Method and system for automatically rerouting logical circuit data in a virtual private network

• US 7,639,606 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, William, Massengill, David, Hollingsworth, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Ben H
• Application Number:
  US10/745,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20050172160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,198 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/255, 370216-225
• US Class Current: 370/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2002 where interconnections or communication control functionality are redundant flexible arrangements for bus networks involving redundancy H04L12/40176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/065 involving logical or physical relationship, e.g. grouping and hierarchies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery

Abstract

A method and system are provided for automatically rerouting logical circuit data in a virtual private network (“VPN”). A dedicated logical circuit in the VPN is monitored for status information pertinent to the dedicated logical circuit. The dedicated logical circuit includes a primary communication path for communicating data. Based on the status information, a failure is identified in the dedicated logical circuit. Once the failure in the dedicated logical circuit is determined, a logical failover circuit is then identified. The logical failover circuit includes an alternate communication path for communicating the data for the failed dedicated logical circuit. After the logical failover circuit has been identified, the data from the dedicated failed logical circuit is rerouted to the logical failover circuit without manual intervention. After the data has been rerouted the logical failover circuit, a determination may be made as to whether the failure in the dedicated logical circuit has been corrected. If it is determined that the failure in the dedicated logical circuit has been corrected, then the data from the logical failover circuit is rerouted back to the dedicated logical circuit in the VPN without manual intervention.

Claims

1. A method of automatically rerouting logical circuit data in a virtual private data network, the method comprising:

assigning a first logical circuit identifier to a logical failover circuit prior to a failure of a dedicated logical circuit, wherein the dedicated logical circuit includes first variable communication paths to route data through a first local access and transport area, second variable communication paths to route the data through a second local access and transport area, and fixed communication paths to route the data between the first local access and transport area, the second local access and transport area, and an inter-exchange carrier;

monitoring the dedicated logical circuit for status information pertinent to the dedicated logical circuit;

identifying the failure of the dedicated logical circuit based on the status information;

selecting the logical failover circuit comprising an alternate communication path for communicating the data, wherein selecting the logical failover circuit comprises identifying a currently unused logical connection for communicating the data;

determining whether the first logical circuit identifier of the logical failover circuit matches a second logical circuit identifier of the dedicated logical circuit;

when the first logical circuit identifier of the logical failover circuit does not match the second logical circuit identifier, renaming the second logical circuit identifier to match the first logical circuit identifier; and

rerouting the data to the logical failover circuit without manual intervention.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after rerouting the data to the logical failover circuit, determining whether the failure in the dedicated logical circuit has been corrected; and

when the failure in the dedicated logical circuit has been corrected, rerouting the data from the logical failover circuit to the dedicated logical circuit in the data network without manual intervention.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the logical circuit comprises monitoring at least one dedicated logical connection in the logical circuit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein monitoring the at least one dedicated logical connection in the logical circuit comprises requesting trap data for the at least one dedicated logical connection, wherein the trap data includes the status information for the at least one dedicated logical connection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the failure of the dedicated logical circuit comprises:

analyzing the status information for the at least one dedicated logical connection; and

if the status information for the at least one dedicated logical connection indicates that the dedicated logical connection is no longer communicating data, then determining that the dedicated logical circuit has failed.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving reroute data upon rerouting the data to the logical failover circuit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical failure circuit comprises a dedicated failover logical connection in a failover darn network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first logical circuit identifier is a data link connection identifier (DLCI).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first logical circuit identifier is a virtual path/virtual circuit identifier (VPI/VCI).

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the dedicated logical connection comprises a network-to-network interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical failover circuit is a permanent virtual circuit.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical failure circuit is a switched virtual circuit.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual private data network comprises a frame relay network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual private data network comprises an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

23. The method of claim 7, wherein the logical failover circuit is dedicated for use in rerouting data from failed circuits.

15. A system for automatically rerouting logical circuit data in a virtual private data network, the system comprising:

a logical element module, in communication with the network device, for receiving status information for a dedicated logical circuit from a network device, wherein the dedicated logical circuit includes first variable communication paths to route data through a first local access and transport area, second variable communication paths to route the data through a second local access and transport area, and fixed communication paths to route the data between the first local access and transport area, the second local access and transport area, and an inter-exchange carrier; and

a network management module, in communication with the logical element module, for;

determining a failure of the dedicated logical circuit based on the status information;

identifying a logical failover circuit comprising an alternate communication path for communicating the data wherein the logical failover circuit comprises at least one currently unused logical connection, and wherein the logical failover circuit has a first logical circuit identifier assigned prior to the failure of the dedicated logical circuit;

determining whether the first logical circuit identifier of the logical failover circuit matches a second logical circuit identifier of the dedicated logical circuit;

when the first logical circuit identifier of the logical failover circuit does not match the second logical circuit identifier, renaming the second logical circuit identifier to match the first logical circuit identifier; and

rerouting the data from the dedicated logical circuit to the logical failover circuit without manual intervention.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the dedicated logical circuit comprises at least one dedicated logical connection.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first logical circuit identifier is a data link connection identifier (DLCI).

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first logical circuit identifier is a virtual path/virtual circuit identifier (VPI/VCI).

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the logical failover circuit is a permanent virtual circuit.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the logical failover circuit is a switched virtual circuit.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the virtual private data network comprises a frame relay network.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the virtual private data network comprises an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the network management module is further for:

after rerouting the data to the logical failover circuit, communicating with the logical element module to determine whether the failure in the dedicated logical circuit has been corrected; and

if the failure in the dedicated logical circuit has been corrected, rerouting the data from the logical failover circuit to the dedicated logical circuit without manual intervention.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the logical failover circuit is dedicated for use in rerouting data from failed circuits.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the network management module is separate from switches of the data network used to communicate data through the virtual private data network.