ATM virtual private networks
First Claim
1. A system for providing virtual private network services over an ATM network shared by multiple users, said ATM network having a plurality of ATM switches interconnected by links, each ATM switch adapted for routing ATM call traffic within said public ATM network, said system comprising:
- an interface means for generating a call setup message associated with a private network call to be routed within said public ATM network, said setup message comprising information including original source address of a call initiator and an original destination address of a call recipient subscribed to said private network;
a processing network having intelligence and including control processing nodes interconnected with one or more ATM switches of said public ATM network;
means implemented in said ATM switch for receiving said setup message and for modifying said setup message to include an address of a said control processing node while embedding said original source and destination addresses within said modified setup message; and
means for routing said modified setup message from an ATM switch to a proximate control processing node at said address specified in said modified setup message,said control processing node comprising means for converting said embedded original source and destination addresses of said modified setup message into ATM network addresses recognizable by said ATM switches and routing said modified setup message back to said ATM switch for enabling said private network call to be routed over said public ATM network, and means for validating said embedded original source and destination addresses of said modified setup message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network architecture and service platform for providing virtual private network services ("VPN") over an ATM network. The architecture provides services for voice, video, and data traffic among multiple VPN customers over a shared ATM network by implementing intelligent control devices to perform enhanced processing of ATM call setup messages, including validations and routing translations. Hierarchical routing mechanisms provided by ATM, along with customized customer addressing schemes, are used to overlay customer VPNs as higher-level networks onto the shared ATM network. The control devices translate customer ATM VPN address to internal ATM network addresses. The ATM switch network then performs lower-level network processing, using internal network addressing, to setup a virtual connection for a VPN call. The intelligent control devices may also explicitly state the end-to-end route.
173 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system for providing virtual private network services over an ATM network shared by multiple users, said ATM network having a plurality of ATM switches interconnected by links, each ATM switch adapted for routing ATM call traffic within said public ATM network, said system comprising:
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an interface means for generating a call setup message associated with a private network call to be routed within said public ATM network, said setup message comprising information including original source address of a call initiator and an original destination address of a call recipient subscribed to said private network; a processing network having intelligence and including control processing nodes interconnected with one or more ATM switches of said public ATM network; means implemented in said ATM switch for receiving said setup message and for modifying said setup message to include an address of a said control processing node while embedding said original source and destination addresses within said modified setup message; and means for routing said modified setup message from an ATM switch to a proximate control processing node at said address specified in said modified setup message, said control processing node comprising means for converting said embedded original source and destination addresses of said modified setup message into ATM network addresses recognizable by said ATM switches and routing said modified setup message back to said ATM switch for enabling said private network call to be routed over said public ATM network, and means for validating said embedded original source and destination addresses of said modified setup message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for providing private network message routing services for multiple customers within a shared ATM network having a plurality of ATM switches interconnected by links, each ATM switch adapted for routing ATM call traffic within said shared ATM network in accordance with an ATM routing protocol, said apparatus comprising:
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an interface means for generating a first setup message corresponding to a call initiated by a private network caller at a source location and routing said first setup message to a first ATM switch, said first setup message identifying a unique private network source address of said caller and a unique private network destination address of a call recipient; means implemented in said originating ATM switch for converting said first setup message to a second setup message, said second message having said unique private network source address and said unique private network destination address included therein; one or more intelligent control processing means interconnected with each ATM switch and adapted to receive said second setup message from an ATM switch, each control processing means for recognizing said unique private network source and destination address of said call and modifying said unique private network source and destination address in said second message into internal source and destination addresses recognizable by said ATM switches; and means implemented in said control processing means for returning said modified second setup message back to said originating ATM switch, said ATM routing protocol setting up a signal path for routing said ATM call between said private network caller and said recipient, said control processing means further comprising means for validating said unique private network source and destination addresses associated with said caller. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of providing private network message routing services for multiple customers within a shared ATM network having a plurality of ATM switches interconnected by links, each ATM switch adapted for routing ATM call traffic within said shared ATM network in accordance with an ATM routing protocol, said method comprising:
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(a) generating a first setup message corresponding to a call initiated by a private network caller at a source location and routing said first setup message to a first ATM switch, said first setup message comprising a unique private network destination address of a call recipient; (b) converting said first setup message to a second setup message having said unique private network source address and said unique private network destination address included therein; (c) routing said second setup message from said ATM switch to one or more intelligent control processing means and interconnected with said ATM switch and adapted to recognize said unique private network source and destination address of said call; (d) modifying said unique private network source and destination address included in said second message into internal source and destination addresses recognizable by said ATM switches, said step of modifying said second message further including the step of validating said unique private network source and destination addresses associated with said caller; (e) returning said modified second setup message back to said originating ATM switch; and
enabling said ATM routing protocol to set up a signal path for routing said ATM call between said private network caller and said recipient based on said modified second setup message. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification