Method and apparatus for managing route information and forwarding data in access devices

• US 8,451,839 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Yin, Qin, Yao, Yifeng, Zhu, Jianhua, Miu, Yingzhong
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US12/310,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20090323693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,114 Days
• Field of Search: 370351-357, 370/389, 370/392, 3703955-39554, 370464-467
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for creating routes in access devices of the communication network by using access response messages. With the method provided by the present invention, services can be distinguished and forwarded based on destination IP sub-networks, so that different services can be distributed in access devices. In this way, on the premise that services are distinguished based on layer 3, the requirements for access devices are reduced and layer 2 networks on the user side are not required to carry out route protocols, which decreases administrators'"'"' maintenance work and is the important condition for the realization of plug&play and reduces the requirements for marginal routers.

Claims

1. A method, in an access device of the communication network, for managing route information, comprising:

receiving an access response message from a server;

obtaining route-related information and a predefined using time from said access response message, said predefined using time indicates a using time of said route; and

updating a route table item in a route table based on said route-related information and said predefined using time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said access device is a Layer 2 access device.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the route table item corresponding to said route-related information exists in said route table;

updating a remaining time of the route table item if the determining determines that the route table item corresponding to said route-related information exists in said route table and the remaining time of said route table item is shorter than said predefined using time; and

creating a route table item corresponding to the route-related information if the determining determines that the route table item corresponding to said route-related information does not exist in the route table.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining correlated information of said route table item and a virtual local area network from an address resolution protocol message or an access response message;

wherein said virtual local area network configuration is employed between said access device and each marginal router connected with said access device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said access response message refers to a dynamic host configuration protocol response message, said predefined using time refers to the lease time in said dynamic host configuration protocol response message.

6. A route management apparatus, in an access device of the communication network, for managing route information, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an access response message from a server;

a first obtainer configured to obtain route-related information and a predefined using time from said access response message, said predefined using time indicating the using time of said route; and

a route maintainer configured to update a route table based on said route-related information and said predefined using time.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said access device is a Layer 2 access device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said route maintainer includes:

a first judger configured to judge whether the route table item corresponding to said route-related information exists in said route table;

a second judger configured to judge whether a remaining time of said route table item is shorter than said predefined using time if the first judger judges that the route table item corresponding to said route-related information exists in said route table;

an updater configured to update the remaining time of said route table item to said predefined using time if the first judger judges that the route table item corresponding to said route-related information exists in said route table and the second judger judges that the remaining time of said route table item is shorter than said predefined using time;

a creator configured to create the route table item corresponding to said route-related information if the first judger judges that no route table item corresponding to said route-related information exists in said route table.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a second obtainer configured to obtain correlated information of said route table item and a virtual local area network;

wherein, said virtual local area network configuration is employed between said access device and each marginal routers connected with said access device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said access response message refers to a dynamic host configuration protocol, said predefined using time refers to the lease time in said dynamic host configuration protocol response message.

11. An access device in the communication network, wherein said access device comprises a route management apparatus according to claim 6.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein said access device is a digital subscriber line-access multiplexer.