Cisco Technology, Inc.

Amit S Phadnis

Pankaj Vyas

Balaji Lakshmikanth Bangolae

Vinodh Kumar Ravindranath

Sudhakar Shenoy

Praneet Bachheti

Hrishikesh Vishwas Kulkarni

Marco Cesare Centemeri

Navneet Agarwal

Anuradha Karuppiah

Kotha Subba Rama Chandra Murty

Srinivas Ananthanaga Kuruganti

Mark Grayson

Richard Mandfred Pruss

Shoou Jiah Yiu

Matthew Lawrence King

Chandrahasa C Pullagura

Peddareddappa Gonichettipalli

John Fitzgerald

Tanja Hess

David Hovey

Tirumali Seetharam Ajai

Several keep-alive messages of point to point (PPP) sessions received from a remote system are aggregated into a single packet in an aggregation device (e.g., network access server). The aggregated packet is sent to a peer aggregation device (e.g., home gateway) at the other end of the PPP session. The peer aggregation device may send the status of the sessions in a single packet. As a result, the data traffic on a communication backbone due to keep-alive status checks may be reduced. Without waiting for the peer aggregation device to provide the status information, a proxy reply may be generated from the aggregation device.

Aggregation devices processing keep-alive messages of point-to-point sessions

A gateway device providing a search utility to determine both NAT information and forwarding information ('both pieces of information') in a single search operation. The single search operation may be implemented using a single table storing both pieces of information necessary for processing a packet. As a result, both pieces of information can be potentially retrieved in a single memory access. Due to the single (or few) memory access, the throughput performance of a gateway may be enhanced. In an embodiment, the gateway is implemented as a service selection gateway which provides connectivity between multiple remote systems and service domains. The NAT/forwarding information is partitioned according to service domains such that the information needed to process packets from/to the same service domain is contained in the same table.

Forwarding packets in a gateway performing network address translation (NAT)

A service selection gateway (SSG) which permits multiple access quotas associated with a pre-paid service accessed by a user. For example, the user's access may be terminated if the usage exceeds a specified time or volume of data transferred (examples of access quotas). According to another aspect, access of a service is permitted based on different tariffs. Thus, a user may be charged differently depending on the applicable tariff. In an embodiment implemented in the context of pre-paid tariffs, multiple access quotas may be received associated with the same resource, and each quota may be computed according to a corresponding tariff.

Flexible billing support in a service selection gateway (SSG)

Setting up a group of virtual circuits using a single set up message request. In an embodiment, fewer than all of the virtual circuits in the group are immediately provisioned, and the remaining virtual circuits are placed in an inactive status by appropriate configuration of all the devices in the path of the group of virtual circuits. Each of the inactive virtual circuits can be activated (complete provisioning) as and when required. The bandwidth overhead on the networks is reduced as fewer signaling messages would be used in provisioning several virtual circuits. The parsing overhead is reduced on the devices processing the signaling messages as a result.

Reducing overhead when setting up multiple virtual circuits using signaling protocols

To send a connection control message associated with a first set of attributes, only a difference of the first set of attributes from a second set of attributes associated with an already active virtual circuit (to a common destination) may be sent (contained in the connection control message). The devices receiving the message may create the necessary configuration for the new virtual circuit by modifying a copy of the configuration of the active virtual circuit. Processing requirements may be minimized as the devices may not need to parse and decode long list of information element. The feature may be particularly important in setting up a virtual circuit for voice calls, as a long list of attributes may be associated with each virtual circuit, but the difference of attributes being only minimal.

Efficient processing of connection control messages in managing virtual circuits using signaling protocols

A method is disclosed for authorizing a prepaid network service in a data network. A network end station issues a request for a prepaid network service. At a network node, such as a router serving as a gateway for selecting services, a determination is made about whether a user associated with the end station is authorized to access the prepaid network service. Network traffic from the end station is forwarded to a service provider only when the user is authorized to use the prepaid network service. Specific embodiments provide message flows among a mobile station, gateway support node, router, and authentication server that support providing prepaid services in a packet-switched network for mobile communication. In certain embodiments, a connection is held open for an end station while a prepaid quota value is refreshed at a portal, thereby reducing overhead and precluding the need to repeat user logon steps. Further, unused quota amounts can be returned to the authentication server for use in association with multiple concurrent connections of the same device.

Method and apparatus providing prepaid billing for network services using explicit service authorization in an access server

Moving a virtual circuit from one port interface to another when multiple port interfaces are present between two network devices. Such a move may be performed, for example, when a port interface fails or when needed to balance the load (e.g., aggregate amount of bandwidth of all virtual circuits presently assigned to a port interface) across multiple port interfaces. As a result, the port interfaces may be used efficiently.

Efficient use of multiple port interfaces available on a network device supporting ATM

A switch may be configured to support a point-to-multi-point PVC which can be used to support a point to multi-point application. The signaling overhead is reduced due to the use of PVC, and the available bandwidth is used efficiently due to the use of the point-to-multi-point connection. Another aspect of the present invention minimizes the resources required while providing such point-to-multi-point virtual connections. A switch may minimize allocation of resources to branches that are not active. For example, a switch may determine that a branch is inactive based on the absence of reception of OAM cells in a specified duration and delete the forwarding information for the inactive branch. The switch may thus scale to support many point-to-multi-point virtual circuits having many branches.

Multicasting method and system using an ATM switch

The services offered (e.g., bandwidth) by a PVC can be changed, potentially as and when desired. An end system (of a PVC) may send a request to initiate a change of a service. Each intermediate system may first determine whether the service change can be supported, and passes the request to the next system in the path until the request is received by the other end system of the PVC. Assuming the other end system also can support the change, an acceptance response is propagated in the reverse direction of the same path. Each system may effect the service change upon receiving the acceptance response.

PVC suited for supporting user applications with changing requirements

A service selection gateway (SSG) which enables a service provider to conveniently provide access of the same services to a group of hosts. The service provider may specify the specific services each group of hosts is permitted to access, and the SSG forwards packets from the hosts only to the corresponding specified services. In an embodiment implemented substantially in the form of software, the access information (specifying the server addresses which can be accessed from each group of hosts) is stored in the form of data structures in which the same copy of access information is shared by many (all) hosts in the corresponding group.

Service selection gateway (SSG) allowing access of same services to a group of hosts

An edge router which associates multiple virtual circuits (e.g., PVCs) with an internet protocol (IP) route. The data transfer load on the IP route is distributed on the virtual circuits. As a result, high aggregate effective bandwidth can be provided between edge routers, potentially without having to use a correspondingly high bandwidth physical connections.

Distribution of data transfer load when transmitting layer-3 datagrams on a layer-2 network

A service selection gateway (SSG) which receives data indicating tariff switching points, and sends accounting records enabling accurate computation of traffic volumes in each switching duration is described. In one embodiment, a counter value indicating the traffic volume for each tariff duration is sent. In an alternative embodiment, at least one accounting record containing two counters is sent in each duration, with one counter indicating an aggregate count of traffic volume (e.g., since the subscriber started a session) and another counter containing a marginal (or incremental) value since a switching point. Such an accounting record can be sent at any time point in a tariff duration, and the traffic volume in each tariff duration can be computed accurately.

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Bengaluru, India

Amit S Phadnis