APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING MULTIPLE TRAFFIC CATEGORIES AT A SINGLE NETWORKED DEVICE
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a first functional entity operable for supporting traffic in a first traffic category across a communications network;
a second functional entity operable for supporting traffic in a second traffic category across the communications network, the second traffic category being associated with specific routing requirements through the communications network; and
a network interface operable for;
releasing a request for a first address which, when received from an address-assigning entity, enables the first functional entity to act as a receptor of traffic in the first traffic category that is destined for the apparatus;
releasing a request for a second address which, when received from the address-assigning entity, enables the second functional entity to act as a receptor of traffic in the second traffic category that is destined for the apparatus;
wherein said request for a second address comprises data instrumental in causing the second address to be assigned by the address-assigning entity from a particular set of at least one address;
wherein the network is pre-configured to route traffic destined for a given address in the particular set of at least one address in accordance with said specific routing requirements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus comprising a first and a second functional entity operable for supporting traffic in, respectively, first and second traffic categories across a communications network. The second traffic category is associated with specific routing requirements. A network interface releases a request for a first address and a request for a second address. The request for a second address comprises data that is instrumental in causing the second address to be assigned by an address-assigning entity from a particular set of at least one address. The network is pre-configured to route traffic destined for a given address in the particular set of at least one address in accordance with the specific routing requirements. Receipt of the first address from the address-assigning entity enables the first functional entity to act as a receptor of traffic in the first traffic category, while receipt of the second address enables the second functional entity to act as a receptor of traffic in the second traffic category.
34 Citations
89 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a first functional entity operable for supporting traffic in a first traffic category across a communications network; a second functional entity operable for supporting traffic in a second traffic category across the communications network, the second traffic category being associated with specific routing requirements through the communications network; and a network interface operable for; releasing a request for a first address which, when received from an address-assigning entity, enables the first functional entity to act as a receptor of traffic in the first traffic category that is destined for the apparatus; releasing a request for a second address which, when received from the address-assigning entity, enables the second functional entity to act as a receptor of traffic in the second traffic category that is destined for the apparatus; wherein said request for a second address comprises data instrumental in causing the second address to be assigned by the address-assigning entity from a particular set of at least one address; wherein the network is pre-configured to route traffic destined for a given address in the particular set of at least one address in accordance with said specific routing requirements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An apparatus, comprising:
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means for supporting traffic in a first traffic category across a communications network; means for supporting traffic in a second traffic category across the communications network, the second traffic category being associated with specific routing requirements through the communications network; means for releasing a request for a first address which, when received from an address-assigning entity, enables the first functional entity to act as a receptor of traffic in the first traffic category that is destined for the apparatus; and means for releasing a request for a second address which, when received from the address-assigning entity, enables the second functional entity to act as a receptor of traffic in the second traffic category that is destined for the apparatus; wherein said request for a second address comprises data instrumental in causing the second address to be assigned by the address-assigning entity from a particular set of at least one address; wherein the network is pre-configured to route traffic destined for a given address in the particular set of at least one address in accordance with said specific routing requirements.
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41. A method for responding to an address request, comprising:
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determining a traffic category associated with the address request; consulting a database in an attempt to identify a set of at least one available address corresponding to the determined traffic category; responsive to identification of a set of at least one available address corresponding to the determined traffic category, selecting an available address in the set; releasing the selected address to an originator of the address request. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code which, when interpreted by a computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus to execute a method of responding to an address request, the computer-readable program code comprising:
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first computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to determine a traffic category associated with the address request; second computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to consult a database in an attempt to identify a set of at least one available address corresponding to the determined traffic category; third computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to select an available address in a set of at least one available address corresponding to the determined traffic category; fourth computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to release the selected address to an originator of the address request.
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54. A network architecture, comprising:
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a plurality of routers capable of routing traffic through a backbone network, the routers being configured to route traffic destined for a given address in a particular set of at least one address in accordance with specific routing requirements; a computing apparatus, comprising; a first functional entity operable for supporting traffic in a first traffic category across the backbone network; a second functional entity operable for supporting traffic in a second traffic category across the backbone network, the second traffic category being associated with said specific routing requirements through the backbone network; and a network interface operable for; releasing a request for a first address which, when received from an address-assigning entity, enables the first functional entity to act as a receptor of traffic in the first traffic category that is destined for the computing apparatus; releasing a request for a second address which, when received from the address-assigning entity, enables the second functional entity to act as a receptor of traffic in the second traffic category that is destined for the computing apparatus; wherein said request for a second address comprises data instrumental in causing the second address to be assigned by the address-assigning entity from said particular set of at least one address. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
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Specification