Cisco Technology, Inc.

Cisco Systems Inc.

Aravind Sitaraman

Shujin Zhang

Shuxian Lou

Sampath Kumar Sthothra Bhasham

Charles Troper Yager

Craig Michael Alesso

Leslie Alan Thomas

Jie Chu

Maria Alice Dos Santos

Purnam Anil Sheth

Joseph F Mann

Dennis James Cox

John A Joyce

Gregory D Burns

Roman Peter Kochan

Sunil Kumar Chandrupatla

Bernard Roycroft James

Rene T Tio

Andrew M Gutman

Mingqi Deng

Peter S Heitman

Uma Mahesh Mudigonda

Somashekar S V Murthy

Houshang Nayeb Hosseini

Aziz Abdul

Kalpathi S Suryanarayanan

Jane Jiaying Jin

Sandesh K Rao

Karthik Dakshinamoorthy

Craig T Iwata

A method and apparatus control a double-ended soft permanent virtual circuit (SPVC) connection coupling from a source end to a destination end via a communications network. The method includes (a) receiving an SPVC connection message from a first network device for the source end, (b) accepting an SPVC connection in accordance with the SPVC connection message if a second network device receiving the SPVC connection has an association with the first network device, and (c) rejecting the SPVC connection if the second network device does not have an association with the first network device. The network device for the destination end includes a database memory adapted to store an access identifier of at least one predetermined source network device from which the network device is allowed to accept an SPVC connection.

Method and apparatus for controlling double-ended soft permanent virtual circuit/path connections

A system for identifying a subscriber includes an access server coupled to a number of subscribers using a first communication network and further coupled to a second communication network, a memory coupled to the access server, and a processor coupled to the memory. The access server receives a communication from a particular subscriber using a particular one of a number of virtual circuits associated with the first communication network. The memory stores path information that identifies a virtual circuit assigned to the particular subscriber. The processor identifies the particular subscriber for connection to the second communication network based upon the path information and the particular virtual circuit used to receive the communication from the particular subscriber.

System and method for identifying a subscriber for connection to a communication network

A network access server (NAS) provides a connection to a user in a data communications network, where the NAS is capable of communicating with a home gateway server (HGS) maintaining a pool of IP addresses for allocation to authorized users associated with the NAS. The NAS includes a first memory for storing an identification of a user, an requester for asking the HGS for an IP address on behalf of the user; and a second memory associated with the first memory for storing the IP address of the user received from the HGS. The NAS may further include a detector for periodically detecting connection of the user to the NAS and a keep-alive sender for periodically informing the HGS that the user is still connected to the NAS, a receiver for receiving periodic queries from the HGS about the status of the user connection to the NAS and a responder responsive to said periodic queries for informing the HOS that the use is still connected to the NAS, and/or a receiver for receiving periodic signals from the user and a forwarder responsive to said receiver for forwarding information to the HGS that the user is still connected to the NAS. A home gateway server (HOS) provides mechanisms to assign an IP address to a user via a NAS, and to monitor the status of the IP address after assignment.

IP address allocation in a network environment

A method and apparatus for providing an aggregated account metering system to a computer network service provider resulting in comprehensive detailed subscriber accounting records. Accounting start-stop event data is retrieved from accounting servers. The accounting records are parsed to a first adapter where they are then published on an active information bus. Network flow data is collected from routers throughout the packet switch network environment by network flow collectors. The collectors serve to aggregate and, optionally, filter the flow data. The network flow data is parsed to a second adapter where it is then published on an active information bus. An integrating accounting adapter subscribes to and collects accounting event data and network flow data and correlates this data into a detailed call record that is formatted as desired.

Aggregation of user usage data for accounting systems in dynamically configured networks

A method and apparatus create a bundle of soft permanent virtual circuits (SPVCs) coupling form a source end to a destination end via a communications network. The SPVC bundle includes a plurality of member SPVCs, each member SPVC including a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) and a switched virtual circuit (SVC). The SPVC bundle creation includes (a) creating the SPVC bundle for the source end, each of the member SPVCs being associated with a respective connection characteristic and coupling to the same destination, and (b) transmitting, from the source end to the destination end, an SPVC setup message containing configuration information of the SPVC bundle. The SPVC bundle creation may further includes automatically creating, at the destination end, in response to the SPVC setup message, the SPVC bundle for the destination end in accordance with the configuration information.

Method and apparatus for creating bundle of soft permanent virtual circuits

A single database maintained centrally hosts both proxy service data and authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) data. Data is then copied to storage used locally by each system when both systems are instantiated. Therefore the ISP/Telco need not maintain two different data bases. A protocol gateway (PGW) is used to determine if the incoming user is a wholesale or retail user. The PGW filters the domain portion of the access request to locate a remote AAA service. If one such service is found, the PGW routes the communication via the proxy service to proxy it to the remote AAA service. The returned packet from the remote AAA service is then searched for an IP address to be assigned to the incoming user. If one is not found the PGW obtains a dynamically allocated IP address from a DHCP server (using an IP-Pool-ID if supplied in the returned packet from the remote AAA service). The same mechanism is used to forward accounting event packets from the NAS to the remote AAA server. The PGW may monitor more than one proxy and/or AAA service and load balance among them.

Integration of authentication authorization and accounting service and proxy service

Service requests, which are used to properly process a network access request received from a client, are processed by routing the service requests between at least two service component instances according to a load balancing algorithm. Load balancing includes: calculating a first ticket amount and a second ticket amount; assigning the first ticket amount to a first instance and the second ticket amount to a second instance; using a selection scheme to select an instance having a ticket amount greater than a threshold amount to process a service request; decrementing the ticket amount corresponding to the instance selected; and scheduling the instance selected to receive a service request. The present invention may further include distinguishing between operable and inoperable instances, providing ticket amounts that are not based on performance ratings to inoperable instances, and providing ticket amounts that are based on performance ratings to operable instances.

Load balancing between service component instances

In a first aspect of the present invention, a Wholesaler dynamically identifies one of a plurality of AAA services at a remote domain to route an access request to. The AAA service is selected based upon a set of rules applied to information which has been received dynamically from the plurality of AAA services and is indicative of load and status of the plurality of AAA services. In a second aspect of the present invention, a Wholesaler, based upon a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the Wholesaler and a user, routes the user to one of a plurality of sub-service providers.

Proxy on demand

A method for providing remote management and maintenance of a node or service within a data communications network that is activated by the data communications network management system's receipt of signals of an abnormal condition at a node or service or failure to receive operational status signals from a node or service. A control adapter running on a node within a Point of Presence is started. The control adapter is capable of starting all service adapters associated with all services running on the node. Operational status signals and abnormal condition signals are transmitted from the control adapter and service adapters on to an information bus. If a network management control host receives abnormal condition signals, notification is sent to a remote system administrator that alerts of an error experienced by a node or service. If a network management control host fails to receive operational status signals, notification is sent to a remote system administrator that no signals are being received from a node or service. The system administrator can take appropriate remote action to rectify the problem. The integration of a manually started node or service into a data communications network management system is achieved by manually implementing, at a Point of Presence within a data communications network, a node or service that has an adapter running on it and is in communication with an information bus. The node or service begins signalling operational status upon implementation. These signals are not recognized by network management control hosts. The network management control host transmits signals asking the newly started node or service for identification. The node or service receives the identity request and transmits signals back to the network management control host.

Remote system administration and seamless service integration of a data communication network management system

A network access server (NAS) provides a connection to a user in a data communications network, where the NAS is capable of communicating with a home gateway server (HGS) maintaining a pool of IP addresses for allocation to authorized users associated with the NAS. The NAS includes a first memory for storing an identification of a user, a requester for asking the HGS for an IP address on behalf of the user; and a second memory associated with the first memory for storing the IP address of the user received from the HGS. The NAS may further include a detector for periodically detecting connection of the user to the NAS and a keep-alive sender for periodically informing the HGS that the user is still connected to the NAS, a receiver for receiving periodic queries from the HGS about the status of the user connection to the NAS and a responder responsive to the periodic queries for informing the HGS that the user is still connected to the NAS, and/or a receiver for receiving periodic signals from the user and a forwarder responsive to the receiver for forwarding information to the HGS that the user is still connected to the NAS. A home gateway server (HGS) provides mechanisms to assign an IP address to a user via a NAS, and to monitor the status of the IP address after assignment.

An address is allocated to a host device which is selected to obtain network access from any access point within a given communications system, while maintaining a settings configuration scheme that is consistently applied to the communications network for the user regardless of the access point used by the user. This is accomplished by assigning a user profile to a subscriber, said user profile including a pool identifier, said pool identifier indicating the settings configuration scheme for the subscriber; using said pool identifier to append one or more attributes to an authentication protocol packet, according to information contained in a first data structure; forwarding said authentication protocol packet to a Network Authentication Server; comparing said one or more attributes to a second data structure, said second data structure indicating the settings configuration scheme associated with said one or more attributes; and configuring settings on the communications network in accordance with the settings configuration scheme.

Support IP pool-based configuration

Determining the domain name associated with a virtual circuit may includes receiving, at an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server, a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) authentication request comprising a unique identifier comprising a virtual channel ID, and determining whether a domain configuration override attribute exists in a virtual circuit profile associated with a DSLAM port used to receive the PPP authentication request. Determining the domain name further includes, if the domain configuration override attribute exists in the virtual circuit profile or if the PPP authentication request does not comprise a domain name, returning a domain name associated with the unique identifier, and if the domain configuration override attribute does not exist in the virtual circuit profile, returning a PPP domain name used in the PPP authentication request.

PPP domain name and L2TP tunnel selection configuration override

A method for conveying data communications network management information to an umbrella management system whereby network management information events are published on an information bus and received at a subscribing monitor interface located on the information bus. The monitor interface then converts the network management information events into umbrella management system-useable information and communicates the umbrella management useable information to the umbrella management system. In this manner, the umbrella management system is able to import valuable information pertaining to the devices and services that comprise the overall network. The monitor interface includes an adapter located on the information bus that subscribes to network management information events, a converter that formats the network management information events into data useable by the umbrella management system, and a forwarder that communicates the umbrella management system-useable data to the umbrella management system.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Aravind Sitaraman