Internal substitution bi-level addressing for compatible public networks

• US 7,092,390 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wan, Albert Chungbor
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HANH N
• Application Number:
  US09/947,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20020061011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/395.1, 370/396, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.2, 370/395.31, 370/395.5, 370/395.51, 370/395.52, 370/395.53, 370/390, 709/238, 709/245
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5685 Addressing issues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/10 Routing in connection-oriented networks, e.g. X.25 or ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses

Abstract

A system operable among compatible public networks, such as ATM networks, recognizes signals having external service addresses entering a controlled compatible public network. External service addresses are checked against a look-up of internal routing addresses that are generally only recognized and/or advertised within the controlled compatible public network, and that represent egress terminating interfaces. The external service address is replaced with the internal routing address, although the external service address is retained and transported. Routing to the egress terminating interface in the controlled compatible network is performed on the internal routing address only, without reference to the external service address. At the egress terminating interface, the internal routing address is discarded, and the external service address restored, as the signals are forwarded to the next entity, which is usually a connected compatible network or end system. The signals having external service addresses traverse the entire controlled compatible network without any internal system requiring external service address handling capability.

Claims

1. A method for addressing and directing traffic in a compatible public network, comprising:

receiving an original signal at an ingress capable network device in the compatible public network and that includes a destination service address;

forwarding a destination address identifier corresponding to the destination service address to a local naming system including at least one look-up table having registered pairs of destination address identifiers and internal routing addresses internal to the compatible public network;

performing a look-up between the destination address identifier and at least one internal routing address corresponding thereto;

returning at least one internal routing address to the ingress capable network device from the local naming system;

substituting the destination address identifier with the internal routing address in a transit signal corresponding to the original signal while retaining said destination address identifier in a separate portion of said transit signal;

routing said transit signal from the ingress capable network device through the compatible public network to an egress capable network device at the internal routing address;

removing the internal routing address from said transit signal at said egress capable network device;

restoring the destination service address to said transit signal; and

forwarding said transit signal from the egress capable network device according to the destination service address.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the original signal includes the destination address identifier in the form of a destination service address embedded therein.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said destination address identifier comprises the destination service address, and said local naming system includes at least one look-up table having registered pairs of destination service addresses and internal routing addresses internal to the compatible public network, and wherein

said performing comprises performing a look-up between the destination service address and at least one internal routing address corresponding thereto;

said substituting comprises substituting the destination service address with the returned internal routing address in a transit signal corresponding to the original signal while retaining said destination service address in a separate portion of said transit signal; and

said forwarding comprises forwarding the transit signal from the egress capable network device according to the destination service address.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said destination address identifier comprises a destination compatible network identifying code, and said local naming system includes at least one look-up table having registered pairs of destination compatible network identifying codes external to the compatible public network and internal routing addresses internal to the compatible public network, and wherein

said performing comprises performing a look-up between the destination compatible network identifying code and at least one internal routing address corresponding thereto;

said substituting comprises substituting the destination service address with the returned internal routing address in a transit signal corresponding to the original signal while retaining said destination service address in a separate portion of said transit signal; and

said forwarding comprises forwarding said transit signal from the egress capable network device according to the destination service address.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said destination address identifier comprises the destination service address, and said method further comprising:

checking in said local naming system whether at least one internal routing address corresponding to the destination service address is present in said registered pairs, and when at least one internal routing address is not present in said registered pairs, obtaining from said local naming system a destination compatible network identifying code corresponding to the destination service address;

performing a look-up between the destination compatible network identifying code and at least one internal routing address corresponding thereto; and

returning at least one returned internal routing address to the ingress capable network device from the local naming system.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said destination address identifier comprises the destination service address, and said method further comprising:

checking in said local naming system whether at least one internal routing address corresponding to the destination service address is present in said registered pairs, and when at least one internal routing address is not present in said registered pairs; and

checking in said local naming system whether at least one destination compatible network identifying code corresponding to the destination service address is present in said registered pairs.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

when at least one destination compatible network identifying code corresponding to the destination service address is not present in said registered pairs,

forwarding the destination service address to a global naming system including at least one look-up table having registered pairs of destination service addresses and destination compatible network identifying codes; and

receiving a destination compatible network identifying code from the global naming system.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

returning one of the destination compatible network identifying code and at least one returned internal routing address to the ingress capable network device from the local naming system.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said compatible public network is an ATM network.

10. A system for addressing and directing traffic in a compatible public network, comprising:

a local naming system server including at least one look-up table having registered pairs of destination service addresses and internal routing addresses internal to the compatible public network;

at least one ingress capable network device that receives an original signal including a destination service address embedded therein, said at least one ingress capable network device including at least one interface for receiving signals having destination service addresses, at least one interface to the local naming system server through which look-up query signals are sent and internal routing addresses corresponding to the destination service addresses are received, and at least one internal routing and traffic carrying interface for routing at least transit signals corresponding to the received signals through the compatible public network, according to said internal routing address, while retaining the destination service addresses in respective portions of the transit signals; and

at least one egress capable network device that receives the at least transit signals routed according to said internal routing addresses and that restores said destination service addresses and forwards the at least transit signals from said compatible public network.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising at least one intervening network device through which said at least transit signals are routed through the compatible public network.

