System comprising a terminal system, an access multiplexer and a network

• US 20050190793A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Corneel Dequeker, Hans Maurice Felix, Constant Fredricx, Francois Pierre, Gyselings, Tim, Vermeiren, Tim, Vandaele, Peter, Kiss, Lajos, Renaux, Patrick Albert Paul, Cautereels, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/474
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2896 Distributed processing, e.g. on line cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2592 using tunnelling or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems for transmitting information from terminal systems (1) via access multiplexers (3) comprising virtual forwarder systems (5) to networks are made less complex by inserting at the terminal systems (1) virtual forwarder internet protocol addresses (35,64,66) into destination fields of internet protocol headers for heading the information and by inserting destination internet protocol addresses (36,37,38,65,67) into routing fields of the internet protocol headers. Both the terminal systems (1) and the access multiplexers (3) should be made capable of dealing with internet protocol headers of the internet protocol version-4 or the internet protocol version-6 or higher, which comprise a destination field and a routing field. The destination internet protocol addresses (36,37,38,65,67) in the routing fields allow distinguishment between different classes of services and/or applications used by the terminal system (1) simultaneously, without the access multiplexers (3) being obliged to unpack (parts of) the information and to detect (parts of) the information at higher layers.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. An access multiplexer (3) for use in a system for transmitting information from a terminal system (1,2) via the access multiplexer (3) to a network coupled to the access multiplexer (3), which access multiplexer (3) comprises a virtual forwarder system (5), wherein the access multiplexer (3) further comprises:

a sender (82) for sending a virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35,64,66) defining at least a part of the virtual forwarder system (5) to the terminal system (1,2).

12. An access multiplexer (3) processor program product for use in an access multiplexer according to claim 11, wherein said program product comprises:

instructions stored in a tangible medium which, when executed, performs the a sending function for sending said virtual forwarder internet protocol address to said terminal system.

13. A system for transmitting information from a terminal system (1,2) via an access multiplexer (3) to a network coupled to the access multiplexer (3), which access multiplexer (3) comprises an access multiplexer according to claim 11, wherein said terminal system (1,2) comprises:

a receiver (92) for receiving the virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35,64,66); and

an inserter (91d) for inserting the virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35,64,66) into a destination field of an internet protocol header for heading the information and for inserting a destination internet protocol address (36,37,38,65,67) into a routing field of the internet protocol header, which destination internet protocol address (36,37,38,65,67) defines a destination in the network.

14. System as defined in claim 13, characterised in that the information comprises first application information and second application information, with the destination internet protocol address comprising a first destination internet protocol address (36,65) defining a first destination in the network and comprising a second destination internet protocol address (38,67) defining a second destination in the network, and with the internet protocol header comprising a first internet protocol header for heading the first application information and comprising a second internet protocol header for heading the second application information, which first destination internet protocol address (36,65) is to be inserted into the first internet protocol header and which second destination internet protocol address (38,67) is to be inserted into the second internet protocol header.

15. System as defined in claim 14, characterised in that the first destination comprises a first edge router (6) and in that the second destination comprises a second edge router (7), with the virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35) being inserted into the destination field of the first internet protocol header and into the destination field of the second internet protocol header.

16. System as defined in claim 15, characterised in that the information further comprises third application information, which first application information and which third application information are destined for a first service provider and which second application information is destined for a second service provider, with the destination internet protocol address further comprising a third destination internet protocol address (37) defining a third destination in the network, which third destination comprises a third edge router (8), and with the internet protocol header further comprising a third internet protocol header for heading the third application information, which third destination internet protocol address (37) is to be inserted into the third internet protocol header, and with the virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35) being inserted into the destination field of the third internet protocol header.

17. System as defined in claim 14, characterised in that the virtual forwarder system (5) comprises a first virtual forwarder (5a) and a second virtual forwarder (5b), with the virtual forwarder internet protocol address (64,66) comprising a first virtual forwarder internet protocol address (64) defining the first virtual forwarder (5a) and comprising a second virtual forwarder internet protocol address (66) defining the second virtual forwarder (5b), which first virtual forwarder internet protocol address (64) is to be inserted into the destination field of the first internet protocol header and which second virtual forwarder internet protocol address (66) is to be inserted into the destination field of the second internet protocol header, and with the first destination comprising a first application at a first service provider and with the second destination comprising a second application at a second service provider.

20. Method for transmitting information from a terminal system (1,2) to a network in a system according to claim 13, said method comprising the steps of:

sending, from the access multiplexer (3) to the terminal system (1,2), a virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35,64,66) defining at least a part of the virtual forwarder system;

receiving, at the terminal system (1,2), the virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35,64,66); and

inserting, at the terminal system (1,2), the virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35,64,66) into a destination field of an internet protocol header for heading the information and inserting a destination internet protocol address (36,37,38,65,67) into a routing field of the internet protocol header, which destination internet protocol address (36,37,38,65,67) defines a destination in the network.

18. Terminal system (1,2) for use in a system for transmitting information from the terminal system (1,2) via an access multiplexer (3) to a network coupled to the access multiplexer (3), which access multiplexer (3) comprises a virtual forwarder system (5), characterised in that the terminal system (1,2) comprises

a receiver (92) for receiving a virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35,64,66) defining at least a part of the virtual forwarder system (5);

and

an inserter (91d) for inserting the virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35,64,66) into a destination field of an internet protocol header for heading the information and for inserting a destination internet protocol address (36,37,38,65,67) into a routing field of the internet protocol header, which destination internet protocol address (36,37,38,65,67) defines a destination in the network.

19. Terminal system (1,2) processor program product for use in a terminal system according to claim 18, wherein said terminal system (1,2) processor program product comprises instructions stored in a tangible medium which when executed perform the following functions:

a receiving function for receiving a virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35,64,66) defining at least a part of the virtual forwarder system (5); and

an inserting function for inserting the virtual forwarder internet protocol address (35,64,66) into a destination field of an internet protocol header for heading the information and for inserting a destination internet protocol address (36,37,38,65,67) into a routing field of the internet protocol header, which destination internet protocol address (36,37,38,65,67) defines a destination in the network.