System, device, and method for receiver access control in a multicast communication system

• US 6,963,573 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2000
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Cain, Bradley, Hardjono, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man U.
• Application Number:
  US09/660,688
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 370231-236, 370352-393, 370/337, 370/349, 370/400, 370/401, 370/432, 370/409, 709/200, 709/204, 709225-229, 709/224, 709238-245, 713/163, 713/201
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

A system, device, and method for receiver access control in a multicast communication network uses a policy service to determine whether a subscriber device can be admitted to a multicast group. The subscriber device accesses the multicast communication network via an access device. The access device uses a policy service to obtain a policy decision from a policy server, where the policy decision indicates whether or not the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group. The access device enforces the policy decision by admitting the subscriber device to the multicast group if and only if the policy decision indicates that the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a subscriber device;

an access device;

a policy server, wherein the policy server is operably coupled to determine a policy decision indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to a multicast group, and wherein the access device is operably coupled to control subscriber device access to the multicast group based upon the policy decision from the policy server indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group; and

wherein

the subscriber device is operably coupled to send a join request message to the access device for joining the multicast group,

the access device is operably coupled to receive the join request message from the subscriber device over an incoming interface and send a policy service request message to the policy server indicating at least the incoming interface and the multicast group,

the policy server is operably coupled to receive the policy service request message from the access device, determine the policy decision indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group based upon at least the incoming interface and the multicast group indicated in the policy service request message, and send a policy service decision message to the access device including the policy decision indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group, and

the access device is operably coupled to receive the policy service decision message from the policy server and admit the subscriber device to the multicast group if and only if the policy decision in the policy service decision message indicates that the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the policy decision for admitting the subscriber device to the multicast group is based upon an interface of the access device to which the subscriber device is coupled.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the access device is operably coupled to admit the subscriber device to the multicast group if and only if the policy decision from the policy server indicates that the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group.

4. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the access device is operably coupled to establish appropriate multicast routes for receiving multicast information for the multicast group and forwarding the multicast information for the multicast group to the subscriber device upon admitting the subscriber device to the multicast group.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the join request message comprises an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) join request.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the policy service request message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) request message indicating at least the multicast group.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the policy service decision message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) decision message including the policy decision.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the COPS decision message comprises a command code indicating whether to admit (install) the subscriber device or reject (remove) the subscriber device.

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the access device and the policy server are operably coupled to establish a policy service connection for exchanging policy service messages including the policy service request message and the policy service decision message.

11. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the access device is operably coupled to send a client open message to the policy server in order to open the policy service connection, and wherein the policy server is operably coupled to send a client accept message to the access device in order to accept the policy service connection.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the client open message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) client-open message including a client type indicating that the access device is a multicast access point device, and wherein the client accept message comprises a COPS client-accept message.

13. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the access device is operably coupled to join the multicast group upon admitting the subscriber device to the multicast group.

14. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the access device is operably coupled to send a Protocol Independent Multicast (PEM) join request message upstream toward a rendezvous point device in order to join the multicast group.

7. The communication system of clam 6, wherein the COPS request message comprises:

an address for the incoming interface;

an index for the incoming interface; and

an address for the multicast group.

15. A method for providing access control by an access device in a multicast communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a join request message for joining a multicast group from a subscriber device over an incoming interface;

obtaining from a policy server a policy decision indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group;

admitting the subscriber device to the multicast group if and only if the policy decision indicates that the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group; and

wherein obtaining the policy decision from the policy server comprises

establishing a policy service connection to the policy server,

sending a policy service request message to the policy server indicating at least the multicast group, and

receiving a policy service decision message from the policy server indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the join request message comprises an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) join request message indicating the multicast group.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein establishing the policy service connection to the policy server comprises:

sending a client open message to the policy server; and

receiving a client accept message from the policy server.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the client open message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) client-open message including a client type indicating that the access device is a multicast access point device, and wherein the client accept message comprises a COPS client-accept message.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the policy service request message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) request message indicating at least the multicast group.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the COPS request message comprises:

an address for the incoming interface;

an index for the incoming interface; and

an address for the multicast group.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the policy service decision message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) decision message indicating the policy decision for the subscriber device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the COPS decision message comprises a command code indicating whether to admit (install) the subscriber device or reject (remove) the subscriber device.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein admitting the subscriber device to the multicast group comprises:

joining the multicast group; and

establishing appropriate multicast routes for receiving multicast information and forwarding the multicast information to the subscriber device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein joining the multicast group comprises:

sending a Protocol Independent Multicast (PEM) join request message upstream toward a rendezvous point device in order to join the multicast group.

