METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS METHOD AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20130188646A1
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Qiantang Network Technology Company, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Beijing Qiantang Network Technology Company, Ltd.
• Inventors: Lu, Dorian, Yang, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 9,240,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• 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 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A metropolitan area network (MAN) communications method, a metropolitan area server, a node switch, a node server, and a MAN communication system for solving the incapability of an IP network in ensuring transmission quality. The communications method comprises: a piece of MAN equipment accessing a MAN, the metropolitan area server in the MAN allocating for the network accessing equipment a protocol tag and a MAN address; the MAN equipment comprising the node switch and the node server; the protocol tag being used as a description of the connection between the MAN equipment and the metropolitan area server; for each cross MAN service request, the metropolitan area server allocating a data tag of the corresponding service: the data tag being used as a description of the connection among the service node related to the service. This invention is applicable in multimedia transmission, and is capable of ensuring a stable transmission rate, thereby avoiding delays.

Claims

1. A communication method for a metropolitan area network, wherein:

the metropolitan area network is a network with a centralized control function, which comprises a metropolitan area server, a node switch and a node server, wherein the node switch is connected between the metropolitan area server and the node server;

the method comprises;

after a metropolitan area network device accesses a metropolitan area network, allocating, by a metropolitan area server with a centralized control function in the metropolitan area network, a protocol label and a metropolitan area network address to the device that accesses the network;

wherein, the metropolitan area network device comprises a node switch and a node server, the protocol label is adapted to describe a connection between the metropolitan area network device and the metropolitan area server;

allocating, by the metropolitan area server, a data label of a corresponding service to each service request across the metropolitan area network, wherein the data label is adapted to describe a connection between node servers related to the service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the protocol label from the metropolitan area network device to the metropolitan area server and the protocol label from the metropolitan area server to the metropolitan area network device are different, or the same; and

among the node servers related to the service, the data label from one node server to another node server and the data label from said another node server to said one node server are different, or the same;

wherein the label is divided into an IN label and an OUT label, wherein the IN label refers to a label by which a packet enters a metropolitan area server or a node switch, and the OUT label refers to a label by which a packet leaves the metropolitan area server or the node switch;

the IN label and the OUT label of one and the same packet are different, or the same.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, allocating by the metropolitan area server a protocol label and a metropolitan area network address after the metropolitan area network device accesses the metropolitan area network comprises:

sending, by the metropolitan area server, metropolitan area query label packets to all downlink ports thereof, wherein each metropolitan area query label packet contains a standby protocol label allocated by the metropolitan area server;

receiving, by a certain metropolitan area network device after being powered on, the metropolitan area query label packet sent by the metropolitan area server, and then returning a metropolitan area reply label packet to the metropolitan area server, wherein the metropolitan area reply label packet contains a serial number of the metropolitan area network device and a port number of a port that receives the metropolitan area query label packet;

verifying, by the metropolitan area server according to the serial number in the metropolitan area reply label packet after receiving the packet, whether the metropolitan area network device is registered, and if the metropolitan area network device is registered, sending a network access command to the port of the metropolitan area network device that receives the metropolitan area query label packet, wherein the network access command contains a metropolitan area network address allocated by the metropolitan area server to the metropolitan area network device and the standby protocol label; and

returning, by the corresponding port of the metropolitan area network device, a network access command reply after receiving the network access command, and the metropolitan area network device accessing the metropolitan area network;

wherein, the metropolitan area network device is a node switch or a node server

when there exist multiple connections between one and the same metropolitan area network device and the metropolitan area server, a plurality of ports of said one and the same metropolitan area network device will receive a plurality of metropolitan area query label packets, wherein the standby protocol label in each metropolitan area query label packet is different; and

the metropolitan area server sends a plurality of network access commands to the plurality of ports of one and the same metropolitan area network device via a plurality of different protocol labels, and the metropolitan area network address allocated to the metropolitan area network device in each network access command is the same.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the protocol label in the metropolitan area reply label packet is the same as the protocol label in the metropolitan area query label packet, and the protocol label in the network access command reply is the same as the protocol label in the network access command;

