Method and apparatus for proxied signalling of an end to end connection across a connection oriented network

• US 6,714,544 B1
• Filed: 07/08/1999
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel Canada Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel Canada Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Burns, John C., Tooker, Mark, Bosloy, Jonathan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHULTZ, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US09/349,084
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/236, 370/328, 370/338, 370/392, 370/395, 370/395.1, 370/395.2, 370/398, 370/399, 370/401, 370/410, 370/395.5
• US Class Current: 370/395.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model

Abstract

There is provided a method and apparatus for establishing a connection across a connection oriented network to enable communication between an originating network element and a destination network node. The originating network element is connected to source network node in the connection oriented network by a source communications channel which is addressable in the connection oriented network. The connection oriented network has a signalling infrastructure employing a network signalling protocol for establishing connections within the connection oriented network. A connection establishment request message is generated for requesting the establishment of the connection between the originating network element and the destination network node and includes information identifying the source and destination communications channels. A proxy connection establishment request message is sent from a network controlling element to the connection oriented network over a proxy signalling link provided therebetween. The proxy connection establishment request message is received at the connection oriented network and the channel identifying information is extracted from the proxy connection establishment request message. A network connection establishment request message according to the network signalling protocol is then generated and sent over the signalling infrastructure to establish a path between the source network node and the destination network node. The path is connected to the communications channel identified in the proxy connection establishment request message, thereby establishing the connection between the originating network element and the destination network node.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a connection across a connection oriented network on behalf of an originating network element to enable communications between the originating network element and a destination network node, the destination network node being addressable in the connection oriented network, the originating network element being connected to a source network node in the connection oriented network by a source communications channel addressable in the connection oriented network, the connection oriented network having a signalling infrastructure employing a network signalling protocol for establishing connections within the connection oriented network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a proxy connection establishment request message for requesting the establishment of the connection between the originating network element and the destination network node, the proxy connection establishment request message comprising information identifying the source communications channel;

(b) sending the generated proxy connection establishment request message from a network controlling element to the connection oriented network over a proxy signalling link provided between the network controlling element and the signalling infrastructure of the connection oriented network;

(c) receiving the proxy connection establishment request message at the connection oriented network over the signalling link;

(d) extracting the information identifying the source communications channel from the proxy connection establishment request message so received and establishing a cross-connect at the source network node to the source communications channel identified in the proxy connection establishment request message;

(e) generating a network connection establishment request message based on information contained in said proxy connection establishment message according to the network signalling protocol;

(f) sending the generated network connection establishment message over the signalling infrastructure to establish a path between the source network node and the destination network node using automated signalling procedures according to the network signalling protocol;

(g) sending a network acknowledgement message which confirms establishment of said path, said network acknowledgement message being sent according to the network signalling protocol from the destination network node to the source network node over said signalling infrastructure;

(h) after said path is established, sending a proxy acknowledgement message which confirms establishment of said connection between the originating network entity and the destination node, said proxy acknowledgement message being sent to the network controlling element from the source network node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the originating network element is external to the connection oriented network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the proxy acknowledgement message is sent over the proxy signalling link.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the destination network node is connected to a terminating network element by a destination communications channel addressable in the connection oriented network, the proxy connection establishment request message further comprising information identifying the destination communications channel and the destination network node, the method further comprising the steps of:

extracting the information identifying the destination communications channel from the proxy connection establishment request message;

at the destination network node, connecting the path to the destination communications channel identified in the proxy connection establishment request message after the path is established to thereby establish a connection between the source network node and the terminating network element; and

wherein the network connection establishment request message includes information identifying the destination communications channel and the destination network node, and wherein the proxy acknowledgement message is sent after the connection between the originating network element and the destination network node and after the connection between the destination network node and the terminating network element have both been established.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the terminating network element is external to the connection oriented network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the source network node is connected to the proxy signalling link, and wherein the steps of receiving the proxy connection establishment request message, of extracting information from the proxy connection establishment request message, and of generating and sending a network connection establishment request message, are all performed at the source network node.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one intermediate network element is provided in the path between the source network node and the destination network node, wherein the path between the source network node and the destination network node is established by successively establishing a cross-connect in each intermediate network element provided in the path.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of determining at the source network node a route for the path between the source network node and the destination network node and wherein the network connection establishment request message further comprises information identifying each intermediate network element in the route.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the proxy connection establishment request message comprises information elements which correspond to information elements of a SETUP message according to a UNI signalling protocol, wherein a first information element of the proxy connection establishment request message comprises the information identifying the source communications channel and a second information element of the proxy connection establishment request message comprises the information identifying the destination network node and the information identifying the destination communications channel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the UNI signalling protocol is selected from the group comprising UNI 3.1 signalling, UNI 4.0 signalling and ITU-T Q.2931 signalling.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first information element is the Connection Identifier information element and the second information element is the Called Party Number information element.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the information identifying the source communications channel comprises a virtual path identifier (VPI) of the first communications channel and the information identifying the destination communications channel comprises a VPI of the destination communications channel.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the network signalling protocol employed is a PNNI signalling protocol, the network connection establishment request message is a Soft-Permanent Virtual Path Connection (S-PVPC) SETUP message, the S-PVPC SETUP message comprising a called party S-PVPC information element, and wherein the called party S-PVPC information element comprises information identifying the destination communications channel.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the information identifying the source communications channel further comprises the virtual channel identifier (VCI) of the first communications channel and the information identifying the destination communications channel further comprises the VCI of the destination communications channel.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the network signalling protocol employed is a PNNI signalling protocol, the network connection establishment request message is a Soft-Permanent Virtual Channel Connection (S-PVCC) setup message, the S-PVCC setup message comprises a called party S-PVCC information element, and wherein the called party S-PVCC information element comprises information identifying the destination communications channel.

16. A network controlling element for signalling a connection across a connection oriented network on behalf of an originating network element to enable communications between the originating network element and a destination network node, the destination network node being addressable in the connection oriented network, the originating network element being connected to a source network node in the connection oriented network by a source communications channel addressable in the connection oriented network, the connection oriented network having a signalling infrastructure employing a network signalling protocol for establishing connections within the connection oriented network, a proxy signalling link being provided between the network controlling element and the signalling infrastructure of the connection oriented network, the network controlling element comprising:

(a) a communications interface for receiving instructions for establishing the connection on behalf of the originating network element;

(b) a proxy signalling interface for generating a proxy connection establishment request message, for transmitting the proxy connection establishment request message over the proxy signalling link to the signalling infrastructure of the connection oriented network, and for receiving a proxy connection acknowledgement message from the source network node which is indicative of the establishment of the connection; and

wherein the proxy connection establishment request message comprises information identifying the source communications channel, the information identifying the source communications channel being extracted from the proxy connection establishment request message when same is received at the connection oriented network over the proxy signalling link, wherein a cross-connect is established at the source network node to the source communications channel identified in the proxy connection establishment request message and wherein a network connection establishment request message is generated according to the network signalling protocol based on information contained in said proxy request message and is sent over the signalling infrastructure to establish a path between the source network node and the destination network node using automated signalling procedures according to the network signalling protocol, whereupon the proxy connection acknowledgement message is sent to the network controlling element from the source network node.

17. The network controlling element of claim 16, wherein the originating network element is external to the connection oriented network.

18. The network controlling element of claim 17, wherein the proxy connection acknowledgement message is sent over the proxy signalling link.

19. The network controlling element of claim 18 wherein the destination network node is connected to a terminating network element by a destination communications channel addressable in the connection oriented network, the proxy connection establishment request message further comprising information identifying the destination communications channel and the destination network node, and wherein the information identifying the destination communications channel is extracted from the proxy connection establishment request message, the network connection establishment request message including the information identifying the destination communications channel and the destination network node and, after the path is established, the path is connected at the destination network node to the destination communications channel identified in the proxy connection establishment request message thereby establishing a connection between the source network node and the terminating network element, the proxy connection acknowledgement message being sent after the connection between the originating network element and the destination network node and after the connection between the destination network node and the terminating network element have both been established.

20. The network controlling element of claim 19, wherein the terminating network element is external to the connection oriented network.

21. The network controlling element of claim 20 wherein the connection oriented network is an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network.

22. The network controlling element of claim 21 wherein the proxy connection establishment request message comprises information elements which correspond to information elements of a SETUP message according to the UNI 3.1 signalling protocol, wherein a first information element of the proxy connection establishment request message comprises the information identifying the source communications channel and a second information element of the proxy connection establishment request message comprises the information identifying the destination network node and the information identifying the destination communications channel.

23. The network controlling element of claim 22 wherein the first information element is the Connection Identifier information element and the second information element is the Called Party Number information element.

24. The network controlling element of claim 23 wherein the information identifying the source communications channel comprises a virtual path identifier (VPI) of the source communications channel and the information identifying the destination communications channel comprises a VPI of the destination communications channel.

25. The network controlling element of claim 24 wherein the network signalling protocol employed in the signalling infrastructure is the PNNI signalling protocol, the network connection establishment request message is a Soft-Permanent Virtual Path Connection (S-PVPC) SETUP message, the S-PVPC SETUP message comprising a Called Party S-PVPC information element, and wherein the Called Party S-PVPC information element comprises information identifying the destination communications channel.

26. The network controlling element of claim 24 wherein the information identifying the source communications channel further comprises a virtual channel identifier (VCI) of the source communications channel and the information identifying the destination communications channel further comprises a VCI of the destination communications channel.