25. An apparatus comprising:

an incoming interface;

multicast group management logic operably coupled to receive a join request message for joining a multicast group from a subscriber device over the incoming interface;

policy service logic operably coupled to obtain from a policy server a policy decision indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group;

multicast routine logic operably coupled to admit the subscriber device to the multicast group if and only if the policy decision indicates that the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group; and

wherein the policy service logic is operably coupled to send a policy service request message to the policy server indicating at least the multicast group and receive a policy service decision message from the policy server indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the multicast group management logic comprises Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) logic, and wherein the join request message comprises an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) join request message indicating the multicast group.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the policy service logic comprises extended Common Open Policy Service (COPS) logic.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the policy service request message comprises a COPS request message indicating at least the multicast group.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the COPS request message comprises:

an address for the incoming interface;

an index for the incoming interface; and

an address for the multicast group.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the policy service decision message comprises a COPS decision message indicating the policy decision for the subscriber device.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the COPS decision message comprises a command code indicating whether to admit (install) the subscriber device or reject (remove) the subscriber device.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the multicast routing logic is operably coupled to join the multicast group and establish appropriate multicast routes for receiving multicast information and forwarding the multicast information to the subscriber device.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the multicast routing logic comprises Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) logic.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the multicast routing logic is operably coupled to send a PIM join request message upstream toward a rendezvous point device in order to join the multicast group.

35. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the policy service logic is operably coupled to establish and maintain a policy service connection with the policy server for exchanging policy service messages including the policy service request message and the policy service decision message.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the policy service logic is operably coupled to send a client open message to the policy server in order to establish the policy service connection.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the client open message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) client-open message including a client clear type indicating that the apparatus is a multicast access point device.

38. A computer program for controlling a computer system, the computer program comprising:

multicast group management logic programmed to receive a join request message for joining a multicast group from a subscriber device over an incoming interface;

policy service logic programmed to obtain from a policy server a policy decision indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group;

multicast routing logic programmed to admit the subscriber device to the multicast group if and only if the policy decision indicates that the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group; and

wherein the policy service logic is programmed to send a policy service request message to the policy server indicating at least the multicast group and receive a policy service decision message from the policy server indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group.

39. The computer program of claim 38, wherein the multicast group management logic comprises Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) logic, and wherein the join request message comprises an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) join request message indicating the multicast group.

40. The computer program of claim 38, wherein the policy service logic comprises extended Common Open Policy Service (COPS) logic.

41. The computer program of claim 40, wherein the policy service request message comprises a COPS request message indicating at least the multicast group.

42. The computer program of claim 41, wherein the COPS request message comprises:

an address for the incoming interface;

an index for the incoming interface; and

an address for the multicast group.

43. The computer program of claim 38, wherein the policy service decision message comprises a COPS decision message indicating the policy decision for the subscriber device.

44. The computer program of claim 43, wherein the COPS decision message comprises a command code indicating whether to admit (install) the subscriber device or reject (remove) the subscriber device.

45. The computer program of claim 38, wherein the multicast routing logic is programmed to join the multicast group and establish appropriate multicast routes for receiving multicast information and forwarding the multicast information to the subscriber device.

46. The computer program of claim 45, wherein the multicast routing logic comprises Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) logic.

47. The computer program of claim 46, wherein the membership logic is programmed to send a PIM join request message upstream toward a rendezvous point device in order to join the multicast group.

48. The computer program of claim 38, wherein the policy service logic is programmed to establish and maintain a policy service connection with the policy server for exchanging policy service messages including the policy service request message and the policy service decision message.

49. The computer program of claim 48, wherein the policy service logic is programmed to send a client open message to the policy server in order to establish the policy service connection.

50. The computer program of claim 49, wherein the client open message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) client-open message including a client type indicating that the apparatus is a multicast access point device.