wherein the method further comprising;

setting, by the metropolitan area network device, in its internal protocol packet label table that all metropolitan area protocol packets are oriented to a CPU module when the metropolitan area network device is powered on, wherein the protocol packet label table is set in the metropolitan area network device; and

when the metropolitan area network device is a node switch and after the node switch accesses the metropolitan area network, modifying, by the node switch, its own protocol packet label table according to an instruction from the metropolitan area server, and orienting metropolitan area protocol packets corresponding to respective standby protocol labels newly allocated by the metropolitan area server to corresponding downlink ports of the node switch respectively;

wherein, the standby protocol labels newly allocated are adapted to describe connections from the metropolitan area server to a subordinate connection device of the node switch, and the metropolitan area protocol packets comprise the metropolitan area query label packets sent by the metropolitan area server;

and wherein the method further comprising;

setting, by the metropolitan area network device, in its internal reply packet label table that orientation of all metropolitan area reply label packets is shut down when the metropolitan area network device is powered on, wherein the reply packet label table is set in the metropolitan area network device;

modifying, by the metropolitan area network device, its own reply packet label table after receiving a metropolitan area query label packet sent by the metropolitan area server, and orienting a metropolitan area reply label packet corresponding to the protocol label to an uplink port that receives the metropolitan area query label packet;

when the metropolitan area network device is a node switch and after the node switch accesses the metropolitan area network, modifying, by the node switch, its own reply packet label table according to an instruction from the metropolitan area server, and orienting metropolitan area protocol packets corresponding to respective standby protocol labels newly allocated by the metropolitan area server to corresponding uplink ports of the node switch respectively;

wherein, the standby protocol labels newly allocated are adapted to describe connections from a subordinate connection device of the node switch to the metropolitan area server;

and wherein the method further comprising;

setting, by the metropolitan area server, in its internal protocol packet label table that orientation of all metropolitan area protocol packets is shut down when the metropolitan area server is powered on, wherein the protocol packet label table is set in the metropolitan area server; and

allocating, by the metropolitan area server, standby protocol labels corresponding to the number of its own downlink ports, modifying its own protocol packet label table, and orienting metropolitan area protocol packets corresponding to respective allocated standby protocol labels to corresponding downlink ports of the metropolitan area server respectively;

wherein, the standby protocol labels are adapted to describe connections from the metropolitan area server to the metropolitan area network device, and the metropolitan area protocol packets comprise the metropolitan area query label packets sent by the metropolitan area server;

the metropolitan area server sends the metropolitan area query label packets to its downlink ports according to its own protocol packet label table.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

setting, by the metropolitan area server, in its internal reply packet label table that all metropolitan area reply label packets are oriented to a CPU module when the metropolitan area server is powered on, wherein the reply packet label table is set in the metropolitan area server;

wherein the method further comprising;

when the metropolitan area network device that accesses the network is a node switch, a certain subordinate connection device of the node switch accessing the metropolitan area network, wherein the subordinate connection device comprises a node switch and a node server, and the accessing comprises;

sending, by the metropolitan area server, metropolitan area query label packets to respective subordinate connection devices via newly allocated standby protocol labels, and orienting the metropolitan area query label packets to the corresponding downlink ports of the metropolitan area server respectively according to a protocol packet label table;

receiving, by the subordinate connection device, a metropolitan area query label packet after being powered on, and then returning a metropolitan area reply label packet to the metropolitan area server, wherein the metropolitan area reply label packet contains a serial number of the subordinate connection device and a port number of a port that receives the metropolitan area query label packet;

verifying, by the metropolitan area server according to the serial number in the metropolitan area query label packet after receiving the packet, whether the subordinate connection device is registered, and sending a network access command to the subordinate connection device if the subordinate connection device is registered, wherein the network access command contains a metropolitan area network address allocated by the metropolitan area server to the subordinate connection device and the protocol label to be allocated; and

returning, by the subordinate connection device, a network access command reply after receiving the network access command, and accessing the metropolitan area network;

and wherein the method further comprising;

orienting, by the metropolitan area network device between the metropolitan area server and the subordinate connection device, the metropolitan area query label packet and the network access command to a corresponding downlink port for forwarding, according to its own protocol packet label table after receiving the metropolitan area query label packet and the network access command; and

orienting, by the metropolitan area network device between the metropolitan area server and the subordinate connection device, the metropolitan area reply label packet and the network access command reply to a corresponding uplink port for forwarding, according to its own reply packet label table after receiving the metropolitan area reply label packet and the network access command reply.

14. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

setting a label information table in the metropolitan area server, wherein label occupation information, label description information and label routing information are recorded in respective items of the label information table, and the label routing information comprises a metropolitan area network address and a port number of a port of a previous-hop switch of the label;

wherein the method further comprising;

modifying an item corresponding to a standby label in the label information table when the metropolitan area server allocates the label to the metropolitan area network device;

modifying the label occupation information from not used to standby, and setting the metropolitan area network address and the port of the previous-hop switch in the label routing information as an address and a corresponding port of the metropolitan area server, while the label description information is not modified; and

modifying the item corresponding to the label in the label information table after the metropolitan area network device accesses the network;

modifying the label occupation information as used, while the label description information and the label routing information are not modified;

and wherein the method further comprising;

modifying the item corresponding to a standby label in the label information table when the metropolitan area server allocates the label to the subordinate connection device of the metropolitan area network device;

modifying the label occupation information from not used to standby, and setting the metropolitan area network address and the port of the previous-hop switch in the label routing information as an address and a corresponding port of the metropolitan area network device, while the label description information is not modified; and

modifying the item corresponding to the label in the label information table after the subordinate connection device accesses the network;

modifying the label occupation information as used, while the label description information and the label routing information are not modified.

17. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

setting an address information table in the metropolitan area server, wherein metropolitan area network address occupation information, device description information and device resource information are recorded in respective items of the address information table, and the device resource information comprises a metropolitan area network address of a metropolitan area network device connected to each network port of the device and an uplink and downlink flow count of each network port of the device;

wherein the method further comprising;

allocating, by the metropolitan area server, a metropolitan area network address to itself after being powered on, and modifying the item in the address information table corresponding to the address;

modifying the address occupation information from not used to used, modifying the device description information as the metropolitan area server, and modifying the device resource information as resource description of the metropolitan area server;

and wherein the method further comprising;

modifying, by the metropolitan area server, the item in the address information table corresponding to a metropolitan area network address when allocating the metropolitan area network address to the metropolitan area network device and sending a network access command containing the metropolitan area network address;

modifying the address occupation information from not used to standby, while the device description information and the device resource information are not modified;

modifying, by the metropolitan area server, the item in the address information table corresponding to the address after receiving a network access command reply sent by the metropolitan area network device;

modifying the address occupation information as used, modifying the device description information as the metropolitan area network device, and modifying the device resource information as a certain downlink port of a metropolitan area server connected to a certain uplink port of the metropolitan area network device;

at the same time, modifying the item in the address information table corresponding to the metropolitan area server address;

modifying the device resource information as a certain uplink port of the metropolitan area network device connected to a certain downlink port of the metropolitan area server, while the address occupation information and the device description information are not modified;

wherein, said certain uplink port of the metropolitan area network device is known according to the metropolitan area reply label packet returned by the metropolitan area network device, and said certain downlink port of the metropolitan area server is known according to the protocol packet label table.

23. The method of claim 2, wherein the service request across the metropolitan area network relates to a first terminal and a second terminal;

and

the allocating by the metropolitan area server a data label of the corresponding service to each service request across the metropolitan area network comprises;

initiating, by the first terminal connected to a certain node server, a service request packet, and adding, by the node server when determining that the second terminal is not connected to the node server according to the service request packet, a protocol label to deliver a service request packet to the metropolitan area server;

determining, by the metropolitan area server, that the second terminal is connected to another node server according to the service request packet received; and

obtaining, by the metropolitan area server, information on a communication link of the current service in the metropolitan area network, and then allocating the data label of the current service, and sending a label allocation packet containing information on the data label to the metropolitan area network devices on the communication link respectively;

wherein, the label allocation packet contains an IN label, an OUT label and an orientation port, and the metropolitan area network device comprises a node switch and a node server;

wherein the method further comprising;

setting, by the metropolitan area server, an IN label, an OUT label and an orientation port of the current service in its internal data packet label table according to the allocated data label;

setting, by the metropolitan area network device on the communication link, an IN label, an OUT label and an orientation port in its internal data packet label table according to the label allocation packet, after the metropolitan area device receives the label allocation packet;

wherein, the internal data packet label tables of the metropolitan area server and the node switch are configured for orienting a label data packet received via the set IN label to a corresponding port, and sending the label data packets by using the set corresponding OUT label;

wherein, the internal data packet label table of the node server is configured for orienting a data packet received by the node server from the access network to a corresponding port, and adding the set corresponding OUT label and sending the data packet to the metropolitan area network.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the information on the communication link is information on a unidirectional communication link, or information on a bidirectional communication link;

wherein, after a first terminal connected to a certain node server initiates a service request packet, the method further comprises;

checking, by the node server according to content of the service request packet, whether a remaining flow resource of the communication link between the node server and the first terminal meets a flow resource required by the service;

if not, sending a service reject packet to the first terminal;

if yes, continuing to determine whether the second terminal is connected to the node server;

wherein, after obtaining by the metropolitan area server the information on the communication link of the current service on the metropolitan area network, the method further comprises;

checking, by the metropolitan area server according to content of the service request packet, whether a remaining flow resource of the communication link of the current service on the metropolitan area network meets a flow resource required by the service;

if not, sending a service reject packet to the node server connected with the first terminal.

35. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the service request packet initiated by the first terminal contains service type information, service content information and an access network address of the first terminal, wherein, the service content information comprises service number;

the node server connected with the first terminal looks up the service number in its internal preset content-address mapping table, if no service number is found, it determines that the second terminal is not connected to the node server;

otherwise, it determines that the second terminal is connected to the node server;

wherein;

the service request packet received by the metropolitan area server contains service type information, service content information and an access network address of the first terminal, wherein, the service content information comprises service number;

the metropolitan area server looks up the metropolitan area network address corresponding to the service number in its internal preset content-address mapping table, and determines that the second terminal is connected to another node server.

3. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

7-10. -10. (canceled)

12-13. -13. (canceled)

15-16. -16. (canceled)

18-22. -22. (canceled)

24-27. -27. (canceled)

29-34. -34. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37. A metropolitan area server for metropolitan area network communications, wherein:

the metropolitan area network is a network with a centralized control function, which comprises a metropolitan area server, a node switch and a node server, wherein the node switch is connected between the metropolitan area server and the node server;

the metropolitan area server comprises;

a protocol label allocating module, configured for allocating a protocol label to a metropolitan area network device that accesses the metropolitan area network when the device accesses the network;

wherein, the protocol label is adapted to describe a connection between the metropolitan area network device and the metropolitan area server, and the metropolitan area network device comprises a node switch and a node server;

a data label allocating module, configured for allocating a data label of a corresponding service to each service request across the metropolitan area network, wherein the data label is adapted to describe a connection between the node servers related to the service; and

a metropolitan area network address allocating module, configured for allocating a metropolitan area network address to a metropolitan area network device that accesses the metropolitan area network when the device accesses the network.

38. The metropolitan area server of claim 37, wherein:

the protocol label from the metropolitan area network device to the metropolitan area server and the protocol label from the metropolitan area server to the metropolitan area network device are different, or the same; and

among the node servers related to the service, the data label from one node server to another node server and the data label from said another node server to said one node server are different, or the same;

wherein the label is divided into an IN label and an OUT label, wherein the IN label refers to a label by which a packet enters a metropolitan area server or a node switch, and the OUT label refers to a label by which a packet leaves the metropolitan area server or the node switch;

the IN label and the OUT label of one and the same packet are different, or the same; and

the label comprises a protocol label and a data label.

