Transparent QoS using VC-merge capable access modules

• US 6,788,696 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Allan, David Ian, Wilhelm, Diana Joan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Alan V.
• Application Number:
  US09/750,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20010048683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230.1, 370/237, 370/252, 370/349, 370/352-356, 370/389, 370/390, 370/392, 370/395.1, 370/395.21, 370/395.42, 370/395.5, 370/395.53, 370/397, 370/401, 370/432, 370/466, 370/537, 370/395.52, 709/223, 709/225, 709/229
• US Class Current: 370/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5618 Bridges, gateways [GW] or interworking units [IWU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5642 Multicast/broadcast/point-multipoint, e.g. VOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A method and a system for providing transparent Quality of Service (QoS) and reducing bandwidth usage in an ATM access network uses that uses VC-merging and delivery of content directly through the access network. Root-initiated join proxy messages sent from a service gateway include a merge-eligibility indicator that prompts an access module to merge content delivered through the access networks into a virtual circuit link (VCL) provisioned for the subscriber. TCP splicing is also supported to further improve overall QoS.

Claims

1. A method of providing transparent Quality of Service (QoS) to at least one subscriber CPE connected to an ATM access network via an access module adapted to perform a Virtual Channel (VC) merge, the method comprising the steps of:

a) intercepting a request for content at a Service Gateway that services the CPE;

b) examining the request at the Service Gateway by performing packet snooping, and responding to the request with a proxy message that includes a merge-eligibility indicator;

c) forwarding the proxy message to the access module via an ATM edge switch that is connected to a provider of the content; and

d) performing a VC-merge to merge the content into a virtual channel connection (VCC) provisioned for the CPE.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the proxy message is a point-to-multipoint root-initiated join proxy message.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the proxy message is a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) proxy message.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the VC-merge is performed at an access module that serves the CPE.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the VC-merge is performed at a node in the ATM access network.

6. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the root-initiated join message includes an address of the CPE, and a domain identifier.

7. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the request originating from the CPE is an Interior Gateway Multicast Protocol (IGMP) message.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of identifying a location of the requested content at the Service Gateway using a look-up table.

9. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the root-initiated join message is sent from the Service Gateway to the ATM edge switch over one of a pre-provisioned soft permanent virtual circuit (SPVC) and a permanent virtual circuit (PVC).

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the root-initiated join message contains an address of the CPE, a merge-eligibility indicator, and a domain identifier.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the content provider is connected to the access module by a provisioned permanent virtual circuit (PVC).

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the content provider is connected to the access module by a switched virtual circuit (SVC) established by the content provider when the request for content is received.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access module is one of a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM), cable headend, satellite base station, ATM side of Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) and optical line termination.

14. A system for providing transparent Quality of Service (QoS) to at least one subscriber'"'"'s CPE connected to an ATM access network via an access module associated with the CPE adaptable to perform Virtual Channel (VC) merge, the system comprising:

a) means for intercepting a request for content at a Service Gateway that services the CPE;

b) means for examining the request at the Service Gateway by performing packet snooping, and for responding to the request with a proxy message that includes a merge-eligibility indicator;

c) means for forwarding the proxy message to the access module via an ATM edge switch that is connected to a provider of the content; and

d) means for performing a VC-merge to merge the content into a VC provisioned for the CPE.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the proxy message is a root-initiated join message that includes a merge-eligibility indicator, an address of the CPE, and a domain identifier.

16. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the request message originating from the CPE is one of an Interior Gateway Multicast Protocol (IGMP) and a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) message.

17. A system as claimed in claim 14, further comprising means for identifying a location of the requested content by the Service Gateway at a content provider by using a look-up table.

18. A system as claimed in claim 14, further including a caching server connected to the ATM access network.

19. A system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising means for sending the root-initiated join message from the Service Gateway to the ATM edge switch over a pre-provisioned SPVC or a PVC.

20. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the root-initiated join message contains information, such as subscriber address, a merge-eligibility indicator and a domain identifier.

21. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the content provider is connected to the access module by a pre-provisioned PVC.

22. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the content provider is adapted to connect to the access module by establishing a signaled virtual circuit (VC).

23. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the means for performing the VC-merge further comprises means for analyzing the root-initiated join message to determine an address of the CPE and the Virtual Circuit Link (VCL) associated with the CPE, and means for forwarding the content from the content provider to the CPE by merging the content into the VCL.

24. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the access module is one of a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM), cable headend, satellite base station, ATM side of Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) and optical line termination.

25. A method of performing TCP splicing in at an Internet Protocol (IP) Service Gateway for Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) subscribers connected to an access network by an access module, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) dialog request at the Service Gateway from one of the subscribers, the HTTP dialog requesting a worldwide web page;

b) sending a proxy message to a cache server connected to the access networks;

c) responding to the proxy message at the cache server by setting up a merge-eligible switched virtual circuit (SVC) to the access module that serves customer premise equipment (CPE) of the subscriber;

d) and sending the worldwide web page data via the SVC to the access module, which merges the data into a merge eligible virtual circuit link (VCL) provisioned for the CPE.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25 wherein the SVC is used to forward cached web pages subsequently requested from the CPE.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26 wherein the SVC is released after a predetermined period of inactivity.