Method and system for local Peer-to-Peer traffic

• US 8,856,372 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Jnsson, Ulf Fredrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, STEPHANIE L
• Application Number:
  US11/914,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,424 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/246, 709/203, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 Caching of addresses or names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

A system and method providing for the flow of peer-to-peer traffic between end users within an access network without requiring the traffic to pass through a network gateway such as a Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS). End user devices connect through access nodes to an aggregation network and a gateway. An Upstream Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) proxy and a Downstream ARP proxy are implemented in each access node. The Upstream ARP proxy receives an Upstream ARP request and forwards the request upstream only if peer-to-peer communications are allowed. Otherwise, a reply is sent with the MAC address of the BRAS. The Downstream ARP proxy intercepts a Downstream ARP request for a target device and determines whether the target device is in an ARP Cache in the access node. If so, the proxy sends an ARP reply giving the MAC address of the target device. If not, no ARP reply is sent.

Claims

1. A method for peer-to-peer communication in an aggregation network, said aggregation network having a plurality of end user devices, said end user devices being capable of acting as a source device or a target device, wherein each end user device is connected to said aggregation network through one of a plurality of access nodes, and a gateway provides for communication outside of the aggregation network, said method comprising the steps of:

implementing a Downstream Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) proxy and a respective ARP Cache in each of the access nodes, said ARP Cache storing an <

Internet Protocol (IP) address, Media Access Control (MAC) address>

pair for each end user device in the aggregation network, and storing a <

source device, target device>

pair for each pair of end user devices for which peer-to-peer communications are allowed;

intercepting by the Downstream ARP proxy in one of the access nodes, a Downstream ARP request from a source device for a target end user device;

determining by the Downstream ARP proxy, whether an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device is stored in the ARP Cache;

when an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device is stored in the ARP Cache, determining whether a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device is stored in the ARP Cache;

sending by the Downstream ARP proxy, an ARP reply to the source device only when an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device and a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device are stored in the ARP Cache, said ARP reply including the MAC address of the target device; and

when an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device is not stored in the ARP Cache, sending no reply by the Downstream ARP proxy.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein upon determining that an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device is stored in the ARP Cache, but a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device is not stored in the ARP Cache, the step of sending the ARP reply to the source device includes;

sending by the Downstream ARP proxy, a different ARP reply to the source device containing the MAC address of the aggregation network gateway.

3. A method for peer-to-peer communication in an aggregation network, said aggregation network having a plurality of end user devices, said end user devices being capable of acting as a source device or a target device, wherein each end user device is connected to said aggregation network through one of a plurality of access nodes, and a gateway provides for communication outside of the aggregation network, said method comprising the steps of:

implementing an Upstream Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) proxy, a Downstream ARP proxy, and an ARP Cache in each access node, said ARP Cache storing an <

Internet Protocol (IP) address, Media Access Control (MAC) address>

pair for each end user device in the aggregation network, and storing a <

source device, target device>

pair for each pair of end user devices for which peer-to-peer communications are allowed;

intercepting by the Upstream ARP proxy in a first access node, an ARP request from a source device requesting the Media Access Control (MAC) address of a target device;

determining by the Upstream ARP proxy whether peer-to-peer communication is allowed for the source device by determining whether a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device is stored in the Upstream ARP proxy'"'"'s ARP Cache;

if so, forwarding by the Upstream ARP proxy, the ARP request upstream onto the aggregation network;

intercepting the ARP request by all of the Downstream ARP proxies in the access nodes of the same IP-subnet;

determining by the Downstream ARP proxy in the access node serving the target device, whether an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device is stored in the access node'"'"'s ARP Cache, and whether a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device is stored in the Downstream ARP proxy'"'"'s ARP Cache;

sending by the Downstream ARP proxy, an ARP reply to the source device only when an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target device and a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device are stored in the Downstream ARP proxy'"'"'s ARP Cache, said ARP reply including the MAC address of the target device; and

when an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device is not stored in the ARP Cache, sending no reply by the Downstream ARP proxy.

4. A system for peer-to-peer communication in an aggregation network, said aggregation network having a plurality of end user devices, said end user devices being capable of acting as a source device or a target device, wherein each end user device is connected to said aggregation network through one of a plurality of access nodes, and a gateway provides for communication outside of the aggregation network, said system comprising:

an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) Cache in each of the access nodes, said ARP Cache storing <

Internet Protocol (IP) address, Media Access Control (MAC) address>

pairs for end user devices in the aggregation network, and storing a <

source device, target device>

pair for each pair of end user devices for which peer-to-peer communications are allowed;

a Downstream ARP proxy in each of the access nodes, said Downstream ARP proxy being controlled by a processor executing computer program instructions, wherein the processor causes the Downstream ARP proxy to;

intercept a Downstream ARP request from a source device for a target end user device;

determine whether an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device is stored in the ARP Cache;

determine whether a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device is stored in the ARP Cache;

send an ARP reply to the source device only when an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device and a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device are stored in the ARP Cache, said ARP reply including a MAC address of the target device; and

responsive to a determination that an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device is not stored in the ARP Cache, send no reply by the Downstream ARP proxy.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the Downstream ARP proxy is configured to send the ARP reply to the source device by sending a different ARP reply to the source device containing the MAC address of the aggregation network gateway in response to a determination that an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device is stored in the ARP Cache, but a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device is not stored in the ARP Cache.

6. A system for peer-to-peer communication between end user devices within an aggregation network, said system providing peer-to-peer communication without requiring traffic to pass through a network gateway, wherein end user devices connect through access nodes to the aggregation network, said system comprising:

an Upstream Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) proxy, a Downstream ARP proxy, and an ARP Cache in each access node, said ARP Cache storing an <

Internet Protocol (IP) address, Media Access Control (MAC) address>

pair for each end user device in the aggregation network, and storing a <

source device, target device>

pair for each pair of end user devices for which peer-to-peer communications are allowed;

wherein each Upstream ARP proxy is controlled by a processor executing computer program instructions, wherein the processor causes the Upstream ARP proxy to;

receive an Upstream ARP request from a source end user device requesting the MAC address of a target device;

determine whether peer-to-peer communication is allowed for the source device by determining whether a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device is stored in the Upstream ARP proxy'"'"'s ARP Cache; and

forward the request upstream only if peer-to-peer communications are allowed with the source device;

wherein each Downstream ARP proxy is controlled by a processor executing computer program instructions, wherein the processor causes the Downstream ARP proxy to intercept a Downstream ARP request for a target device; and

wherein the Downstream ARP proxy in the access node serving the target device is configured to;

determine whether an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target end user device is stored in the access node'"'"'s ARP Cache, and whether a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device is stored in the Downstream ARP proxy'"'"'s ARP Cache; and

send an ARP reply to the source device only when an <

IP address, MAC address>

pair for the target device and a <

source device, target device>

pair for the source device and the target device are stored in the Downstream ARP proxy'"'"'s ARP Cache, said ARP reply including the MAC address of the target device.