40. The metropolitan area server of claim 37, further comprising:

a port query module, configured for sending metropolitan area query label packets to all downlink ports thereof, wherein each metropolitan area query label packet contains a standby protocol label allocated by the protocol label allocating module;

a port reply module, configured for receiving a metropolitan area reply label packet sent by a metropolitan area network device, wherein the metropolitan area reply label packet contains a serial number of the metropolitan area network device and a port number of a port that receives the metropolitan area query label packet;

an network access verifying module, configured for verifying whether the metropolitan area network device is registered according to the serial number in the metropolitan area reply label packet;

a network access command sending module, configured for sending a network access command to the port of the metropolitan area network device that receives the metropolitan area query label packet when the metropolitan area network device is registered, wherein the network access command contains a metropolitan area network address allocated by the metropolitan area server to the metropolitan area network device and the standby protocol label; and

a network access command reply receiving module, configured for receiving a network access command reply returned by the metropolitan area network device so that the metropolitan area network device accesses the metropolitan area network;

wherein, the metropolitan area network device is a node switch or a node server;

when there exist multiple connections between one and the same metropolitan area network device and the metropolitan area server, a plurality of ports of the metropolitan area server will receive a plurality of metropolitan area reply label packets sent by one and the same metropolitan area network device, wherein the standby protocol label in each metropolitan area reply label packet is different; and

the network access command sending module sends a plurality of network access commands to the plurality of ports of one and the same metropolitan area network device via a plurality of different protocol labels, and the metropolitan area network address allocated to the metropolitan area network device in each network access command is the same.

42. The metropolitan area server of claim 37, further comprising:

a protocol packet label table, configured for orienting metropolitan area protocol packets to corresponding downlink ports respectively, wherein the metropolitan area protocol packets comprise the metropolitan area query label packets sent by the metropolitan area server;

a protocol packet label table initializing module, configured for setting in protocol packet label table of the metropolitan area server that orientation of all metropolitan area protocol packets is shut down when the metropolitan area server is powered on; and

a protocol packet label table configuring module, configured for, when the metropolitan area network device accesses the network and after the protocol label allocating module allocates standby protocol labels corresponding to the number of downlink ports, modifying the protocol packet label table and orienting the metropolitan area protocol packets corresponding to respective allocated standby protocol labels to corresponding downlink ports of the metropolitan area server respectively;

wherein, the standby protocol labels are adapted to describe connections from the metropolitan area server to the metropolitan area network device.

44. The metropolitan area server of claim 37, further comprising:

a reply packet label table, configured for setting that all metropolitan area reply label packets are oriented to a CPU module when the metropolitan area server is powered on.

46. The metropolitan area server of claim 37, further comprising:

a label information table, wherein label occupation information, label description information and label routing information are recorded in respective items the label information table, and the label routing information comprises a metropolitan area network address and a port number of a port of a previous-hop switch of the label;

wherein the metropolitan area server further comprising;

a label information table updating module, configured for modifying an item corresponding to a standby label in the label information table when the protocol label allocating module allocates the label to the metropolitan area network device;

modifying the label occupation information from not used to standby, and setting the metropolitan area network address and the port of the previous-hop switch in the label routing information as an address and a corresponding port of the metropolitan area server, while the label description information is not modified; and

modifying the item corresponding to the label in the label information table after the metropolitan area network device accesses the network;

modifying the label occupation information as used, while the label description information and the label routing information are not modified.

