, upon being successfully authenticated in response to the authentication request, requests configuration data directly from the provisioning system, wherein the configuration data includes first data to configure the demarcation point device and second data to configure an access node of the access network that is positioned between the demarcation point device and the provisioning system and provisions the one or more interfaces of the demarcation point device using the first data to provide one or more services to the customer network,

wherein the one or more interfaces transmit the second data of the configuration data to the access node.

45. The demarcation point device of claim 44, wherein the control unit further establishes a L3 communication session with a provisioning system located in the back office network through the access node of the access network such that the demarcation point device terminates one end of the L3 communication session and the provisioning system terminates the other end of the L3 communication session and requests the configuration data via the established L3 communication session directly from the provisioning system located in the back office network.

46. The demarcation point device of claim 45, wherein the control unit establishes the L3 communication session in accordance with a secure file transfer protocol (SFTP).

47. A network system comprising:

a customer network; and

a service provider network that provides one or more services,

wherein the service provider network includes;

a provisioning system; and

an access network comprising an access node and a demarcation point device,

wherein the access network implements an Ethernet protocol to provide layer two (L2) network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network,

wherein the demarcation point device terminates the access network of the service provider network at the customer network and transfers data between a first physical communication medium used within the access network to communicate the data and a second physical communication medium used within the customer network to communicate the data,

wherein the access node is positioned intermediate to the provisioning system and the demarcation point device, and

wherein the demarcation point device comprises;

one or more interfaces; and

a control unit that receives a layer three (L3) address for use in communicating within the service provider network, wherein the L3 address is unique within the service provider network, requests authentication directly from the back office network of the service provider network using L3 communications that include the L3 address, upon being successfully authenticated in response to the authentication request, requests configuration data with the demarcation point device directly from the back office network, wherein the configuration data includes first data to configure the demarcation point device and second data to configure the access node of the access network, and provisions the one or more interfaces of the demarcation point device using the first data to provide one or more services to the customer network,

wherein the one or more interfaces transmit to the access node the second data of the configuration data for configuring the demarcation point device.

48. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

receive, with a demarcation point device, a layer three (L3) address for use in communicating within a service provider network, wherein the L3 address is unique within the service provider network, wherein the demarcation point device terminates an access network of the service provider network at a customer network and transfers data between a first physical communication medium used within the access network to communicate the data and a second physical communication medium used within the customer network to communicate the data, wherein the access network implements an Ethernet protocol to provide layer two (L2) network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network;

request authentication with the demarcation point device directly from a provisioning system of the service provider network using L3 communications that include the L3 address;

upon being successfully authenticated in response to the authentication request, request configuration data with the demarcation point device directly from the provisioning system, wherein the configuration data includes first data to configure the demarcation point device and second data to configure an access node of the access network that is positioned between the demarcation point device and the provisioning system;

using the first data, provisions one or more interfaces of the demarcation point device to provide one or more services to the customer network; and

transmit the second data of the configuration data to the access node.