Expediting port release in distributed networks

• US 7,590,740 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2002
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehta, Sunil B., Synnestvedt, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): AILES, BENJAMIN A
• Application Number:
  US10/104,820
• Time in Patent Office: 2,734 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/200, 709/217, 709/225, 370/352, 370/235, 370/356, 370/252, 370/458, 379/88.22, 379/93.08, 379/269, 713/200, 710/36
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A method and device to expedite port release. The method includes receiving a call setup request for a port and then determining the current state of the port. If the current state of the port is active, a release message is transmitted to an entity occupying the port. In an embodiment, the call setup request is granted. In another embodiment, an active port cache is updated to reflect the new entity occupying the port.

Claims

1. A method to release ports, comprising:

receiving a call setup request for a port from a universal gateway in a point of presence (POP);

determining if the port is listed as active by accessing a local store;

if the port is listed as active, transmitting a release message to a customer service level agreement server occupying the port;

updating status information for the port; and

receiving a call acceptance message.

2. The method of claim 1, the method comprising granting the call setup request after transmitting the release message.

3. The method of claim 2, the method comprising updating the local store to reflect the granting of the call setup request.

4. The method of claim 1, receiving the call setup request comprising receiving the call setup request from the universal gateway through a RASER.

5. The method of claim 1, transmitting the release message to the customer service level agreement server further comprises transmitting the release message to the customer service level agreement server through a RASER.

6. The method of claim 1, the method comprising updating the local store to reflect the release of the port.

7. A network device, comprising:

an input port to receive a call setup request for a port from a universal gateway in a point of presence (POP);

a storage to store a list of active ports;

a processor operable to;

determine if the port is included in the list of active ports;

transmit a release message to a customer service level agreement server if the port is included in the list of active ports; and

receive a call acceptance message.

8. The network device of claim 7, wherein the processor is also operable to accept the call setup request for the port.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the processor is also operable to update the list of active ports.

10. The network device of claim 7, wherein the processor is operable to transmit the release message to the customer service level agreement server through a RASER.

11. An article containing machine-readable code that, when executed, causes the machine to:

receive a call setup request for a port from a universal gateway in a point of presence (POP);

determine if the port is listed as active by accessing a local store;

transmit a release message to a customer service level agreement server occupying the port if the port is listed as active;

update status information for the port; and

receive a call acceptance message.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the code, when executed, further causes the machine to grant the call setup request.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the code, when executed, further causes the machine to update the local store to reflect the granting of the call setup request.

14. The article of claim 11, wherein the code, when executed, causes the machine to receive the call setup request from the universal gateway through a RASER.

15. The article of claim 11, wherein the code, when executed, causes the machine to transmit the release message to the customer service level agreement server through a RASER.

16. The article of claim 11, wherein the code, when executed, causes the machine to update the local store to reflect the release of the port.