27. The network controlling element of claim 26 wherein the network signalling protocol employed in the signalling infrastructure is the PNNI signalling protocol, the network connection establishment request message is a Soft-Permanent Virtual Channel Connection (S-PVCC) SETUP message, the S-PVCC SETUP message comprising a Called Party S-PVCC information element, and wherein the Called Party S-PVCC information element comprises information identifying the destination communications channel.

28. The network controlling element of claim 27 wherein the proxy signalling interface further comprises:

an application programming interface for constructing the proxy connection establishment request message according to the instructions received at the communications interface; and

a network interface card for sending the proxy connection establishment request message over the proxy signalling link to the connection oriented network.

29. The network controlling element of claim 28 further comprising a memory accessible by the proxy signalling interface, the memory storing information associating the source communications channel with the source network node and the destination communications channel with the destination network node.

30. An apparatus associated with a source network node for establishing a connection across a connection oriented network between an originating network element and a destination network node via the source network node, the source network node and the destination network node being addressable in the connection oriented network the originating network element being connected to the source network node by a source communications channel addressable in the connection oriented network, the connection oriented network having a signalling infrastructure employing a network signalling protocol for establishing connections within the connection oriented network the source communications channel being identified in information included in a proxy signalling message consisting of a proxy connection establishment request message received by the apparatus over a proxy signalling link, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a proxy signalling interface which sends and receives proxy signalling messages over the proxy signalling link;

(b) a network signalling interface which sends and receives network signalling messages over the signalling infrastructure of the connection oriented network;

(c) a call controller which extracts from the proxy connection establishment request message the information identifying the source communications channel, which establishes a cross-connect at the source network node to the source communications channel identified in the proxy connection establishment request message and which generates a network signalling message based on information contained in said proxy connection establishment request message and consisting of a network connection establishment request message according to the network signalling protocol, the call controller providing the network connection establishment request message to the network signalling interface which in turn sends the network connection establishment request message over the signalling infrastructure of the connection oriented network to thereby establish a path between the source network node and the destination network node; and

wherein after the path between the source network node and the destination network node has been so established, the apparatus receives a network signalling message consisting of a network connection acknowledgement message from the destination network node over the signalling infrastructure and at the network signalling interface, following which the call controller provides a proxy signalling message consisting of a proxy connection acknowledgement message to the proxy signalling interface.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the originating network element is external to the connection oriented network.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the proxy connection acknowledgement request message is sent by the proxy signalling interface over the proxy signalling link.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the destination network node is connected to a terminating network element by a destination communications channel addressable in the connection oriented network, the proxy connection establishment request message further comprising information identifying the destination communications channel, the source network node and the destination network node, wherein the call controller extracts the information identifying the destination communications channel from the proxy connection establishment request message prior to generating the network connection establishment request message, the call controller including the information identifying the destination communications channel and the destination network node in the network connection establishment request message, wherein after the path is established the path is connected at the destination network node to the destination communications channel identified in the proxy connection establishment request message to thereby establish a connection between the source network node and the terminating network element, and wherein the proxy connection acknowledgement message is sent by the proxy signalling interface after the connection between the originating network element and the destination network node and between the destination network node and the terminating network element have both been established.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the apparatus is located in the source network node and further comprises a routing table, wherein the call controller establishes a cross-connect to a source communications channel as found in the routing table.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the connection oriented network is an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the proxy connection establishment request message comprises information elements which correspond to information elements of a SETUP message according to the UNI 3.1 signalling protocol, wherein a first information element of the proxy connection establishment request message comprises the information identifying the source communications channel and a second information element of the proxy connection establishment request message comprises the information identifying the destination network node and the information identifying the destination communications channel.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the first information element is the Connection Identifier information element and the second information element is the Called Party Number information element.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the information identifying the source communications channel comprises a virtual path identifier of the source communications channel and the information identifying the destination communications channel comprises a virtual path identifier of the destination communications channel.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the signalling protocol employed in the signalling infrastructure is a PNNI signalling protocol, the network connection establishment request message is a Soft-Permanent Virtual Path Connection (S-PVPC) setup message, the S-PVPC setup message comprising a Called Party S-PVPC information element, wherein the Called Party S-PVPC information element comprises information identifying the destination communications channel.

40. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the information identifying the source communications channel further comprises a virtual channel identifier of the source communications channel and the information identifying the destination communications channel further comprises a virtual channel identifier of the destination communications channel.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the signalling protocol employed in the signalling infrastructure is a PNNI signalling protocol, the network connection establishment request message is a Soft-Permanent Virtual Channel Connection (S-PVCC) setup message, the S-PVCC setup message comprising a Called Party S-PVCC information element, wherein the Called Party S-PVCC information element comprises information identifying the destination communications channel.