Method and system for redirecting networked traffic

• US 9,331,933 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Inventors: Godas, Eric Joseph, Kramer, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, CHANDRAHAS B
• Application Number:
  US14/072,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 370/388, 370/468, 370/361, 709/220
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/304 Route determination for signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A method of redirecting network traffic from a first, uncontrolled network to a second, controlled network by rewriting the Type of Service field in the header information of an Internet Protocol (IP) packet so as to include a service code indicating that the IP packet cannot access the uncontrolled network, thereby redirecting the network traffic to a second network element.

Claims

1. A method of redirecting network traffic from an uncontrolled access network to a controlled access network, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first network element, a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) packets initially routed to an intended destination address on a first destination network element on the uncontrolled access network;

re-writing IP packet header information of at least one IP packet based on a service class of the first network element to redirect the at least one IP packet to a destination address differing from the intended destination address;

encapsulating, at a first intermediate network device, the at least one IP packet with rewritten IP packet header information;

receiving, at a second intermediate network device, the at least one encapsulated IP packet having rewritten IP packet service class header information;

performing, based on the rewritten IP packet service class header information and on a route map directive, IP address matching by comparing the rewritten IP packet service class header information to an access control list; and

if the rewritten IP packet header information matches an item from the access control list, redirecting the at least one IP packet through an interface tunnel specified in a route map directive to a redirected destination address of a second destination network element, different from the first destination network element, on the controlled access network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising rewriting a type of service field within the IP packet header information of the at least one IP packet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an address of the uncontrolled access network is not modified in the IP packet header information of the at least one IP packet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network element is a cable modem.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising rewriting IP packet header information of a second one of the plurality of IP packets based on a service class of a second network element, the service class of the second network element maintained at the first intermediate network device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising rewriting a type of service field of the IP packet header information of the second one of the IP packets.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a service class of the first network element based on parameters defining interactions between the first network element and other devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first intermediate network device is a cable modem termination system.

9. A method of redirecting network traffic from an uncontrolled access network to a controlled access network, the method comprising:

receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) packet identifying an intended destination address on the uncontrolled access network in IP packet header information;

re-writing IP packet header information on an IP packet to redirect the IP packet to a destination address differing from the intended destination address;

encapsulating, at a first intermediate network device, the IP packet with rewritten IP packet header information based on a service class of a network element;

performing IP address matching by comparing the IP packet header information to an access control list; and

redirecting the IP packet to a redirected destination address on the controlled access network through an interface tunnel specified in a route map directive if the rewritten IP packet service class header information matches an item from the access control list.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the intermediate device is a cable model termination system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the network element is a cable modem.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the access control list is configured to permit or deny network traffic according to a service level associated with the traffic.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the access control list comprises differentiated service code point values.