Automatic and dynamic logon mechanism in satellite networks
First Claim
1. In a satellite communication network comprising a hub and plurality of remote terminals, a method for a remote terminal of dynamically associating the remote terminal with one of a plurality of traffic processors included in said hub, the method comprising:
- receiving status messages from the plurality of traffic processors over a listening period, wherein the listening period is predefined or configurable;
identifying a status profile included in a received status message; and
selecting a suitable traffic processor based on the identified status profile, wherein selecting the traffic processor includes;
calculating a rank figure for a first traffic processor using the status profile included in a status message received from said first traffic processor; and
selecting the first traffic processor as a suitable traffic processor based on the calculated rank figure and based on rank figures calculated for one or more other traffic processors from which status messages were received.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a satellite communication network, a link between a remote terminal and a traffic processor located at the hub may be used for providing services over a satellite link, such as traffic routing, protocol acceleration, data compression and data encryption. Aspects of this invention relate to methods and apparatus for automatically and dynamically associating remote terminals with traffic processors. These methods may be used for simplifying the satellite network'"'"'s configuring process, especially for large scale networks, for offering load balancing between traffic processors and for offering an efficient automatic redundancy mechanism when a traffic processor malfunctions.
1 Citation
30 Claims
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1. In a satellite communication network comprising a hub and plurality of remote terminals, a method for a remote terminal of dynamically associating the remote terminal with one of a plurality of traffic processors included in said hub, the method comprising:
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receiving status messages from the plurality of traffic processors over a listening period, wherein the listening period is predefined or configurable; identifying a status profile included in a received status message; and selecting a suitable traffic processor based on the identified status profile, wherein selecting the traffic processor includes; calculating a rank figure for a first traffic processor using the status profile included in a status message received from said first traffic processor; and selecting the first traffic processor as a suitable traffic processor based on the calculated rank figure and based on rank figures calculated for one or more other traffic processors from which status messages were received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a satellite communication network comprising a hub and plurality of remote terminals, the hub further comprising a plurality of traffic processors, a method for said hub of dynamically associating each remote terminal with one of said plurality of traffic processors, the method comprising:
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periodically transmitting status messages from each of the plurality of traffic processors to each of the plurality of remote terminals, wherein every transmitted status message includes a status profile associated with the traffic processor transmitting the status message; receiving at a first traffic processor a first log on message from a first remote terminal, wherein the first remote terminal selects to log on to the first traffic processor based on status profiles included in the status messages transmitted to the first remote terminal by the plurality of traffic processors; transmitting a plurality of remote publish messages from the first traffic processor to the other traffic processors in said plurality of traffic processors, wherein each remote publish message includes at least one information record regarding a first remote terminal from which a log on message was received; receiving said plurality of remote publish messages at a second traffic processor; at the second traffic processor, identifying said first remote terminal from a record included in a remote publish message; at the second traffic processor, removing information corresponding to the first remote terminal from a memory associated with the second traffic processor; and sending messages in accordance with applicable protocols from first and second traffic processors to routers or networks coupled with a satellite network, said messages designed to advertise changes in at least one of the following;
routing tables, packet forwarding tables, network topology. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A remote terminal in a satellite communication network comprising:
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a processor; and memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the remote terminal to; receive status messages from a plurality of traffic processors in the satellite communication network over a listening period; identify a status profile included in a received status message; and select a suitable traffic processor based on the identified status profile, wherein selecting the suitable traffic processor includes; calculating a rank figure for a first traffic processor using the status profile included in a status message received from said first traffic processor; and selecting the first traffic processor as a suitable traffic processor based on the calculated rank figure and based on rank figures calculated for one or more other traffic processors from which status messages were received. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A hub in a satellite communication network comprising:
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a plurality of traffic processors; and memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the hub to; periodically transmit status messages from each of the plurality of traffic processors to each of a plurality of remote terminals, wherein every transmitted status message includes a status profile associated with the traffic processor transmitting the status message; receive at a first traffic processor a first log on message from a first remote terminal, wherein the first remote terminal selects to log on to the first traffic processor based on status profiles included in the status messages transmitted to the first remote terminal by the plurality of traffic processors; transmit a plurality of remote publish messages from the first traffic processor to the other traffic processors in said plurality of traffic processors, wherein each remote publish message includes at least one information record regarding a first remote terminal from which a log on message was received; receive said plurality of remote publish messages at a second traffic processor; at the second traffic processor, identify said first remote terminal from a record included in a remote publish message; at the second traffic processor, remove information corresponding to the first remote terminal from a memory associated with the second traffic processor; and send messages in accordance with applicable protocols from first and second traffic processors to routers or networks coupled with a satellite network, said messages designed to advertise changes in at least one of the following;
routing tables, packet forwarding tables, network topology. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification