Ethernet to frame relay interworking with multiple quality of service levels

• US 20050144327A1
• Filed: 12/24/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson AB (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Pommainville, Richard, Davies, John Rosser, Whatman, John, Rabie, Sameh, Abdullah, Bashar, Barka, Baghdad
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• 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

Abstract

A method of supporting multiple quality of service (QoS) levels for data being transmitted between two networking devices, such as customer equipment (CE), that use Ethernet and Frame Relay (FR). The method supports multiple QoS services in a network where a first CE is connected to a first edge device (interworking unit) using the Ethernet protocol and a second CE is connected to a second edge device using the FR protocol. The edge devices may be directly connected together or they may be connected through a network backbone using any generally accepted network protocol. The first CE may be connected to the first edge device using a single Ethernet port, multiple Ethernet ports, a single virtual local area network (VLAN), or multiple VLAN'"'"'s. The second CE is connected to an edge device using a single data link connection (DLC), or multiple DLC'"'"'s. The method ensures QoS for data transmitted between the first and the second CE via the Ethernet protocol to the FR protocol and vice versa.

Claims

1. A method for enabling multiple QoS support over Frame Relay (FR) and Ethernet networks comprising:

Identifying a packet according to a first network protocol for servicing;

Determining a QoS metric for the identified packet; and

Based upon the determined QoS metric, servicing the identified packet for transmission in accordance with a second network protocol.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of determining a QoS metric includes considering Ethernet information.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the Ethernet information includes Ethernet port information.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the Ethernet information includes virtual local area network identifier (VLAN ID) information.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the Ethernet information includes p-bits information.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the Ethernet information further includes VLAN ID information.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the step of servicing further includes assigning a drop precedence to the packet based on the p-bits information.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of determining a QoS metric includes considering Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) information.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the ULP information includes Internet Protocol (IP) packet information

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the IP packet information includes Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) bit information.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the IP packet information further includes VLAN ID information.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the step of servicing further includes assigning a drop precedence to the packet the based on the DSCP bit information.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first network protocol is FR, the second network protocol is Ethernet, and the step of determining a QoS metric includes considering FR information.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the FR information includes data link connection information.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the step of servicing further includes assigning a drop precedence to the packet based on discard eligible (DE) bit information.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first network protocol is Ethernet and the second network protocol is FR and the step of servicing includes mapping the packet to a DLC and scheduling the packet for transmission according to a sub-connection scheduling scheme.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first network protocol is Ethernet and the second network protocol is FR and the step of servicing includes mapping the packet to one of a plurality of DLC'"'"'s and scheduling the packet for transmission according to a connection scheduling scheme.

18. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first network protocol is FR and the second network protocol is Ethernet and the step of servicing includes mapping the packet to an Ethernet port and scheduling the packet for transmission according to a class scheduling scheme.

19. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first network protocol is FR and the second network protocol is Ethernet and the step of servicing includes mapping the packet to one of a plurality of Ethernet ports and scheduling the packet for transmission according to a basic scheduling scheme.

20. A system for enabling multiple QoS support over FR and Ethernet networks comprising:

an input; and

control circuitry associated with the input and adapted to;

identify a packet according to a first network protocol for servicing;

determine a QoS metric for the identified packet; and

based upon the determined QoS metric, service the identified packet for transmission in accordance with a second network protocol.

21. A system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the control circuitry is further adapted to consider Ethernet information to determine a QoS metric.

27. A system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the control circuitry is further adapted to consider Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) information to determine a QoS metric.

32. A system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the first network protocol is FR, the second network protocol is Ethernet, and wherein the control circuitry is further adapted to consider FR information to determine a QoS metric.

35. A system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the first network protocol is Ethernet and the second network protocol is FR and the control circuitry is further adapted to map the packet to a DLC and schedule the packet for transmission according to a sub-connection scheduling scheme to service the packet.

36. A system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the first network protocol is Ethernet and the second network protocol is FR and the control circuitry is further adapted to map the packet to one of a plurality of DLC'"'"'s and schedule the packet for transmission according to a connection scheduling scheme to service the packet.

37. A system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the first network protocol is FR and the second network protocol is Ethernet and the control circuitry is further adapted to map the packet to an Ethernet port and schedule the packet for transmission according to a class scheduling scheme to service the packet.

38. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the first network protocol is FR and the second network protocol is Ethernet and the control circuitry is further adapted to map the packet to one of a plurality of Ethernet ports and schedule the packet for transmission according to a basic scheduling scheme to service the packet.

39. A system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the system is located at an edge of a core network.

40. A system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the system is located in a user element.

22. A system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the Ethernet information further includes Ethernet port number information.

23. A system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the Ethernet information further includes VLAN ID information.

24. A system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the Ethernet information further includes p-bits information.

25. A system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the Ethernet information further includes VLAN ID information.

26. A system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the control circuitry is further adapted to assign a drop precedence to the packet based on the p-bits information.

28. A system as claimed in claim 28 wherein the ULP information includes Internet Protocol (IP) information.

29. A system as claimed in claim 29 wherein the IP information includes Diff-Serv Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) bit information.

30. A system as claimed in claim 30 wherein IP information further includes virtual local network identifier (VLAN ID) information.

31. A system as claimed in claim 30 wherein the control circuitry is further adapted to assign a drop precedence to the packet based on the DSCP bit information.

33. A system as claimed in claim 33 wherein FR information includes data link connection information.

34. A system as claimed in claim 33 wherein the control circuitry is further adapted to assign a drop precedence based on DE bit information.