Method and apparatus providing for hunt groups in an ATM network of the like

• US 5,400,325 A
• Filed: 06/29/1993
• Issued: 03/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SynOptics Communications, Inc. (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Chatwani, Dilip, Subramanian, Rajan
• Primary Examiner(s): Safourek, Benedict V.
• Application Number:
  US08/086,176
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 370/60, 370/60.1, 370/62, 370/68, 370/119, 370/94.3, 395/325, 395/500
• US Class Current: 370/399
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5619 Network Node Interface, e.g. tandem connections, transit switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5626 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/32 Specific management aspects for broadband networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/342 between virtual entities, e.g. orchestrators, SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/255 Control mechanisms for ATM switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/256 Routing or path finding in ATM switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network or the like providing for formation of resource hunt groups. The hunt groups are formed by devices of the same class (e.g., servers such as multicast servers) by devices registering with a central management supervisor (also referred to herein as a hunt group manager) through communication of hunt group registration requests over the virtual service path of the switches to which devices are attached. The central management supervisor communicates with an acknowledgement message back to the requesting device, again over the virtual service path. After formation of a hunt group, devices requiring the services of a device registered in the hunt group can communicate a request for establishment of a communication path to the central management supervisor. The central management supervisor then establishes a communication path with an available one of the devices in the hunt group.

Claims

1. A network of devices, said network comprising:

(a) a communication medium for allowing communication between devices in said network;

(b) a first device providing a first class of services coupled with said communication medium;

(c) a second device providing for said first class of service coupled with said communication medium;

(d) a third device coupled with said communication medium, said third device requiring services from a device offering said first class of services; and

(e) registration means registering devices of said first class; and

(f) control means for receiving communications from said third device requesting establishment of a communication path with a device of said first class and for controlling selection of a registered one of said devices of said first class to set up a communication path with.

2. The network as recited by claim 1 wherein said network is an ATM network.

3. The network as recited by claim 1 wherein said registration means comprises a hunt group table.

4. The network as recited by claim 1 wherein said first device registers with registration means over a virtual service path.

5. The network as recited by claim 4 wherein said registration means communicates registration acknowledgements with said first device over said virtual service path.

6. A method of allowing registration in a hunt group in a network of devices, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) a first device communicating to a hunt group manager a first request to join a group of devices offering a first class of services;

(b) said hunt manager receiving said first request and storing information identifying said first device'"'"'s membership in said group of devices offering said first class of services for later lookup;

(c) said hunt group manager communicating a first confirmation message to said first device confirming said first device'"'"'s registration in said group offering said first class of services;

(d) a second device communicating to said hunt group manager a second request to join said group of said devices offering said first class of services;

(e) said hunt group manager receiving said second request and storing information identifying said second device'"'"'s membership in said group of devices offering said first class of services for later lookup; and

(f) said hunt group manager communicating a second confirmation message to said second device confirming said second device'"'"'s registration in said group of devices offering first class of services.

7. The method as recited by claim 6 wherein said first device is coupled with said hunt group manager through at least a first switch and said first request being received by said first switch and transmitted on first virtual service path to said hunt group manager.

8. The method as recited by claim 7 wherein said first configuration message is transmitted to said first device through said first switch on said first virtual service path.

9. The method as recited by claim 6 wherein said network is an ATM network.

10. The method as recited by claim 6 wherein said first class of services are services of printers.

11. A method of establishing a communication path in a network, said network comprising a first device for communicating messages and a group of comprising at least a second device and a third device, said second device and said third device offering the same general class of services, said network further comprising a hunt group manager for managing communication in said network, said first device, second device, third device and hunt group manager coupled in communication over communication medium, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) said second device registering with said hunt group manager to provide said class of services;

(b) said third device registering with said hunt group manager to provide said class of services;

(c) said first device communicating a request to said hunt group manager to establish a communication path between said first device and said second device;

(d) said hunt group manager determining said second device is unavailable and said hunt group manager establishing a communication between said first device and said third device responsive to said request.

12. The method as recited by claim 11 wherein said network is an ATM network.

13. The method as recited by claim 12 wherein said second device registers with said hunt group manager by communicating a hunt group request over a virtual service path and said hunt group manager acknowledges said hunt group request over said virtual service path.

14. A method of establishing a communication path in a network, said network comprising a first device for communicating messages and a group of comprising at least a second device and a third device, said second device and said third device providing the same general class of services, said network further comprising a hunt group manager for managing communication in said network, said first device, second device, third device and hunt group manager coupled in communication over communication medium, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) said second device registering with said hunt group manager as a member of a group of devices offering said class of services;

(b) said third device registering with said hunt group manager as a member of said group of devices offering said class of services;

(c) said first device communicating a request to said hunt group manager to establish a communication path between said first device and a device offering said class of services;

(d) said hunt group manager selecting which of said second or third device to allow said first device to communicate with and said hunt group manager establishing a communication between said first device and said selected one of said second or third device responsive to said request.

15. The method as recited by claim 14 wherein said network is an ATM network.

16. The method as recited by claim 14 wherein said second device registers with said hunt group manager by communicating a hunt group request over a virtual service path and said hunt group manager acknowledges said hunt group request over said virtual service path.

17. A method of establishing a communication path in a data communications network, said network comprising a first device for communicating messages and a group of devices comprising at least a second device and a third device, said first device, second device and third device coupled in communication over communication medium, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) said second device registering as a member of a first hunt group;

(b) said third device registering as a member of said first hunt group;

(c) said first device requesting establishment of a communication path between said first device and a device in said first hunt group; and

(d) establishing a communication path between said first device and said second device responsive to said request.

18. The method as recited by claim 17 wherein said first device and said second device register with a hunt group manager as members of said first hunt group.

19. The method as recited by claim 17 wherein said first device further registers as a member of a second hunt group.

20. The method as recited by claim 17 wherein said communication network is a centrally managed network.

21. The method as recited by claim 17 wherein said communication network is an ATM network.