System comprising a terminal system, an access multiplexer and a network

• US 7,457,318 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Kiss, Lajos, Cautereels, Paul, Renaux, Patrick Albert Paul, Vandaele, Peter, Dequeker, Hans Maurice Felix Corneel, Vermeiren, Tim, Gyselings, Tim, Fredricx, Francois Pierre Constant
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Thong H
• Application Number:
  US11/011,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20050190793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 370/250, 370/252, 370/412, 370/254, 370/392, 370/395, 370/218, 370/324, 370/251, 709/215, 709/229, 709/223, 709/240
• US Class Current: 370/474
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2896 Distributed processing, e.g. on line cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2592 using tunnelling or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems for transmitting information from terminal systems (1) via access multiplexers (3) comprising virtual forwarder systems (5) to networks are made less complex by inserting at the terminal systems (1) virtual forwarder internet protocol addresses (35,64,66) into destination fields of internet protocol headers for heading the information and by inserting destination internet protocol addresses (36,37,38,65,67) into routing fields of the internet protocol headers. Both the terminal systems (1) and the access multiplexers (3) should be made capable of dealing with internet protocol headers of the internet protocol version-4 or the internet protocol version-6 or higher, which comprise a destination field and a routing field. The destination internet protocol addresses (36,37,38,65,67) in the routing fields allow distinguishment between different classes of services and/or applications used by the terminal system (1) simultaneously, without the access multiplexers (3) being obliged to unpack (parts of) the information and to detect (parts of) the information at higher layers.

Claims

1. An access multiplexer for use in a system for transmitting information from a terminal system via the access multiplexer to a network coupled to the access multiplexer, which access multiplexer comprises a virtual forwarder system, wherein the access multiplexer further comprises:

a sender for sending˜

to the terminal system, a virtual forwarder internet protocol address defining at least a part of the virtual forwarder system and

a receiving means for receiving˜

from the terminal system, the information˜

to be transmitted to the network wherein the virtual forwarder internet protocol address is in a destination field of an internet protocol header of the information and a destination internet protocol address is in the internet protocol header, the destination internet protocol address defining a destination in the network coupled to said access multiplexer.

2. A system for transmitting information from a terminal system via an access multiplexer to a network coupled to the access multiplexer, which access multiplexer comprises an access multiplexer according to claim 1, wherein said terminal system comprises:

a receiver for receiving the virtual forwarder internet protocol address; and

an inserter for inserting the virtual forwarder internet protocol address into a destination field of an internet protocol header for heading the information and for inserting a destination internet protocol address into a routing field of the internet protocol header, which destination internet protocol address defines a destination in the network.

3. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein the information comprises first application information and second application information, with the destination internet protocol address comprising a first destination internet protocol address defining a first destination in the network and comprising a second destination internet protocol address defining a second destination in the network, and with the internet protocol header comprising a first internet protocol header for heading the first application information and comprising a second internet protocol header for heading the second application information, which first destination internet protocol address is to be inserted into the first internet protocol header and which second destination internet protocol address is to be inserted into the second internet protocol header.

4. A system as defined in claim 3, wherein the first destination comprises a first edge router and in that the second destination comprises a second edge router, with the virtual forwarder internet protocol address being inserted into the destination field of the first internet protocol header and into the destination field of the second internet protocol header.

5. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein the information further comprises third application information, which first application information and which third application information are destined for a first service provider and which second application information is destined for a second service provider, with the destination internet protocol address further comprising a third destination internet protocol address defining a third destination in the network, which third destination comprises a third edge router, and with the internet protocol header further comprising a third internet protocol header for heading the third application information, which third destination internet protocol address is to be inserted into the third internet protocol header, and with the virtual forwarder internet protocol address being inserted into the destination field of the third internet protocol header.

6. A system as defined in claim 3, wherein the virtual forwarder system comprises a first virtual forwarder and a second virtual forwarder, with the virtual forwarder internet protocol address comprising a first virtual forwarder internet protocol address defining the first virtual forwarder and comprising a second virtual forwarder internet protocol address defining the second virtual forwarder, which first virtual forwarder internet protocol address is to be inserted into the destination field of the first internet protocol header and which second virtual forwarder internet protocol address is to be inserted into the destination field of the second internet protocol header, and with the first destination comprising a first application at a first service provider and with the second destination comprising a second application at a second service provider.

7. A method for transmitting information from a terminal system to a network in a system according to claim 2, said method comprising the steps of:

sending, from the access multiplexer to the terminal system, a virtual forwarder internet protocol address defining at least a part of the virtual forwarder system;

receiving, at the terminal system, the virtual forwarder internet protocol address; and

inserting, at the terminal system, the virtual forwarder internet protocol address into a destination field of an internet protocol header for heading the information and inserting a destination internet protocol address into a routing field of the internet protocol header, which destination internet protocol address defines a destination in the network.

8. The access multiplexer according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means supplies the information received to the proper part of the virtual forwarding system based on the virtual forwarder internet protocol address in the destination field of the internet protocol header of the information.

9. The access multiplexer according to claim 1, wherein said sending is performed in response to an initialization signal received from the terminal system;

and, said access multiplexer further comprises;

a consulting means for retrieving the virtual forwarder internet protocol address in response to said initialization signal and providing said virtual forwarder internet protocol address to said sender for sending.

10. A terminal system for use in a system for transmitting information from the terminal system via an access multiplexer to a network coupled to the access multiplexer, which access multiplexer comprises a virtual forwarder system, wherein the terminal system comprises

a receiver for receiving, from said access multiplexer, a virtual forwarder internet protocol address defining at least a part of the virtual forwarder system;

and

an inserter for inserting the virtual forwarder internet protocol address into a destination field of an internet protocol header for heading the information and for inserting a destination internet protocol address into a routing field of the internet protocol header, which destination internet protocol address defines a destination in the network coupled to said access multiplexer.