Multilink point-to-point protocol network access server channel allocation method and apparatus

• US 6,754,714 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1999
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chebrolu, Prasad Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELMAN, BRADLEY E
• Application Number:
  US09/412,840
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/227, 709/229, 709/228, 709/104, 370/225, 370/227, 370/228, 370/437, 370/438, 370/232
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers

Abstract

In a multilink point-to-point protocol (PPP) network access server, a method is provided in one aspect of the invention allocating ports among various users that includes allocating primary ports among various users, and thereafter, allocating secondary ports among various users only until the number of allocated secondary ports reaches a prescribed maximum.

Another aspect of the invention may be thought of as a back-channel allocation method that includes determining whether a back channel is actually being used by a first network client, and if not then allocating the unused back channel to a second network client. In a final aspect of the invention an auxiliary channel resource allocation apparatus for use with a multilink PPP access server, is provided that includes decision or detection logic determining the availability of an auxiliary channel resource previously allocated to a first user of the access server, the decision logic signaling such availability, and allocation or reallocation logic responsive to the signaling to allocate the available auxiliary channel resource to a second user of the access server. The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment which proceeds with reference to the drawings.

Claims

1. In a multilink point-to-point protocol (PPP) network access server, a method of allocating ports comprising:

providing a decoupled primary and secondary port pair allocable to a given user;

allocating a primary port to a given user, and thereafter

allocating a secondary port to the given user only if the number of allocated secondary ports has not reached a prescribed maximum per access server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the allocating of a secondary port for the given user is performed only upon a determination by the access server that traffic on the primary port for the given user exceeds a prescribed load.

3. In a multilink point-to-point protocol (PPP) network access server, a method of allocating ports among various users comprising:

first allocating primary ports among various users, and thereafter

second allocating secondary ports among various users only until the number of allocated secondary ports reaches a prescribed maximum;

third allocating primary ports among further users until such time as all ports are allocated; and

determining whether one or more of the various users is under-utilizing an allocated pair of primary and secondary ports in accordance with prescribed under-utilization criteria and if so then de-allocating the one or more under-utilized secondary ports.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

reallocating the one or more de-allocated secondary ports to one or more new users.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the reallocating of secondary ports is continued until the prescribed threshold number of allocated secondary ports is reached.

6. For use with a multilink point-to-point protocol (PPP) network access server, a back-channel allocation method comprising:

consolidating use by a first network client of a primary channel and a secondary channel assigned to the first network client by moving traffic from the secondary channel to the primary channel, and thereafter

determining whether the secondary channel is actually being used by the first network client, and

if not then allocating the unused secondary channel to a second network client.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the allocating is performed only upon request by the second network client for channel access.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the consolidating, the determining and the allocating are performed by the access server.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the determining is based at least in part upon actual level of use of the secondary channel by the first network client within a predetermined time period prior to the determining.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the determining is based at least in part upon average level of use of the secondary channel over the predetermined time period by the first network client.

11. The method of claim 6 which further comprises allocating a primary channel and a secondary channel to the first network client, the allocating of a primary and a secondary channel being performed prior to the consolidating, determining and allocating.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the allocating of a secondary channel to the second network client is performed only if the number of allocated secondary channels is less than the prescribed maximum.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the consolidating, the determining, the allocating of a primary channel and a secondary channel to the first network client and the allocating of the unused secondary channel to the second network client are performed by the access server.

14. An auxiliary channel resource allocation apparatus for use with a multilink point-to-point protocol (PPP) access server, the allocation apparatus comprising:

decision logic determining the present availability of an under-utilized secondary channel resource previously allocated to a user of the access server, the user under-utilizing the resource, the decision logic signaling such present availability, and

allocation logic responsive to the signaling automatically to reallocate the presently available under-utilized secondary channel resource to a second user of the access server.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the decision logic determines secondary channel resource availability without regard to the availability of a primary channel resource that may be associated with the secondary channel resource.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the allocation logic reallocates the available secondary channel resource to the other user without deallocating a primary channel resource previously allocated to the first user of the access server.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

a multilink point-to-point protocol (PPP) access server for connecting the user with an Internet service provider and for connecting the other user with an Internet service provider, wherein the decision logic and the allocation logic are implemented in software residing in memory and executed by a processor associated with the access server.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the allocation logic further allocates a primary channel resource and a secondary channel resource to the user of the access server, whereby the allocation logic further allocates the secondary channel resource to the user only if the number of allocated secondary channels is less than a prescribed maximum number of allocable secondary channels.

19. A computer-readable medium containing a program for allocating channel resources in a multi-link point-to-point protocol (PPP) network access server in response to a service request from a new client, the program comprising:

a usage table indicating present usage of various secondary channel resources;

decision logic responsive to a service request from a new client, the decision logic determining the present availability of a secondary channel resource previously allocated to an earlier user of the access server, the earlier user underutilizing the resource, the decision logic signaling such availability; and

allocation logic responsive to the signaling automatically to allocate the presently available underutilized secondary channel resource to the new client.

20. The program of claim 19 wherein the allocation logic further allocates a primary channel resource and a secondary channel resource to the earlier user of the access server, whereby the allocation logic further allocates the secondary channel resource to the earlier user only if the number of allocated secondary channels is less than a prescribed maximum number of allocable secondary channels.