Format for automatic generation of unique ATM addresses used for PNNI

• US 7,116,669 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2001
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tomaszewski, Marek, Alles, Anthony, Chippa, Ashok, Spiegel, Ethan
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US09/852,755
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 3703951-39532, 709220-222, 709/245
• US Class Current: 370/395.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for providing unique ATM End System Addresses, in which each new device is assigned a unique address in an ATM network while allowing all new devices performing the PNNI protocol in a selected set (such as all those from a single manufacturer) to be assigned by default to the same peer group. In the invention, a first portion of the ATM address (from which the default peer group ID is determined) is by default configured to equal a selected value unique to the manufacturer (or another selected class of devices), which assures that all devices from the same manufacturer (or in that selected class) are by default configured in the same peer group for PNNI protocol purposes, while a second portion of the ATM address (comprising a switch number ID) and a third portion of the ATM address (comprising a device number ID) are by default both configured to equal a unique value for the device (such as a MAC address), which assures that each device is configured with a unique ATM address. The third portion of the ATM address may alternatively be determined using a different method, so long as selection of the third portion causes each device to be assigned a unique ATM address by default.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

assigning a private network—

network interface (PNNI) peer group identification to a device to be coupled with an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network based on a manufacturer of the device and a product group to which the device belongs; and

auto-configuring the device at a point of manufacture with an ATM address using the assigned PNNI peer group identification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the PNNI peer group identification includes a two bit field indicating manufacturer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the PNNI peer group identification includes a four bit field indicating product group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the ATM address includes a switch identification field identifying a switch to which the device will be connected or a default switch.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the switch identification field can be altered at a point of installation.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the switch identification field consists of a media access control (MAC) address.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the switch identification field consists of six bytes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ATM address includes a device identification field unique to the device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the device identification field can be altered at a point of installation.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the device identification field consists of a media access control (MAC) address.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the device identification field consists of six bytes.

12. A machine-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a sequence of instructions executable by a machine to perform a method comprising:

assigning a private network—

network interface (PNNI) peer group identification to a device to be coupled with an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network based on a manufacturer of the device and a product group to which the device belongs; and

auto-configuring the device at a point of manufacture with an ATM address using the assigned PNNI peer group identification.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the PNNI peer group identification includes a two bit field indicating manufacturer.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the PNNI peer group identification includes a four bit field indicating product group.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the ATM address includes a switch identification field identifying a switch to which the device will be connected or a default switch.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the switch identification field can be altered at a point of installation.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the switch identification field consists of a media access control (MAC) address.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the switch identification field consists of six bytes.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the ATM address includes a device identification field unique to the device.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the device identification field can be altered at a point of installation.

21. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the device identification field consists of a media access control (MAC) address.

22. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the device identification field consists of six bytes.