Upstream channel multicast media access control (MAC) address method for data-over-cable systems

• US 6,751,230 B1
• Filed: 05/24/1999
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Akgun, Ali, Vogel, Mark O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TOAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/317,775
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 370/432, 370/465, 370/467, 370/471, 370/475, 370/478
• US Class Current: 370/432
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A head-end in a data-over-cable system transmits a multicast message in a downstream channel to all the cable modems in a particular MAC layer. The message includes an address field that contains an upstream channel multicast MAC address that identifies a particular channel, and is used to send a multicast message for which only cable modems transmitting in the upstream direction in that channel are to respond. When the message is received by the cable modems, the cable modems compare the upstream channel multicast MAC address with addresses stored in a memory. If a match is found, indicating that the cable modem happens to transmit in the upstream direction in the particular channel, it processes the message. If no match is found, the message is discarded. The upstream channel multicast MAC address helps noise avoidance or redundancy problems associated with a particular channel to be quickly remedied, and avoids the head-end from having to send out a large number of unicast messages in order to communicate with all the modems sharing a given upstream channel.

Claims

1. A cable modem for a data-over-cable system comprising a plurality of cable modems, said cable modem comprising a machine readable storage medium containing a set of media access control (MAC) addresses, wherein said set of addresses includes an upstream channel multicast MAC address, associated with all cable modems in an upstream channel in said data-over-cable system.

2. The cable modem of claim 1, wherein said upstream channel multicast MAC address comprises a modification to one or more bytes in a media access control multicast address, said modification comprising a replacement of said one or more bytes of said media access control multicast address with one or more bytes identifying said upstream channel.

4. The cable modem as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, wherein said machine readable storage medium is updated with a new upstream channel multicast MAC address when said cable modem is assigned a new upstream channel.

3. A cable modem for a data-over-cable system comprising a plurality of cable modems, said cable modem comprising a machine readable storage medium containing a set of media access control (MAC) addresses, wherein said set of addresses includes an upstream channel multicast MAC address, said upstream channel multicast MAC address associated with all cable modems in an upstream channel in said data-over-cable system,

wherein said upstream channel multicast MAC address comprises a modification to one or more bytes in a media access control multicast address, said modification comprising a replacement of said one or more bytes of said media access control multicast address with one or more bytes identifying said upstream channel, and

wherein said upstream channel multicast MAC address comprises an address selected from the group of addresses consisting of 01-E0-2F-00-xx-01 and 01-E0-2F-xx-00-01, wherein xx comprises two hexadecimal characters identifying said upstream channel.

5. In a cable modem termination system for a data over cable system, said cable modem termination system sending messages to cable modems in a downstream channel in said data over cable system, with one or more of said cable modems communicating with said cable modem termination system in an upstream channel in said data over cable system, the improvement comprising:

said cable modem termination system broadcasting a upstream channel multicast MAC message to a plurality of cable modems in a downstream channel of said data over cable system,

wherein said message identifies an upstream channel in said data-over-cable system and includes an upstream channel multicast MAC address stored in at least one of said plurality of cable modems,

and wherein only those cable modems in said upstream channel and storing an upstream channel multicast MAC address matching said upstream channel multicast MAC address contained in said message respond to said message.

6. The improvement of claim 5, wherein said upstream channel multicast MAC address comprises a modification to one or more bytes in a media access control multicast address, said modification comprising a replacement of said one or more bytes of said media access control multicast address with one or more bytes identifying said upstream channel.

7. In a cable modem termination system for a data over cable system, said cable modem termination system sending messages to cable modems in a downstream channel in said data over cable system, with one or more of said cable modems communicating with said cable modem termination system in an upstream channel in said data over cable system, the improvement comprising:

said cable modem termination system broadcasting a upstream channel multicast MAC message to a plurality of cable modems in a downstream channel of said data over cable system,

wherein said message identifies an upstream channel in said data-over-cable system and includes an upstream channel multicast MAC address stored in at least one of said plurality of cable modems,

and wherein only those cable modems in said upstream channel and storing an upstream channel multicast MAC address matching said upstream channel multicast MAC address contained in said message respond to said message,

wherein said upstream channel multicast MAC address comprises a modification to one or more bytes in a media access control multicast address, said modification comprising a replacement of said one or more bytes of said media access control multicast address with one or more bytes identifying said upstream channel, and

wherein said upstream channel multicast MAC address comprises an address selected from the group of addresses consisting of 01-E0-2F-00-xx-01 and 01-E0-2F-xx-00-01, wherein xx comprises two hexadecimal characters identifying said upstream channel.

8. A method of sending a message to a subset of cable modems in a media access control (MAC) domain in a data-over-cable system, comprising the steps of:

generating an upstream channel multicast MAC address by modifying a MAC multicast address, said step of modifying comprising the step of replacing one or more bytes in said MAC multicast address with one or more bytes identifying a predetermined upstream channel in said data-over-cable system with said predetermined upstream channel defining said subset of cable modems, and

transmitting said message over said data-over-cable system, said message containing said upstream channel multicast MAC address.

9. A method of sending a message to a subset of cable modems in a media access control (MAC) domain in a data-over-cable system, comprising the steps of:

generating an upstream channel multicast MAC address by modifying a MAC multicast address, said step of modifying comprising the step of replacing one or more bytes in said MAC multicast address with one or more bytes identifying a predetermined upstream channel in said data-over-cable system with said predetermined upstream channel defining said subset of cable modems, and

transmitting said message over said data-over-cable system, said message containing said upstream channel multicast MAC address,

wherein said upstream channel multicast MAC address comprises an address selected from the group of addresses consisting of 01-E0-2F-00-xx-01 and 01-E0-2F-xx-00-01, wherein xx comprises two hexadecimal characters identifying said upstream channel.

10. A method of sending a targeted multicast message to a predetermined group of cable modems comprising a subset of a larger set of cable modems in a data-over-cable system, comprising the steps of:

generating a group multicast MAC message that includes a group multicast MAC address identified with said predetermined group of cable modems, wherein the predetermined group of cable modems includes all cable modems in a particular upstream channel in said data-over-cable system;

providing said predetermined group of cable modems with said group multicast MAC address, wherein said group multicast address is an upstream channel multicast MAC address; and

transmitting said group multicast MAC message over said data-over-cable system to said larger set of cable modems;

wherein each of said cable modems in said larger set of cable modems compares said group multicast MAC address with addresses stored in a memory in said cable modems, and wherein only said predetermined group of cable modems have an address stored in memory that matches said group multicast MAC address, and therefore only said predetermined group of cable modems respond to said message.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said group multicast MAC address is downloaded to said predetermined group of cable modems using a simple network management protocol packet.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said predetermine group of modems comprises a group of status monitoring cable modems.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said predetermined group of modems comprises a group of cable modems manufactured by a common manufacturer.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said predetermined group of cable modems comprises a group of cable modems commonly owned and operated.

11. A method of sending a targeted multicast message to a predetermined group of cable modems comprising a subset of a larger set of cable modems in a data-over-cable system, comprising the steps of:

generating a group multicast MAC message that includes a group multicast MAC address identified with said predetermined group of cable modems, wherein the predetermined group of cable modems includes all cable modems in a particular upstream channel in said data-over-cable system;

providing said predetermined group of cable modems with said group multicast MAC address, wherein said group multicast address is an upstream channel multicast MAC address; and

transmitting said group multicast MAC message over said data-over-cable system to said larger set of cable modems;

wherein each of said cable modems in said larger set of cable modems compares said group multicast MAC address with addresses stored in a memory in said cable modems, and wherein only said predetermined group of cable modems have an address stored in memory that matches said group multicast MAC address, and therefore only said predetermined group of cable modems respond to said message,

wherein said group multicast MAC address comprises a modification to a multicast MAC address of the form 01-E0-2F-00-00-01.