Multiple prefix connections with translated virtual local area network

• US 8,599,860 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kaippallimalil, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWEET, LONNIE V
• Application Number:
  US12/772,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20100290474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/395.53
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4604 LAN interconnection over a backbone network, e.g. Internet, Frame Relay
• 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 12/4666 Operational details on the addition or the stripping of a tag in a frame, e.g. at a provider edge node
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5652 Cell construction, e.g. including header, packetisation, depacketisation, assembly, reassembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/66 Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2596 Translation of addresses of the same type other than IP, e.g. translation from MAC to MAC addresses

Abstract

A system comprising an access node (AN) coupled to a plurality of service providers (SPs) and a host and configured to forward a plurality of services between the SPs and the host using a plurality of first connections between the AN and the host and a plurality of second connections between the AN and the SPs, and a router gateway (RG) positioned between the host and the AN and coupled to the AN via an access line that comprises the first connections, wherein the AN translates a plurality of first identifiers for the first connections to a plurality of second identifiers for the second connections to route the services appropriately between the host and the SPs over the first connections and the corresponding second connections.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an access node (AN) coupled to a plurality of service providers or service provider networks (SPs) and a host and configured to forward a plurality of services between the SPs and the host using a plurality of first connections between the AN and the host and a plurality of second connections between the AN and the SPs, and

a residential gateway (RG) positioned between the host and the AN and coupled to the AN via an access line that comprises the first connections,

wherein the AN translates a plurality of first identifiers for the first connections to a plurality of second identifiers for the second connections to route the services between the host and the SPs over the first connections and the corresponding second connections,

wherein each of the second identifiers comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address for the RG, a Customer Virtual Local Area Network (C-VLAN) identifier (ID) that corresponds to one of the hosts, and a Service Virtual Local Area Network (S-VLAN) ID that corresponds to one of the SPs, and

wherein the AN receives the C-VLAN ID and the S-VLAN ID from an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the RG is coupled to a plurality of hosts that each receives a service from one of the SPs over one of the first connections.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the first identifiers comprises the MAC address for the RG, a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) ID that corresponds to one of the hosts, and a host prefix that identifies the host, and wherein the first identifiers are maintained in a first list at the AN.

4. A method comprising:

receiving from a host an authentication request for a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) connection to the host;

receiving a Customer VLAN (C-VLAN)/Service VLAN (S-VLAN) label that identifies the host and a service provider or service provider network (SP) from an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server upon authentication of the VLAN, and

associating the VLAN and the C-VLAN/S-VLAN label with a Media Access Control (MAC) address for a residential gateway (RG) between the host and the SP.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving a router solicitation (RS) message from the RG on behalf of the host that requests routing information; and

sending a routing acknowledgement (RA) message to the RG that comprises a prefix assigned to the host.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the RS and RA messages indicate the VLAN but do not comprise a source Internet Protocol (IP) address for the RG.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the RS and RA messages indicate the VLAN and comprise an unspecified Internet Protocol (IP) address.