ATM network system and connection admission control method

• US 5,894,471 A
• Filed: 11/15/1996
• Issued: 04/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Miyagi, Morihito, Yanagi, Junichirou
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US08/746,874
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 370/381, 370/389, 370/395, 370/397, 370/399, 370/409, 370/412, 370/422, 370/535, 370/537, 370/540, 370/905, 370/229, 370/230, 370/235, 370/236, 370/468
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5624 Path aspects, e.g. path bundling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5626 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5632 Bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

Apparatus for executing the connection admission control for PVC and SVC efficiently in an ATM network system which includes a network management equipment and a network equipment. The control function of the network management equipment executes resource allocation to PVC and SVC and notifies the network equipment of resource management information for SVC. For a request of PVC setup, the control function of the network management equipment executes the connection admission control for PVC and notifies the network equipment of the admission result. For a request of SVC setup, the network equipment executes the connection admission control for SVC. Communication overhead is reduced since it is not necessary to inquire the network equipment about connection admission from the network management equipment during PVC setup. Furthermore, the network equipment can count call blocking of SVC.

Claims

1. An ATM network system for multiplexing a plurality of connections in a state that permanent virtual connections (PVC) and switched virtual connections (SVC) coexist on the same line, comprising:

a network management equipment; and

a network equipment,

wherein said network management equipment comprises;

a resource allocation control part for deciding the bandwidth of each of a plurality of virtual path connections (VPCs) and resource allocation to PVC and SVC multiplexed on each VPC to be multiplexed on each line accommodated in said network equipment and notifying said network equipment of a result of resource allocation to SVC, and

a connection admission control part for PVC for executing connection admission control based on a result of resource allocation to PVC decided by said resource allocation control part when a request of PVC setup is issued from a controlling terminal, and sending source specific information allocated to said PVC to said network equipment, and

wherein said network equipment comprises;

a connection admission control part to SVC for executing connection admission control for a request of SVC setup from a controlling terminal or other network equipment based on said result of resource allocation to SVC notified from said network management equipment, and

a connection setup control part for performing connection setup operation on said line according to resource definition information allocated to SVC by said connection admission control part to SVC and PVC resource definition information received from said network management equipment.

2. An ATM network system according to claim 1, wherein said network equipment has means for counting as the number of call blocking corresponding to a virtual channel identifier (VCI) when resources cannot be allocated to said request of SVC setup and sending control information including the VPC identifier corresponding to said call blocking to said network management equipment when the number of call blocking reaches the predetermined threshold value.

3. An ATM network system according to claim 2, wherein said network equipment comprises a plurality of line interfaces installed in correspondence with lines, switches connected to said line interfaces, a call control processor connected to said line interfaces and said switches, and an interface for connecting said call control processor and said network management equipment and

said connection admission control part for SVC and said connection setup control part comprise software executed by said call control processor.

4. An ATM network system according to claim 1, wherein said network management equipment has a first resource management table for storing the VPC identifier to be multiplexed on each line, the bandwidth allocated to each VPC, the total bandwidth of PVC multiplexable in each VPC, and the VCI range allocatable to said PVC in correspondence with each line accommodated in said network equipment and

a second resource management table for storing the total bandwidth of PVC multiplexable in each VPC, the VCI range allocatable to said PVC, the total bandwidth of allocated PVC, and the allocated bandwidth of each VCI in correspondence with the VPC identifier to be multiplexed on each line, and

said resource allocation control part stores said resource allocation result in said first resource management table, and

said connection admission control part for PVC stores said resource allocation result for PVC in said second resource management table and executes connection admission control for said request of PVC setup from said controlling terminal by referring to said second resource management table.

5. An ATM network system according to claim 4, wherein said network equipment has means for counting as the number of call blocking corresponding to VCI when resources cannot be allocated to said request of SVC setup and sending control information including the VPC identifier corresponding to said call blocking to said network management equipment when the number of call blocking reaches the predetermined threshold value.

6. An ATM network system according to claim 5, wherein said network equipment comprises a plurality of line interfaces installed in correspondence with lines, switches connected to said line interfaces, a call control processor connected to said line interfaces and said switches, and an interface for connecting said call control processor and said network management equipment and

said connection admission control part for SVC and said connection setup control part comprise software executed by said call control processor.

7. An ATM network system according to claim 4, wherein said network equipment has a third resource management table for storing the total bandwidth of SVC multiplexable in each VPC, the VCI range allocatable to said SVC, the total bandwidth of allocated SVC, and the allocated bandwidth of each VCI in correspondence with the VPC identifier to be multiplexed on each line, and

said connection admission control part for SVC stores said resource allocation result for SVC notified from said network management equipment in said second resource management table and executes connection admission control for said request of SVC setup by referring to said third resource management table.

8. An ATM network system according to claim 7, wherein said network equipment has means for counting as the number of call blocking corresponding to VCI when resources cannot be allocated to said request of SVC setup and sending control information including the VPC identifier corresponding to said call blocking to said network management equipment when the number of call blocking reaches the predetermined threshold value.

9. An ATM network system according to claim 8, wherein said network equipment comprises a plurality of line interfaces installed in correspondence with lines, switches connected to said line interfaces, a call control processor connected to said line interfaces and said switches, and an interface for connecting said call control processor and said network management equipment and

said connection admission control part for SVC and said connection setup control part comprises software executed by said call control processor.

