Dynamic IP addressing and quality of service assurance

• US 7,386,632 B1
• Filed: 01/09/2007
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sitaraman, Aravind, Sthothra Bhasham, Sampath Kumar, Lou, Shuxian, Dos Santos, Maria Alice, Mann, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar; Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamza; Faruk
• Application Number:
  US11/651,671
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 709213-217, 709/242, 709/245, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses

Abstract

A method for maintaining Quality of Service for communication network subscribers regardless of their log-on location is disclosed. For one embodiment the communications network has a first access point having a first router and a local memory containing at least one user profile containing a subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier, and a second access point having a second router configured to provide a forwarding rate based on a source address from each of said packets. A service type for a subscriber is defined. A pool identifier corresponding to a service level agreement is assigned to the subscriber. If the subscriber attempts to log-on to the second access point, the subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier is obtained from a global memory available to the second access point. The pool identifier is used to select a source address. A packet sent by the subscriber is forwarded using the second router, each packet containing the source address.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining Quality of Service for subscribers belonging to a communications network regardless of the log-on location of the subscribers, the communications network having a first access point having a first router and a local memory containing at least one user profile containing a subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier, and a second access point having a second router configured to provide a forwarding rate based on a source address from each of the packets, the method comprising:

defining a service type for a subscriber belonging to the communications network;

assigning a pool identifier to the subscriber, the pool identifier corresponding to a service level agreement; and

obtaining, if the subscriber attempts to log-on to the second access point, the subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier from a global memory which is available to the second access point, using the pool identifier to select a source address, forwarding a packet sent by the subscriber using the second router, each the packet containing the source address.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

providing addresses in an address pool;

categorizing the addresses into groups which represent a service type for subscribers belonging to the communications network; and

allocating to the subscribers user profiles which include pool ids that correspond to the service type.

3. An apparatus for maintaining Quality of Service for subscribers belonging to a communications network regardless of the log-on location of the subscribers, the communications network having a first access point having a first router and a local memory containing at least one user profile containing a subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier, and a second access point having a second router configured to provide a forwarding rate based on a source address from each of the packets, the apparatus comprising:

means for defining a service type for a subscriber belonging to the communications network;

means for assigning a pool identifier to the subscriber, the pool identifier corresponding to a service level agreement; and

means for obtaining, if the subscriber attempts to log-on to the second access point, the subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier from a global memory which is available to the second access point, using the pool identifier to select a source address, forwarding a packet sent by the subscriber using the second router, the packet containing the source address.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further including:

means for providing addresses in an address pool;

means for categorizing the addresses into groups which represent a service type for subscribers belonging to the communications network; and

means for allocating to the subscribers user profiles which include pool ids that correspond to the service type.

5. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for maintaining Quality of Service for subscribers belonging to a communications network regardless of the log-on location of the subscribers, the communications network having a first access point having a first router and a local memory containing at least one user profile containing a subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier, and a second access point having a second router configured to provide a forwarding rate based on a source address from each of the packets, the method comprising:

defining a service type for a subscriber belonging to the communications network;

assigning a pool identifier to the subscriber, the pool identifier corresponding to a service level agreement; and

obtaining, if the subscriber attempts to log-on to the second access point, the subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier from a global memory which is available to the second access point, using the pool identifier to select a source address, forwarding a packet sent by the subscriber using the second router, the packet containing the source address.