Method and system for virtual network administration with a data-over cable system
First Claim
1. In a data-over-cable system including a plurality of network devices, a method for providing virtual network administration, comprising the following steps:
- receiving a plurality of first messages on a second network device on a data-over-cable system from a plurality of first network devices, wherein selected first messages from selected first network devices include a virtual networking tag and a network address, wherein the virtual networking tag is used to request a desired networking service on a virtual network, and wherein the network address is assigned to a first network device by a network other than the data-over-cable system;
determining whether a first message includes a virtual networking tag and a network address, and if so, storing the network address and the virtual networking tag in virtual networking table associated with the second network device;
grouping one or more of the network addresses into a virtual network indicated by a virtual networking tag, wherein the virtual networking tag allows the second network device to provide selected first network devices a desired networking service on the virtual network via the data-over-cable system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for virtual network administration with a data-over-cable system. A virtual networking tag and a network address (e.g., an Internet Protocol address) assigned by a network other than a data-over-cable system is used to provide a virtual network to one or more network devices, such as cable modems via a data-over-cable system. The virtual networking tag may also be used to request a desired service class (e.g., Class-of-Service, Quality-of-Service, Type-of-Service, Service Level Agreements, etc.), for a desired end-to-end networking service (e.g., Voice over Internet Protocol). The virtual networking tag can be mapped to a data-over-cable service class. The data-over-cable service class can be mapped into a transport service class for a transport network. The virtual networking tag is used to provide a desired end-to-end networking service from a network device on a first external network (e.g., an Ethernet Local Area Network), through the data-over-cable system, through a transport network (e.g., Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, Asynchronous Transfer Mode, Frame Relay, Integrated Services Digital Network, Synchronous Optical Network, Voice over Internet Protocol, etc.) and to a second external network (e.g., another Ethernet Local Area Network). The method and system are used to provide a variety of networking services via and through a data-over-cable system.
409 Citations
36 Claims
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1. In a data-over-cable system including a plurality of network devices, a method for providing virtual network administration, comprising the following steps:
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receiving a plurality of first messages on a second network device on a data-over-cable system from a plurality of first network devices, wherein selected first messages from selected first network devices include a virtual networking tag and a network address, wherein the virtual networking tag is used to request a desired networking service on a virtual network, and wherein the network address is assigned to a first network device by a network other than the data-over-cable system;
determining whether a first message includes a virtual networking tag and a network address, and if so, storing the network address and the virtual networking tag in virtual networking table associated with the second network device;
grouping one or more of the network addresses into a virtual network indicated by a virtual networking tag, wherein the virtual networking tag allows the second network device to provide selected first network devices a desired networking service on the virtual network via the data-over-cable system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
receiving the second message on a second network device on the data-over-cable system from another first network device from the plurality of first network devices, wherein the second message includes the virtual networking tag received in the first message; and
sending the second message over the virtual network indicated by the virtual networking tag to selected ones of the first network devices at network addresses stored in the virtual networking table associated with the second network device.
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7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
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receiving a plurality of first messages on the second network device on the data-over-cable system from the plurality of first network devices, wherein the plurality of first messages include a plurality of different virtual networking tags and a plurality network addresses, and wherein the network address is assigned to a first network device by a network other than the data-over-cable system;
grouping the plurality network addresses into a plurality of virtual networks indicated by the plurality of different virtual networking tags, wherein the plurality of virtual networking tags allow the second network device to send messages on the plurality of virtual networks to selected ones of the plurality of first network devices at network addresses assigned to the plurality of first network devices by a network other than the data-over-cable system.
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8. In a data-over-cable system including a plurality of network devices, a method for providing virtual network administration, comprising the following steps:
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selecting a value for a virtual networking tag on a first network device to request a desired networking service for the first network device;
adding the selected value to the virtual networking tag in a plurality of messages on the first network device;
sending the plurality of messages to a second network device on the data-over-cable system, wherein the second network device uses the selected value from the virtual networking tag from the plurality of messages to provide a desired networking service for the first networking device via the data-over-cable system. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a data-over-cable system including a plurality of network devices, a method for providing virtual network service administration, comprising the following steps:
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receiving a message with a virtual networking tag on a second network device on the data-over-cable system from a first network device connected to the data-over-cable system and a first external network, wherein the virtual networking tag indicates a desired service class for desired end-to-end networking service between the first network device and a third network device on a second external network;
mapping the desired service class for the desired end-to-end networking service class into a data-over-cable service class; and
mapping the data-over-cable service class into a transport service class for a transport service used on a transport network to provide the desired service class for the desired end-to-end networking service between the first network device and the third network device on the second external network through the data-over-cable system and through the transport network. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. In a data-over-cable system including a plurality of network devices, a method for providing virtual network service administration, comprising the following steps:
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receiving a message with a virtual networking tag on a second network device on the data-over-cable system from a first network device connected to the data-over-cable system and a first external network, wherein the virtual networking tag indicates a desired service class for desired end-to-end networking service between the first network device and a third network device on a second external network; and
mapping the virtual networking tag directly into a transport service class for a transport service used on a transport network to provide the desired end-to-end networking service between the first network device and the third network device on the second external network through the data-over-cable system and through the transport network. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. In a data-over-cable system including a plurality of network devices, a method for providing virtual network administration, comprising the following steps:
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receiving a plurality of Medium Access Control messages on a cable modem termination system on the data-over-cable system from a plurality of cable modems, wherein selected Medium Access Control messages include a virtual networking tag and an Internet Protocol address, wherein the virtual networking tag is used to request a desired networking service on a virtual network, and wherein the Internet Protocol address is assigned to a cable modem device by a network other than the data-over-cable system;
determining whether a Medium Access Control message includes the virtual networking tag and an Internet Protocol address, and if so, storing the Internet Protocol address and the virtual networking tag in a virtual networking table associated with the cable modem termination system;
grouping one or more of the Internet Protocol addresses into a virtual network indicated by the virtual networking tag, wherein the virtual networking tag allows the cable modem termination system to provide a plurality of selected cable modems a desired end-to-end networking service on the virtual network via the data-over-cable system. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. In a data-over-cable system including a plurality of network devices, a method for providing virtual network service administration, comprising the following steps:
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receiving a message with a virtual networking tag on a cable modem termination system on the data-over-cable system from a cable modem connected to the data-over-cable system and a first local area network, wherein the virtual networking tag indicates a desired service class for desired end-to-end networking service between the cable modem and another network device on a second local area network;
mapping the desired service class for the desired end-to-end networking service into a data-over-cable service class; and
mapping the data-over-cable service class into a transport service class for a transport service used on a transport network to provide the desired end-to-end networking service between the cable modem and another network device on the second local area network through the data-over-cable system and through the transport network. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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Specification