Method and apparatus for processing labeled flows in a communications access network

• US 8,913,623 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2010
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: DelRegno, Nick, Kotrla, Scott R., McDysan, David E., Bencheck, Michael U., Turlington, Matthew W., Hardin, Ross S., Schell, Richard C., Chiu, Howard, Bengston, Lee D., Drake, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Mered, Habte
• Application Number:
  US12/961,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20110075560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/230.1, 370/231, 370/235, 370/392, 370/395.21, 370/395.3, 370/395.5, 370/395.53, 370/401, 370/409, 370/411, 370465-467, 370/474, 370532-545, 709236-238
• US Class Current: 370/409
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control

Abstract

A system and method is provided for managing access communications between the service edge of a communications service provider and a customer. Access communications are carried in the form of carrier-tagged flows, the communications traffic being appended with carrier tags having significance to handling of the traffic through access network elements. A building aggregation system is provided which couples to customer premise equipment and interfaces customer flows to carrier-tagged flows used in the access network.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a layer 2 switch configured to receive a first carrier-tagged traffic flow from a service edge via a first multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) switched path, the first carrier-tagged traffic flow having a carrier tag,

wherein the layer 2 switch is further configured to identify a second MPLS switched path based on a flow identifier included with the carrier tag of the first carrier-tagged traffic flow, wherein the flow identifier comprises a pseudo-wire tag or a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag,

wherein the layer 2 switch is further configured to remove the flow identifier from the carrier tag of the first carrier-tagged traffic flow, and to switch the first carrier-tagged traffic flow, after assigning a new carrier tag without the flow identifier, to a building aggregation system configured to aggregate a plurality of services via the second path.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow identifier comprises a VLAN tag in accordance with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1 q.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow identifier comprises a pseudo-wire tag.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow identifier further comprises a tunnel label.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow identifier includes multiple flow identifiers that are stacked.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the layer 2 switch is further configured to receive a second carrier-tagged traffic flow from the service edge via the first path, and to identify a third MPLS switched path based on a second flow identifier included with the second carrier-tagged traffic flow,

the layer 2 switch being further configured to remove the second flow identifier from the second carrier-tagged traffic flow, and to switch the second carrier-tagged traffic flow to another building aggregation system via the third path.

7. An apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to receive a first carrier-tagged traffic flow on a first multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) switched path between a service edge and a building aggregation system configured to aggregate a plurality of services, wherein the first carrier-tagged traffic flow has a carrier tag; and

a processor configured to determine a first flow identifier associated with the carrier tag of the first carrier-tagged traffic flow, wherein the first flow identifier comprises a pseudo-wire tag or a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag, the processor being further configured to identify a second MPLS switched path between a layer 2 switch and one of the service edge or the building aggregation system based on the first flow identifier, the first carrier-tagged traffic flow being transmitted on the second path with the first flow identifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to identify the first path based on a second flow identifier associated with a second carrier-tagged traffic flow, the second carrier-tagged traffic flow being transmitted on the first path without the second flow identifier.