Extending asynchronous transfer mode ATM QoS across local area networks

• US 6,175,569 B1
• Filed: 11/07/1997
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Noel, Francis E. Jr., Ellington, William W. Jr., Tomek, Lorrie A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US08/966,139
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/395, 370/401, 370/405, 370/465, 370/466, 370/471, 370/474, 370/463, 709/245
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4608 LAN interconnection over ATM networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5663 Support of N-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5665 Interaction of ATM with other protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees are extended to Token Ring LAN stations. A LAN station originating a request for a connection through an ATM network to either a remote ATM station or a remote LAN station sends a frame having an encoded priority value to a LAN/ATM interface device. The device maps the priority value to one of the standard ATM traffic classes; namely, CBR, VBR, ABR and UBR. The LAN/ATM interface device attempts to set up a connection through the ATM network conforming to the mapped class or QoS. If the connection destination is another LAN station, a destination LAN/ATM interface device attempts to set up the final ATM-LAN phase of the connection.

Claims

1. For use at an interface between a Local Area Network (LAN) station and an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network, an apparatus for establishing a connection having a specified Quality of Service (QoS), said apparatus comprising:

a) a buffer for storing a LAN frame received from the LAN station, said frame having a priority field in which one of a set of known frame priority values is stored;

b) frame reading logic for extracting a value stored in the priority field of a frame;

c) mapping logic responsive to an extracted value to select an ATM QoS from a set of known ATM QoS; and

d) connection-setup logic responsive to the selected ATM QoS to initiate establishment of a virtual connection through the ATM network, said virtual connection having parameters appropriate for the selected ATM QoS.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connection-setup logic response further includes:

a) transmission logic for forwarding a connection-setup request into the ATM network;

b) receive logic for detecting a connection-setup response from the ATM network; and

c) connection logic for modifying the parameters of the requested connection as a function of the contents of the connection-setup response.

3. An apparatus as set forth in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the LAN is a Token Ring LAN.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said mapping logic maps the extracted frame priority value to an ATM class of service selected from Continuous Bit Rate, Variable Bit Rate, and Available Bit Rate classes of service in descending order of priority.

5. For use in an interface device connecting a Local Area Network (LAN) station and an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network, a method of enabling the LAN station to initiate a connection through the ATM network having a particular ATM Quality of Service (QoS), said method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a LAN frame from the LAN station, said frame having a priority field in which one of a set of known frame priority values is stored;

b) extracting the stored priority value from the frame priority field;

c) mapping the extracted priority value to an ATM QoS selected from a set of known ATM QoS values; and

d) initiating setup of a connection through the ATM network using connection parameters appropriate to the selected ATM QoS.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 further including the steps of:

a) transmitting a connection-setup request including the connection parameters into the ATM network;

b) detecting any connection-setup response from the ATM network; and

c) responding to different connection parameters contained in the detected response to modify the connection request.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the mapping step maps the extracted frame priority value to an ATM classes of service selected from the set of Continuous Bit Rate, Variable Bit Rate and Available Bit Rate classes of service in descending order of priority.

8. A LAN station including:

a) user request recognition logic for detecting a user connection request containing a frame priority value selected from a set of such values, each of the values in the set corresponding to an ATM QoS;

b) frame generating logic for generating a frame including a frame priority field containing the frame priority value identified in the user request; and

c) transmission logic for sending the generated frame to a device at which the frame priority value is mapped to a corresponding ATM QoS.

9. For use in a LAN station, an adapter including:

a) user request recognition logic for detecting a user connection request containing a frame priority value selected from a set of such values, each of the values in the set corresponding to an ATM QoS;

b) frame generating logic for generating a frame including a frame priority field containing the frame priority value identified in the user request; and

c) transmission logic for sending the generated frame to a device at which the frame priority value is mapped to a corresponding ATM QoS.

10. For use in a LAN station, a method of initiating a request for setup of a connection satisfying transmission requirements for a particular ATM QoS, said method including the steps of:

a) detecting a user request for establishment of a connection having a priority value selected from a set of such values, each of the values in the set corresponding to an ATM QoS;

b) generating a frame including a frame priority field containing the frame priority value identified in the user request; and

c) transmitting the frame to a device at which the frame priority value is mapped to the corresponding ATM QoS.

11. For use in a LAN adapter for a LAN station, a method of initiating a request for setup of a connection satisfying transmission requirements for a particular ATM QoS, said method including the steps of:

a) detecting a user request for establishment of a connection having a priority value selected from a set of such values, each of the values in the set corresponding to an ATM QoS;

b) generating a frame including a frame priority field containing the frame priority value identified in the user request; and

c) transmitting the frame to a device at which the frame priority value is mapped to the corresponding ATM QoS.

12. A LAN station including:

a) user request recognition logic for detecting a user request for establishment of a connection having a specified ATM QoS;

b) mapping logic for translating the specified ATM QoS into a LAN frame priority value selected from a set of possible frame priority values;

c) frame generating logic for generating a frame including a frame priority field containing the frame priority value resulting from the translation; and

d) transmission logic for sending the generated frame to a device at which the frame priority value is re-mapped to the specified ATM QoS.

13. For use in a LAN station, an adapter including:

a) user request recognition logic for detecting a user request for establishment of a connection having a specified ATM QoS;

b) mapping logic for translating the specified ATM QoS into a LAN frame priority value selected from a set of possible frame priority values;

c) frame generating logic for generating a frame including a frame priority field containing the frame priority value resulting from the translation; and

d) transmission logic for sending the generated frame to a device at which the frame priority value is re-mapped to the specified ATM QoS.

14. For use in a LAN station, a method of initiating a request for setup of a connection satisfying transmission requirements for a particular ATM QoS, said method including the steps of:

a) detecting a user request for establishment of a connection having a specified ATM QoS;

b) translating the specified ATM QoS into a LAN frame priority value selected from a set of possible frame priority values;

c) generating a frame including a frame priority field containing the frame priority value resulting from the translation; and

d) transmitting the generated frame to a device at which the frame priority value is remapped to the specified ATM QoS.

15. For use in a LAN adapter for a LAN station, a method of initiating a request for setup of a connection satisfying transmission requirements for a particular ATM QoS, said method including the steps of:

a) detecting a user request for establishment of a connection having a specified ATM QoS;

b) translating the specified ATM QoS into a LAN frame priority value selected from a set of possible frame priority values;

c) generating a frame including a frame priority field containing the frame priority value resulting from the translation; and

d) transmitting the generated frame to a device at which the frame priority value is remapped to the specified ATM QoS.