Asynchronous digital subscriber line (ADSL) resource planning

• US 7,688,759 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tang, Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Phunkulh; Bob A
• Application Number:
  US12/288,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20090046722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13039 Asymmetrical two-way transmission, e.g. ADSL, HDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0083 Network planning or design; Modelling of planned or existing networks

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to assign permanent virtual circuits (PVC) to subscribers are disclosed. A disclosed example method to assign a PVC to a subscriber comprises obtaining a parameter representative of a port associated with the subscriber, computing a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for the PVC from the parameter, and storing the virtual circuit identifier in association with the PVC.

Claims

1. A method to assign a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) to a subscriber, the method comprising:

obtaining a parameter representative of a port associated with the subscriber;

computing a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for the PVC from the parameter;

storing the virtual circuit identifier in association with the PVC; and

when the port comprises a remote access multiplexer (RAM) port associated with a RAM to which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled, computing the VCI for the PVC by;

subtracting one from the parameter to form a first value;

computing a product of the first value and a number of ports of the RAM to; and

adding the product, a second value and an offset to form the VCI, the second value representing a port of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to which the RAM is communicatively coupled.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the port comprises at least one of a port of a remote access multiplexer (RAM) via which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled to the RAM, or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) port via which the subscriber is communicatively coupled to the DSLAM.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising configuring a remote access multiplexer and a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to implement the PVC for the subscriber.

4. A method to assign a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) to a subscriber, the method comprising:

obtaining a parameter representative of a port associated with the subscriber;

computing, with a processor, a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for the PVC from the parameter;

storing the virtual circuit identifier in association with the PVC; and

when the port comprises a digital subscriber line access multiplexer port to which a remote access multiplexer (RAM) is communicatively coupled, computing the VCI for the PVC by;

subtracting one from a first value to form a second value, the first value representing a second port of the RAM to which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled;

computing a product of the second value and a number of ports of the RAM; and

adding the product, the parameter and an offset to form the VCI, wherein.

5. A method to assign a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) to a subscriber, the method comprising:

obtaining a parameter representative of a port associated with the subscriber;

computing, with a processor, a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for the PVC from the parameter;

storing the virtual circuit identifier in association with the PVC; and

when the port comprises a remote access multiplexer (RAM) port associated with a RAM to which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled, computing the VCI for the PVC by;

subtracting one from the parameter to form a first value;

computing a remainder of a division of the first value and a second value, the second value being selected to avoid duplicate assignment of VCI values;

subtracting one from the remainder to form a third value,

computing a product of the third value and a number of ports of the RAM; and

adding the product, a fourth value and an offset to form the VCI, the fourth value representing a port of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to which the RAM is communicatively coupled.

6. A system to assign a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) to a subscriber, the system comprising:

a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM);

a remote access multiplexer (RAM) communicatively coupled to the DSLAM via a first port of the DSLAM; and

a network management system (NMS) to compute a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for assignment to the PVC, the NMS to compute the VCI based on a first identifier associated with the first port and a second identifier associated with a second port of the RAM with which the subscriber is associated, wherein the NMS is to compute the VCI by;

subtracting a constant from the first identifier to form a first value;

computing a product of the first value and a number of ports of the RAM; and

adding the product, the second identifier and an offset to form the VCI.

7. A system as defined in claim 6, further comprising an element management system to configure the RAM and the DSLAM to implement the PVC for the subscriber.

8. A system to assign a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) to a subscriber, the system comprising:

a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM);

a remote access multiplexer (RAM) communicatively coupled to the DSLAM via a first port of the DSLAM; and

a network management system (NMS) to compute a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for assignment to the PVC, the NMS to compute the VCI based on a first identifier associated with the first port and a second identifier associated with a second port of the RAM with which the subscriber is associated, wherein the NMS is to compute the VCI by;

comparing the first identifier to a threshold; and

when the first identifier is greater than the threshold;

subtracting a constant from the first identifier to form a first value;

subtracting one from the threshold to form a second value;

computing a remainder of a division of the first and second values;

subtracting one from the remainder to form a third value,

computing a product of the third value and a number of ports implemented by the RAM; and

adding the product, the second identifier and an offset to form the VCI.

9. A tangible article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to assign a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) to a subscriber by:

obtaining a parameter representative of a port associated with the subscriber;

computing a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for the PVC from the parameter;

storing the virtual circuit identifier in association with the PVC; and

when the port comprises a remote access multiplexer (RAM) port associated with a RAM to which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled, computing the VCI for the PVC by;

subtracting one from the parameter to form a first value;

computing a product of the first value and a number of ports of the RAM to; and

adding the product, a second value and an offset to form the VCI, the second value representing a port of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to which the RAM is communicatively coupled.

10. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 9, wherein the port comprises at least one of a port of a remote access multiplexer (RAM) via which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled to the RAM, or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) port via which the subscriber is communicatively coupled to the DSLAM.

11. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 9, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to configure a remote access multiplexer and a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to implement the PVC for the subscriber.

12. A tangible article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to assign a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) to a subscriber by:

obtaining a parameter representative of a port associated with the subscriber;

computing a virtual circuit identifier (VCI) for the PVC from the parameter;

storing the virtual circuit identifier in association with the PVC; and

when the port comprises a digital subscriber line access multiplexer port to which a remote access multiplexer (RAM) is communicatively coupled, computing the VCI for the PVC by;

subtracting one from a first value to form a second value, the first value representing a second port of the RAM to which a device associated with the subscriber is communicatively coupled;

computing a product of the second value and a number of ports of the RAM; and

adding the product, the parameter and an offset to form the VCI, wherein.