Internet NCP over ATM

• US 5,828,844 A
• Filed: 10/08/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Civanlar, Seyhan, Saksena, Vikram R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ovedovitz, David M.
• Application Number:
  US08/728,276
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.6, 395/200.5, 370/395, 370/400, 370/401, 370/396
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4608 LAN interconnection over ATM networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5615 Network termination, e.g. NT1, NT2, PBX
• 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 2012/5638 Services, e.g. multimedia, GOS, QOS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5643 Concast/multipoint-to-point
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A telecommunications network is provided for establishing communication between at least one originating station and at least one destination station. The network includes a plurality of IP switches for addressing and routing data in accordance with an Internet protocol and an ATM protocol. A server, which is coupled to at least one of the IP switches, receives at least one service attribute requested by the originating station in communication with the IP switch. A network control point (NCP) is employed to provide data, in response to a request from the server, pertaining to the service attribute. At least one address database is associated with each of the IP switches. The address database includes a subset of the data available in the NCP.

Claims

1. A telecommunications network for establishing communication between at least one originating station and at least one destination station, comprising:

a plurality of IP switches for addressing and routing data in accordance with an Internet protocol and an ATM protocol;

a server, coupled to at least one of the IP switches, for receiving at least one service attribute requested by an originating station in communication with the IP switch;

a network control point (NCP) for providing data in response to a request from the server for providing said at least one service attribute;

at least one address database associated with each of the IP switches, said at least one address database including a subset of the data available in the NCP.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein said address database includes ATM to IP address correspondence data for end-point stations coupled to the IP switch with which said address database is associated.

3. The network of claim 1 wherein said address database includes ATM to telephone number address correspondence data for end-point stations coupled to the IP switch with which said address database is associated.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein said address database includes ATM to MAC address correspondence data for end-point stations coupled to the IP switch with which said address database is associated.

5. The network of claim 1 wherein said address databases are implemented in a fully distributed manner.

6. The network of claim 1 wherein said address databases are implemented in a fully duplicated manner.

7. The network of claim 6 wherein said address database incorporates a next hop server (NHS) address correspondence data for routing the IP packet to the destination station.

8. The network of claim 1 wherein said data provided by the NCP pertaining to an endpoint destination is selected from the group consisting of end-point information, quality of service requirements, security filters, and billing arrangements.

9. The network of claim 1 wherein said server receives the service attribute from a station in accordance with an IP protocol.

10. The network of claim 1 wherein said service attributes include a specification of an interface for establishing a connection between an originating station and a destination station.

11. The network of claim 10 wherein said interface is selected from the group consisting of an ATM interface, an analog interface, a digital interface, a frame relay interface and a private line interface.

12. The network of claim 11 wherein said digital interface is an ISDN interface.

13. The network of claim 1 wherein said service attributes include quality of service requirements.

14. The network of claim 13 wherein said quality of service requirements are specifiable on a user-application basis.

15. The network of claim 13 wherein said quality of service requirements are specifiable on a time-of-day basis.

16. The network of claim 1 wherein said originating station has a dial interface and said destination station has an ATM interface so that a cut-through path is established between an IP switch associated with said originating station and said destination station.

17. The network of claim 1 wherein said originating station has an ATM interface and said destination station has a dial interface so that a cut-through path is established between said originating station and an IP switch associated with said destination station.

18. The network of claim 1 wherein said originating station and said destination station have an ATM interface so that a cut-through path is established between said originating station and said destination station.

19. The network of claim 1 wherein said originating station has a dial interface and said destination station has a dial interface so that a cut-through path is established between an IP switch associated with said originating station and an IP switch associated with said destination station.

20. A method for establishing communication between at least one originating station and at least one destination station over a network including a plurality of IP switches for addressing and routing data in accordance with an Internet protocol and an ATM protocol, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving an IP packet from the originating station addressed to the destination station;

identifying an entry in an address database, that includes a subset of data available in a Network Control Point (NCP), for providing data in response to a request for information, the database containing address correspondence data for routing the IP packet to the destination station;

identifying, by launching an inquiry to the NCP, at least one service attribute associated with transmission of the IP packet to the destination station;

routing the IP packet to the destination station in accordance with the service attribute.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of identifying an entry in an address database comprises the step of transmitting a query to a next hop IP switch requesting said address correspondence data for routing the IP packet to the destination station.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said service attribute includes a default parameter.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said service attribute is requested by the originating station.