Method for control of communications from edge device of access network, and edge device and network management module for performing method

• US 7,701,879 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2004
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Six, Erwin Alfons Constant, De Jaegher, Jeanne Emmanuelle Rita, Manisor, Razvan
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baron, Henry
• Application Number:
  US10/944,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20050063384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,037 Days
• Field of Search: 370/463, 370/392, 370/437, 370/229, 370/230, 370/419, 370/420, 370/469
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• 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 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/742 Route cache; Operation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]

Abstract

A method for control of communications from an edge device of an access network, via the provisioning or the non-provisioning of at least one layer 2 destination address of at least one other edge device of the access network to the edge device by a network management module of the access network. The at least one layer 2 destination address is delivered to the edge device on request of the edge device. In an exemplary embodiment, the edge device checks, upon arrival of a packet including at least one layer 2 destination address, whether the at least one layer 2 destination address is stored within a communications restriction filter of the edge device and generates the request including the at least one layer 2 destination address in case the at least one layer 2 destination address is not stored within the communication restriction filter.

Claims

1. A method for control of communications from a first edge device of an access network to at least one other edge device,

comprising of provisioning or non-provisioning of at least one layer 2 destination address of the at least one other edge device of said access network to said first edge device by a network management module (NMM) of said access network,

wherein, when provisioned, said at least one layer 2 destination address is delivered to said first edge device on request of said first edge device,

wherein, when non-provisioned, said at least one layer 2 destination address is filtered from said first edge device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, upon arrival of a packet including at least one layer 2 destination address, said first edge device checks whether said at least one layer 2 destination address is stored within a communications restriction filter of said first edge device and generates said request including said at least one layer 2 destination address when said at least one layer 2 destination address is not stored within said communication restriction filter.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein additional information is delivered and stored together with said at least one layer 2 destination address in said first edge device.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said additional information comprises layer 2 forwarding information.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein said additional information comprises higher OSI layer information.

6. The method according to claim 2 wherein said at least one layer 2 destination address of said at least one other edge device is removed from said communication restriction filter after a predetermined period of time.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein said request further comprises user information with respect to sender of said packet.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said network management module provides said user information to a charging module.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein said charging module provides further charging information with respect to the sender of said packet to said network management module, which thereupon may proceed with delivering said at least one layer 2 destination address to said first edge node.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein, if said at least one layer 2 destination address is not stored within said first edge device or is not received by said first edge device from said network management module, said first edge device blocks said incoming packet from further passing through said access network.

11. A first edge device of an access network, said first edge device including a communication restriction filter, which stores at least one layer 2 destination address of at least one other edge device of said access network,

wherein said first edge device further comprises a communications control device which requests and receives said at least one layer 2 destination address from a network management module outside said access network, and which further provisions said at least one layer 2 destination address to said communication restriction filter;

and

wherein said communications restriction filter stores additional information associated with said at least one layer 2 destination address.

12. The first edge device according to claim 11, wherein said communications control device further generates said request upon the arrival of a packet including said at least one layer 2 destination address, and upon checking that said at least one layer 2 destination address is not stored within said communication restriction filter, and wherein said at least one layer 2 destination address is inserted in said request.

13. The first edge device according to claim 11 wherein said additional information comprises at least one of layer 2 destination information, routing information, and further physical layer information.

14. The first edge device according to claim 11, wherein said communication restriction filter removes said at least one layer 2 destination address after a predetermined period of time.

15. The first edge device according to claim 12, wherein said communication control device inserts user information with respect to the sender of said packet, in said request.

16. The first edge device according to claim 12, wherein said communication control device blocks incoming packet from further passing within said access network, if said at least one layer 2 destination address is not stored in said communications restriction filter or not received from said network management module.

17. A communications restriction module of a network management module for an access network which obtains from a memory device of said network management module at least one layer 2 destination address and delivers to an edge device of said access network,

wherein said communications restriction module only delivers said at least one layer 2 destination address to said edge device upon receipt of a request from said edge device;

wherein the communications restriction module retrieves and provides additional information associated with said at least one layer 2 destination address in addition to said at least one layer 2 destination address to said edge device.

18. The communications restriction module according to claim 17, wherein said communications restriction module only delivers said at least one layer 2 destination address to said edge device upon retrieving said at least one layer 2 destination address within said request from said edge device.

19. The communications restriction module according to claim 17, wherein the communications restriction module obtains additional layer 2 destination information from another memory means of said network management module and provides said additional layer 2 destination information to said edge device.

20. The communications restriction module according to claim 17, wherein the communications restriction module obtains higher OSI layer information pertaining to said at least one layer 2 destination address from an address resolution protocol module and provides said higher OSI layer information to said edge device.

21. The communications restriction module according to claim 17, wherein the communications restriction module extracts from said request from said edge device additional user information, and provisions said additional information to a charging module.

22. The communications module according to claim 21, wherein the communications restriction module receives from said charging module user billing information, and based on the billing information said communications restriction module provides said at least one layer 2 destination address even when said at least one layer 2 destination address could not be retrieved from said memory device.