Peer to peer SVC-based DSL service

• US 7,602,788 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Kuo-Hui, SINWALD, Michael P., Soon, Shih Chung, Chen, Wenge, Chou, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAN, CLEMENCE S
• Application Number:
  US10/286,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20040085968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,535 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/395.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model

Abstract

A subscriber dynamically establishes a peer-to-peer session from a source subscriber to a destination subscriber across a switched virtual circuit (SVC). A signaling (control) connection is established from the source subscriber to a server, and a connection request is sent via the signaling (control) connection to the server requesting establishment of the SVC to the destination subscriber. In response, a database is queried for information about a source switch associated with the source subscriber and a destination switch associated with the destination subscriber. Subsequently, the connection request is forwarded to a proxy signaling agent, and the proxy signaling agent signals the source switch and the destination switch to dynamically establish the SVC connection from the source switch to the destination switch. This abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically establishing at least one peer to peer Quality of Service (QoS) connection from a source user to a destination user, comprising:

receiving at a connection server, a connection request via a control connection, the connection request requesting establishment of the at least one QoS connection to the destination user;

querying a database for information about the source user, the destination user and a network, the information enabling the at least one QoS connection;

sending at least one of the information and the connection request to a proxy signaling agent, the proxy signaling agent signaling a source switch, associated with the source user, to dynamically establish the at least one QoS connection from the source switch to a destination switch, which is associated with the destination user; and

sending packets through an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line Terminal Unit Remote (ATU-R) to at least one of the source user and the destination user;

establishing the at least one QoS connection;

updating at least one routing table to reflect the at least one QoS connection; and

routing traffic in accordance with the at least one updated routing table so that application packets associated with the QoS connection are routed over the QoS connection and all other packets are routed over at least one other connection,

wherein the QoS connection comprises a switched virtual circuit (SVC) or a Soft Permanent Virtual Circuit (SPVC), and

wherein the connection request comprises an identification of the destination user, a class of service of the SVC and a traffic descriptor of the SVC.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the at least one routing table comprises a routing table stored in the source and a mapping table stored in the ATU-R.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tearing down the at least one QoS connection;

updating the at least one routing table to reflect that the at least one QoS connection no longer exists; and

routing traffic in accordance with the at least one updated routing table so that all traffic is routed over the other connection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving application packets from the source user over the ATU-R; and

determining whether to forward the received application packets over the at least one QoS connection based on whether or not the application packets match a previously received header pattern;

wherein when the received application packets match the header pattern, forwarding the received application packets over the at least one QoS connection; and

wherein when the received application packets do not match the header pattern, forwarding the received application packets over at least one other connection.

5. The method of claim 4, in which the header pattern comprises layer 3 and layer 4 information and the determining further comprises analyzing a layer 3 header and a layer 4 header of the received application packets to determine if the received application packets match the header pattern.

6. A system for dynamically establishing a peer to peer session from a source to a destination, comprising:

a connection server configured to receive a connection request via a control connection, the connection request requesting establishment of at least one Quality of Service (QoS) connection to the destination;

a database configured to store information about the source, the destination and a network, the information being obtained by the connection server;

a proxy signaling server configured to receive instructions from the connection server to establish the at least one QoS connection based on the connection request and the information and to signal a source switch, associated with the source, to dynamically establish the at least one QoS connection from the source switch to a destination switch, which is associated with the destination;

a digital subscriber line access multiplexer configured to send packets from one of the source switch and the destination switch;

an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line Terminal Unit Remote (ATU-R) configured to selectively route packets over the at least one QoS connection; and

a network service agent configured to communicate with the connection server to forward the connection request, the network service agent being informed by the connection server when the at least one QoS connection has been established and updating the at least one routing table in response to being notified of the connection establishment,

wherein the network service agent resides on the source.

7. The system of claim 6, in which the at least one QoS connection comprises at least one switched virtual circuits (SVC) or Soft Permanent Virtual Circuits (SPVC).

8. The system of claim 7, in which the connection request comprises the destination, a class of service of the SVC and a traffic descriptor of the SVC.

9. The system of claim 6, in which the network service agent resides on the ATU-R.

10. The system of claim 9, in which the ATU-R routes traffic in accordance with the at least one updated routing table so that application packets associated with the at least one QoS connection are routed over the at least one QoS connection and all other packets are routed over at least one other connection.

11. The system of claim 6, in which the source routes traffic in accordance with the at least one updated routing table so that application packets associated with the at least one QoS connection are routed over the at least one QoS connection and all other packets are routed over at least one other connection.

12. The system of claim 11, in which the ATU-R further comprises a routing table comprising a header pattern, the ATU-R receiving application packets from the source and determining whether to forward the received application packets over the dynamically established at least one QoS connection based on whether or not the application packets match the header pattern;

wherein when the received application packets match the header pattern, the ATU-R forwards the received application packets over the QoS connection; and

wherein when the received application packets do not match the header pattern, the ATU-R forwards the received application packets over at least one other connection.

13. A system for dynamically establishing a peer to peer session from a source to a destination, comprising:

a connection server configured to receive a connection request via a control connection, the connection request requesting establishment of at least one Quality of Service (QoS) connection to the destination;

a proxy signaling server configured to receive information regarding the connection request from the connection server and to signal a source switch, associated with the source, to dynamically establish the at least one QoS connection between the source switch and a destination switch, associated with the destination; and

an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line Terminal Unit Remote (ATU-R) configured to selectively route packets over the at least one QoS connection,

wherein the ATU-R is configured to route traffic so that application packets associated with the at least one QoS connection are routed over the at least one QoS connection and all other packets are routed over at least one other connection.