12. The system according to claim 10, in which said at least transit signals are routed directly through the compatible public network with no intervening network devices.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein said egress capable network device that receives at least said transit signals routed according to said internal routing addresses, discards said internal routing addresses, and restores said destination service addresses before forwarding said transit signals from said compatible public network.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein said compatible public network is an ATM network, and each said ingress capable network switch and egress capable network switch is an ATM switch.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the local naming system comprises a local ATM naming system server, and the destination service addresses comprise ATM destination point (ADP) service addresses and the internal routing addresses comprise ATM terminating interface (ATI) routing addresses internal to the ATM service provider network.

16. A system for addressing and directing traffic in a compatible public network, comprising:

a local naming system server including at least one look-up table having registered pairs of destination service addresses and internal routing addresses internal to the compatible public network, and having registered pairs of destination compatible network identifying codes and internal routing addresses internal to the compatible public network;

at least one ingress capable network device that receives an original signal including a destination service address embedded therein, said at least one ingress capable network device including at least one interface for receiving signals having destination service addresses, at least one interface to the local naming system server through which look-up query signals are sent and internal routing addresses corresponding to the destination service addresses are received, and at least one internal routing and traffic carrying interface for routing at least transit signals corresponding to the received signals through the compatible public network, according to said internal routing address; and

at least one egress capable network device that receives the at least transit signals routed according to said internal routing addresses and that restores said destination service addresses and forwards the at least transit signals from said compatible public network;

wherein said local naming system server checks in said at least one look-up table whether at least one internal routing address corresponding to the destination service address is present in said registered pairs, and when at least one internal routing address is not present in said registered pairs, obtains from said at least one look-up table a destination compatible network identifying code corresponding to the destination address identifier, and returns at least one destination compatible network identifying code to the ingress capable network device.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said at least one ingress capable network device receives said at least one destination compatible network identifying code and sends a look-up query signal including the destination compatible network identifying code to the local naming system server.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said local naming server further performs a look-up between the destination compatible network identifying code and at least one internal routing address corresponding thereto, and returns said at least one internal routing address to the ingress capable network device.

19. A set of data signals embodied in a propagation medium within a compatible public network, the signals enabling routing of network traffic, and said set of data signals comprising:

a first signal from an ingress capable network device to a local naming system, the local naming system including at least one look-up table having registered pairs of destination address identifiers and internal routing addresses internal to the compatible public network, said first signal including a query structure having the destination address identifier embedded therein;

a second signal from the local naming system to the ingress capable network device, said second signal including a query response structure having at least one returned internal routing address corresponding to the destination address identifier corresponding to a destination service address embedded therein;

a third signal from the ingress capable network device and traversing the compatible public network to an egress capable network device at said at least one returned internal routing address, said third signal including routing information determining a path traversing internal network devices of the compatible public network to said at least one returned internal routing address and an address transport structure having said destination service address embedded therein; and

a fourth signal sent from said egress capable network device, said fourth signal including said destination service address.

20. The set of data signals according to claim 19, wherein the ingress capable network device is responsive to a signal including an addressing structure having the destination address identifier embedded therein.

21. The set of data signals according to claim 20, wherein said destination address identifier comprises said destination service address, and wherein at least one look-up table includes registered pairs of destination service addresses and corresponding internal routing addresses internal to the compatible public network, and

wherein said first signal from the ingress capable network device to the local naming system includes the query structure having the destination service address embedded therein, and said second signal includes a query response structure having at least one returned internal routing address corresponding to the destination service address embedded therein.

22. The set of data signals according to claim 19, wherein said fourth signal includes the destination service address, but not said internal routing address, embedded therein.

23. The set of data signals according to claim 19, wherein at least one look-up table includes registered pairs of destination compatible network identifying codes and corresponding internal routing addresses internal to the compatible public network, and

wherein said first signal from the ingress capable network device to the local naming system includes the query structure having the destination address identifier including a destination compatible network identifying code embedded therein, and said second signal includes a query response structure having at least one returned internal routing address corresponding to the destination compatible network identifying code embedded therein.

24. The set of data signals according to claim 23, wherein said fourth signal includes the destination service address, but not said internal routing address, embedded therein.

25. The set of data signals according to claim 23, further comprising:

a fifth signal from one of the ingress capable network device and the local naming system directed to a global naming system external to the compatible private network when said second signal cannot be formed by said local naming system, said fifth signal including a query structure having the destination address identifier embedded therein such that the global naming system can respond with a destination compatible network identifying code resolvable by the local naming system to an internal routing address.

26. The set of data signals according to claim 19, further comprising:

a partner signal exchanged between the local naming system and a remote local naming system in a second compatible network, said partner signal including pairs of destination service addresses internal to the second compatible public network and destination compatible network identifying codes for registration in said at least one look-up table.

27. The set of data signals according to claim 19, wherein said compatible public network is an ATM network.