Layer-2 connectivity from switch to access node/gateway

• US 9,276,663 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Foxworthy, Michael, Chandran, Girish, Lau, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Oveissi, David
• Application Number:
  US13/739,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18571 for satellites; for fixed or mobile stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4645 Details on frame tagging routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for providing layer-2 connectivity through a non-routed ground segment network, are described. A system includes a non-autonomous gateway in communication with a satellite configured to relay data packets. The non-autonomous gateway is configured to receive the data packets from the satellite at layer-1 (LI) of the OSI-model, generate a plurality of virtual tagging tuples within the layer-2 packet headers of the plurality of data packets. The non-autonomous gateway is further configured to transmit, at layer-2 (L2) of the OSI-model, the virtually tagged data packets. Each of the packets may include a virtual tagging tuple and an entity destination. The system further includes a L2 switch in communication with the non-autonomous gateway. The L2 switch may be configured to receive the data packets and transmit the data packets to the entity based on the virtual tuples associated with each of the data packets.

Claims

1. A system for providing layer-2 connectivity through a switched ground segment network providing connectivity at layer-2 of the OSI model (L2) between a plurality of geographically separated nodes, the system comprising:

a gateway connected at L2 to at least one of the plurality of geographically separated nodes of the switched ground segment network and in communication with one or more bent pipe satellites, the one or more bent pipe satellites configured to receive signals from one or more user terminals and to relay the signals at layer-1 of the OSI model (L1), the gateway utilizing at least one service provided by the at least one of the plurality of geographically separated nodes for providing communication services between the one or more user terminals and entities not within the switched ground segment network, the gateway comprising;

a satellite modem termination system (SMTS) that demodulates the signals relayed from the one or more bent pipe satellites and generates from the demodulated signals, a plurality of data packets having packet headers for communication at L2; and

a first L2 switch coupled with the SMTS that receives the plurality of data packets from the SMTS and adds virtual tagging tuples to the packet headers for each data packet of a subset of the plurality of data packets, wherein each virtual tagging tuple includes an entity destination associated with an entity,

wherein the first L2 switch of the gateway transmits the virtually tagged data packets at L2 to a second L2 switch of a core node of the switched ground segment network, for communication to the entity based on each of the virtual tagging tuples associated with each of the virtually tagged data packets, the core node comprising a network interface coupled with a second network associated with the entity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the switched ground segment network comprises the gateway and the core node.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network comprises a routed ground segment network, the network interface configured to generate routing data for communicating the virtually tagged data packets through the routed ground segment network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the SMTS comprises one or more base stations.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual tagging tuples are configured to designate a location of the entity.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the location of the entity comprises one of a plurality of locations associated with the entity.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual tagging tuples are associated with a reserved portion of a link capacity of the switched ground segment network between the first L2 switch and the second L2 switch.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of clients in communication with the one or more user terminals.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one service comprises one or more of an authentication service, an accounting service, a provisioning service, a peering service, a content delivery service, a network management service, a logging service, a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) service, a domain name system (DNS) service, a file transfer protocol (FTP) service, a synchronization service, or a public key infrastructure (PKI) service.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first L2 switch of the gateway transmits the virtually tagged data packets at L2 to the second L2 switch of the core node via a third L2 switch of a second core node.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the network interface comprises an L2 peering interface between the second network and the switched ground segment network.

12. A method for providing end-to-end layer-2 connectivity throughout a switched ground segment network providing connectivity at layer-2 of the OSI model (L2)between a plurality of geographically separated nodes, the method comprising:

receiving, by a gateway configured for processing primarily below layer-3 of the OSI model (L3), signals from one or more user terminals, the signals relayed by a bent pipe satellite at layer-1 of the OSI model (L1)), the gateway connected at L2 to at least one of the plurality of geographically separated nodes of the switched ground segment network and utilizing at least one service provided by the at least one of the plurality of geographically separated nodes for providing communication services between the one or more user terminals and entities not within the switched ground segment network;

demodulating the signals relayed from the bent pipe satellite to generate a plurality of data packets having L2packet headers;

generating virtual tagging tuples within the L2 packet headers of a subset of the plurality of data packets, wherein each virtual tagging tuple includes an entity destination associated with an entity; and

transmitting, by a first L2 switch of the gateway, the virtually tagged data packets at L2 to a second L2 switch of a core node of the switched ground segment network for communication to the entity based on each of the virtual tagging tuples associated with each of the virtually tagged data packets, the core node comprising a network interface coupled with a second network associated with the entity.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

designating, using the virtual tagging tuples, the entity and a location for the entity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the location of the entity comprises one of a plurality of locations associated with the entity.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

adding second virtual tagging tuples to the L2 packet headers for each data packet of a second subset of the plurality of data packets;

designating, using the second virtual tagging tuples, a second entity and a location for the second entity; and

transmitting, by the first L2 switch of the gateway, the second subset of the plurality of data packets to the second entity via the core node based on the second virtual tagging tuples associated with each of the second subset of the plurality of data packets.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the locations for the first and second entities comprise a same location.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second entities comprise a same entity.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the virtual tagging tuples are associated with a reserved portion of a link capacity of the switched ground segment network between the first L2 switch and the second L2 switch.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having sets of instructions stored thereon for providing end-to-end layer-2 connectivity throughout a switched ground segment network providing connectivity at layer-2 of the OSI model (L2) between a plurality of geographically separated nodes, the sets of instructions, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to:

receive, by a gateway configured for processing primarily below layer-3 of the OSI model (L3), signals from one or more user terminals, the signals relayed by a bent pipe satellite at layer-1 of the OSI model (L1)), the gateway connected at L2to at least one of the plurality of geographically separated nodes of the switched ground segment network and utilizing at least one service provided by the at least one of the plurality of geographically separated nodes for providing communication services between the one or more user terminals and entities not within the switched ground segment network;

demodulate the signals relayed from the bent pipe satellite to generate a plurality of data packets having L2packet headers;

generate virtual tagging tuples within the L2 packet headers of a subset of the plurality of data packets, wherein each virtual tagging tuple includes an entity destination associated with an entity; and

transmit, by a first L2 switch of the gateway, the virtually tagged data packets at L2 to a first second L2 switch of a core node of the switched ground segment network for communication to the entity based on each of the virtual tagging tuples associated with each of the virtually tagged data packets, the core node comprising a network interface coupled with a second network associated with the entity.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

designate, using the virtual tagging tuples, the entity and a location for the entity.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the location of the entity comprises one of a plurality of locations associated with the entity.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the virtual tagging tuples are associated with a reserved portion of a link capacity of the switched ground segment network between the first L2 switch and the second L2 switch.