Multiservice use of network connection capability under user-to-network interface signaling

• US 7,088,720 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2000
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schneider, Marco, Cunetto, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man U.
• Application Number:
  US09/633,865
• Time in Patent Office: 2,192 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/389, 370395-398, 370260-271, 370254-259, 370351-360, 370401-422, 370/522, 709203-219, 709224-229, 709/238
• US Class Current: 370/395.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5605 Fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5614 User Network Interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5629 Admission control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5665 Interaction of ATM with other protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5669 Multiprotocol over ATM [MPOA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

Method and apparatus for a distributed switching system supporting a plurality of services. A service request is initiated by an initiating customer. The service request is then executed using, for example, a user-to-network interface setup. A terminating setup is then performed to either accept or reject the requested service. Multiple service requests are correlated with respective services to enable at least one appropriate policy and logic. Data related to the requested service is obtained using at least one of a push procedure, a pull procedure, a query procedure, and a procedure in which requests are associated with the issuance of certificates.

Claims

1. A system for implementing a plurality of services, the system comprising:

a service controller, configured to provide service policy and logic associated with the plurality of services in response to service requests initiated by end users; and

a network connection capability comprising;

a switching device, configured to establish connections over a network;

a switch controller having a bearer function and a virtual switch control function for controlling said switching device based on network policy and logic; and

a proxy device that correlates the service requests with respective services of the plurality of services in response to a network connection request to enable the associated service policies and logic provided by the service controller, and that initiates connections to the network via the switch controller based on at least the associated service policy and logic of the requested services.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said switching device and said switch controller comprise a conventional switch.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said conventional switch comprises an ATM Switch.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said switching device and said switch controller comprise a next generation switch.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said switching device includes said switch controller.

6. A method for controlling network connections based on policy and logic of requested services, the method comprising:

receiving, from an initiating customer, a request for at least one service of a plurality of services;

obtaining predetermined data related to the at least one requested service, the predetermined data correlating to at least one of a policy and logic corresponding to the requested service;

instructing the initiating customer to initiate a predetermined setup identifying the requested service and, in response to the predetermined setup, initiating a network connection based on the at least one policy and logic corresponding to the requested service;

passing a first predetermined signal across a network in response to the predetermined setup;

initiating a second predetermined setup, in response to the passed first predetermined signal;

passing a second predetermined signal across the network in response to the second predetermined setup, the second predetermined signal indicating whether to allow the network connection based on at least one of policy and logic of the network; and

providing to the initiating customer a response indicating whether the network connection is allowed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein obtaining comprises pushing the predetermined data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pushing predetermined data comprises pushing the at least one of policy and logic representing at least one of service capabilities and service permissions.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein obtaining comprises pulling the predetermined data.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein obtaining comprises querying a service control module for the predetermined data.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising using a certificate to specify permitted setup parameters.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising encrypting the certificate.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising assigning a sequence number to the encrypted certificate.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the certificate further identifies which service allowed the setup.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining whether the certificate is valid.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising preventing reuse of the certificate.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein preventing comprises examining a sequence number assigned to the certificate to determine whether the sequence number was seen before.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein preventing comprises examining at least one of a time-stamp and a date-stamp to determine whether the at least one of the time-stamp and the date-stamp exceeds a predetermined delta value.

36. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined setup comprises a UNI setup, the first predetermined signal comprises a PNNI protocol, and the second predetermined setup comprises a second UNI setup.

19. A method for controlling connections to a network based on policy and logic of requested services, the method comprising:

receiving, at a service controller, a service request initiated by an initiating customer;

obtaining predetermined data from the service controller related to at least one of policy and logic of the requested service;

establishing a connection to the network using a first predetermined setup, initiated to realize the requested service in accordance with the at least one policy and logic of the service; and

initiating a second predetermined setup to one of accept and reject the requested network connection on behalf of the requested service and in accordance with at least one of policy and logic of the network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein obtaining the predetermined data for the requested service comprises using a pushing procedure.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein obtaining the predetermined data for the requested service comprises using a pulling procedure.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein obtaining the predetermined data for the requested service comprises using a query procedure.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising requesting the initiating customer to initiate the predetermined setup as a user-to network interface setup.

24. The method of claim 19, the network comprising an ATM network, wherein establishing the network connection to realize the requested service comprises transferring the first predetermined setup over the ATM network, the first predetermined setup being redirected from a switching device to the service controller.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising controlling the switching device with a switch controller, the switch controller being integral with the switching device.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising controlling the switching device with a switch controller, the switch controller being integral with the service controller.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein obtaining the predetermined data for the requested service comprises providing a certificate for establishing the network connection in combination with the predetermined setup.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the certificate specifies at least a permitted setup parameter.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising encrypting the certificate.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising assigning a sequence number to the encrypted certificate.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the certificate further identifies the requested service, which allowed the setup.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining whether the certificate is valid.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising preventing reuse of the certificate.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein preventing comprises examining a sequence number assigned to the certificate to determine whether the sequence number was previously examined.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein preventing comprises examining at least one of a time-stamp and a date-stamp to determine whether the at least one of the time-stamp and the date-stamp exceeds a predetermined delta value.

37. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined setup comprises a user-to-network interface setup.

38. A method for controlling customer access to capabilities of a network associated with a network service, the method comprising:

receiving from a customer system a request for the network service;

instructing the customer system to perform a connection setup request, the instructing comprising a certificate and specification of a unique identifier to be included in the connection setup request, the unique identifier correlating the connection setup request and the network service;

receiving from the customer system, at a network connection capability, the connection setup request, including the unique identifier;

processing the connection setup request based on the certificate and the unique identifier and at least one of policy and logic associated with the network service; and

performing one of establishing a network connection and rejecting the connection setup request based on the processing, in accordance with the certificate and the at least one of service policy and logic.

39. A system for controlling customer access to capabilities of a network associated with a network service, the system comprising:

a service controller that receives a request for the network service from a customer system and instructs the customer system to perform a connection setup request, the instructing comprising a certificate and specification of a unique identifier to be included in the connection setup request, the unique identifier correlating the connection setup request and the network service; and

a network connection capability controller that receives the connection setup request, including the certificate and the unique identifier, from the customer system;

wherein the network connection capability controller processes the connection setup request based on the certificate, the unique identifier and at least one of policy and logic associated with the network service, and performs one of establishing a network connection and rejecting the connection setup request based on the processing, in accordance with the certificate and the at least one of policy and logic.