10. An ATM network system comprising:

a network management equipment; and

a network equipment,

wherein said network management equipment comprises;

means for deciding the bandwidth of each of a plurality of virtual path connections (VPCs) and resource allocation to a permanent virtual connection (PVC) and a switched virtual connection (SVC) multiplexed on each VPC to be multiplexed on each line accommodated in said network equipment and notifying said network equipment of a result of resource allocation to SVC, and

means for executing connection admission control for PVC based on a result of resource allocation to PVC when a request of PVC setup is issued from outside and notifying said network equipment of source definition information allocated to said PVC of setup request, and

wherein said network equipment comprises;

means for executing connection admission control for SVC in response to a request of SVC setup from a controlling terminal or other network equipment based on said result of resource allocation to SVC notified from said network management equipment,

means for performing a new connection setup operation on said line according to the resource definition information allocated to SVC by said connection admission control part to SVC and the PVC resource definition information notified from said network management equipment, and

means for counting as a number of call blocking corresponding to the VPC identifier when resources cannot be allocated to said request of SVC setup in said connection admission control for SVC and sending call blocking notification information including the VPC identifier to said network management equipment at a point of time when said number of call blocking reaches a predetermined threshold value.

11. An ATM network system according to claim 10, wherein said network management equipment reallocates said resources in response to reception of said call blocking notification information from said network equipment.

12. An ATM network system according to claim 10, wherein said network equipment counts said number of call blocking for each call blocking cause.

13. An ATM network system according to claim 12, wherein said network management equipment reallocates said resources in response to reception of said call blocking notification information from said network equipment.

14. A network management equipment connected to at least one network equipment constituting an ATM network, comprising:

first means for deciding the bandwidth of each of a plurality of virtual path connections (VPCs) and resource allocation to a permanent virtual connection (PVC) and a switched virtual connection (SVC) multiplexed on each VPC to be multiplexed on each line accommodated in said network equipment and notifying said network equipment of a result of resource allocation to SVC; and

second means for executing connection admission control for PVC in response to a request of PVC setup from a controlling terminal based on a result of resource allocation to PVC and notifying said network equipment of resource definition information allocated to PVC.

15. A network management equipment according to claim 14, wherein said first means divides definitely the bandwidth of VPC in which PVC and SVC coexist and decides the bandwidth to be allocated to PVC and the bandwidth to be allocated to SVC in each bandwidth.

16. A network management equipment according to claim 14, wherein said first means divides definitely the virtual channel identifier (VCI) range to be allocated to PVC and the VCI range to be allocated to SVC in correspondence with each VPC.

17. A network management equipment according to claim 14, wherein said first means has a function for changing the VPC bandwidth and said resource allocation to PVC and SVC.

18. A network management equipment according to claim 17, wherein said first means changes the definite division ratio of said PVC bandwidth and said SVC bandwidth when said resource allocation and allocation result notification means receives said control information indicating occurrence of call blocking.

19. A network management equipment according to claim 17, wherein said first means changes the definite division ratio of said VCI range to be allocated to PVC and SVC when said resource allocation and allocation result notification means receives said control information indicating occurrence of call blocking.

20. A connection admission control method in an ATM system comprising a network management equipment and a network equipment wherein connection is multiplexed in the state that permanent virtual connections (PVC) and switched virtual connections (SVC) coexist on lines accommodated in said network equipment, comprising:

a first step of executing resource allocation for PVC and SVC by said network management equipment;

a second step of storing resource management information allocated to PVC in said network management equipment;

a third step of notifying said network equipment of resource management information allocated to SVC by said network management equipment;

a fourth step of executing the connection admission control for PVC by said network management equipment on the basis of said resource management information allocated to PVC when a request of PVC setup is issued and notifying said network equipment of parameter information with regard to said resource allocated to PVC;

a fifth step of setting PVC on the predetermined line by said network equipment according to said parameter information of said PVC resource; and

a sixth step of executing the connection admission control for SVC by said network equipment on the basis of said resource management information allocated to SVC when a request of SVC setup is issued and setting SVC on the predetermined line according to said resource parameter information allocated to SVC.

21. A connection admission control method according to claim 20, wherein said resource management information notified said network equipment from said network management equipment at Step 3 comprises identification information for specifying VPC for multiplexing SVC, bandwidth allocatable to SVC, and virtual channel identifier range information allocatable to SVC.

22. A connection admission control method according to claim 20, further comprising:

a seventh step of measuring the SVC service quality by said network equipment under the connection admission control to said request of SVC setup;

a eighth step of notifying said network management equipment of a parameter indicating said SVC service quality by said network equipment at the predetermined timing; and

a ninth step of executing resource reallocation for PVC and SVC according to said parameter indicating said SVC service quality by said network management equipment.

23. A connection admission control method according to claim 22, wherein said parameter indicating said service quality notified said network management equipment from said network equipment at Step 8 comprises information for specifying SVC and data indicating call blocking occurred in said SVC.

24. A connection admission control method according to claim 23, wherein said resource management information notified said network equipment from said network management equipment at Step 3 comprises identification information for specifying VPC for multiplexing SVC, bandwidth allocatable to SVC, and virtual channel identifier range information allocatable to SVC.