39. (canceled)

41. (canceled)

43. (canceled)

45. (canceled)

47-58. -58. (canceled)

59. A node server for metropolitan area network communications, wherein:

the metropolitan area network is a network with a centralized control function, which comprises a metropolitan area server, a node switch and a node server, wherein the node switch is connected between the metropolitan area server and the node server;

the node server comprises;

a protocol label and address acquiring module, configured for obtaining a protocol label and a metropolitan area network address allocated from the metropolitan area server after accessing the metropolitan area network, wherein the protocol label is adapted to describe a connection between the node server and the metropolitan area server;

a data label acquiring module, configured for obtaining a allocated data label corresponding to the current service from the metropolitan area server for each service request across the metropolitan area network, wherein the data label is adapted to describe a connection between node servers related to the service;

a label adding module, configured for adding a corresponding protocol label or data label to a protocol packet or a data packet sent by the node server to the metropolitan area network, and then sending the protocol packet or the data packet; and

a label deleting module, configured for removing the corresponding protocol label or data label from the protocol packet or the data packet received from the metropolitan area network, and then sending the protocol packet or the data packet.

60. The node server of claim 59, further comprising:

an address-label mapping table, configured for recording a binding relation between the access network addresses and the OUT labels of two terminals across the metropolitan area network for each service across the metropolitan area network;

wherein the access network addresses are addresses allocated by each node server to a network access device connected to the node server;

thus, the label adding module looks up an OUT label corresponding to a protocol packet or a data packet sent by the node server to the metropolitan area network according to the address-label mapping table, and adds the OUT label found and sending the packet.

61. The node server of claim 59, further comprising:

a protocol packet label table, configured for setting, when the node server is powered on, that all metropolitan area protocol packets are oriented to a CPU module, wherein the metropolitan area protocol packet comprises the metropolitan area query label packet sent by the metropolitan area server;

a reply packet label table, configured for orienting metropolitan area reply label packets to corresponding uplink ports respectively;

a reply packet label table initializing module, configured for setting that the orientation of all metropolitan area reply label packets is shut down when the node server is powered on;

a reply packet label table configuring module, configured for modifying its own reply packet label table after receiving the metropolitan area query label packet sent by the metropolitan area server, and orienting the metropolitan area reply label packet corresponding to the protocol label to an uplink port that receives the metropolitan area query label packet;

a data packet label table, configured for orienting data packets sent by the node server to the metropolitan area network to corresponding uplink ports respectively; and

a data packet label table configuring module, configured for setting an IN label, an OUT label and an orientation port for the service according to a label allocation packet sent by the metropolitan area server for each service request across the metropolitan area network;

wherein the data packet label table is adapted to orient a data packet received by the node server from the access network to the corresponding port, and add the set corresponding OUT label and send the data packet to the metropolitan area network.

64. The node server of claim 59, further comprising:

a content-address mapping table, configured for recording a mapping relation between service content and the access network addresses, the information on service content comprises a service number;

wherein, the access network addresses is addresses allocated by respective node servers to a network access device connected therewith;

and wherein the service request across the metropolitan area network relates to a first terminal and a second terminal;

when the node server receives a service request packet initiated by the first terminal connected to the node server, which contains service type information, service content information and an access network address of the first terminal, the node server looks up the service number in the content-address mapping table, if no service number is found, it is determined that the second terminal is not connected to the node server;

otherwise, it is determined that the second terminal is connected to the node server;

wherein the node server further comprising;

a data packet address table, configured for orienting a data packet to a corresponding downlink port, wherein the data packet comprises a data packet received from the metropolitan area network;

and wherein the node server connected with the second terminal sets, in its internal data packet address table, a port to which a data packet with a destination address being the access network destination address is oriented, according to the access network destination address in the packet; and

the node server connected with the first terminal sets, in its internal data packet address table, a port to which a data packet with a destination address being the access network source address is oriented, according to the access network source address in the packet;

wherein the node server further comprising;

an address information table, wherein access network address occupation information, device description information and device resource information are recorded in respective items of the address information table, and the device resource information comprises the access network address of an access network device connected to each network port of the device and an uplink and downlink flow count of each network port of the device;

and wherein the node server obtains the information on the communication link between the node server and the terminal according to the access network address of an access network device connected to each network port of the device in the address information table, and obtains a remaining flow resource of the communication link between the node server and the terminal according to the uplink and downlink flow count of each network port of the device.

62-63. -63. (canceled)

65-101. -101. (canceled)