Nortel Networks Corporation

Northern Telecom Limited

Clive Colin Hayball

Nigel Lawrence Bragg

Roy Harold Mauger

Julian Frank Barry Cable

Julian Frank Cable

Niall Forbes Ross

Andrew J Tunnicliffe

Stephen Rhylant Evans

Gillian Barbara Kendon

Philip Davies

Peter Jamieson Tattersfield

Simon Daniel Brueckheimer

Martin Biddiscombe

Stephen Leonard Fagg

John Ian Turner

Sarah Lucy Wright

Perry Prozeniuk

Dennis Stewart William Tansley

Ross M MacGillivray

Gary R Stoneley

Duncan P Cameron

Peter Jamieson Tatterfield

John Gavin L'Estrerange Shurmer

David Stephen Riches

Adnanus Henricus Nicolaas Roestenburg

Gordon Bradley

To ensure an effective mechanism for disaster recovery, system migration and network enlargement, a communication system (FIG.) comprises a narrowband-to-broadband interface () having a plurality of network adaptors (-) interconnected to a switch (-) that provides access to a plurality of virtual channels (-) supported by a broadband network. The plurality of network adaptors (-) are also coupled to a plurality of trunks (-) that each support at least one of a plurality of different communication functions. At least two call servers (-) are independently coupled to the narrowband-to-broadband interface () and are arranged to control interconnection of trunks to virtual channels, while each of the at least two call servers is responsible for controlling interconnections of group of trunks that share a common communication function within each group. Communication system functionality is therefore separated between the at least two call servers.

Communication system architecture and operating methods thereof

Content is frequently replicated across IP-based networks such as the Internet. Replicas are stored in caches throughout the network. However, to date there has been no mechanism to allow users not directly associated with the replicas to access replicas. Therefore although a copy of a content item may be stored geographically nearby, it may still be necessary to obtain the original content item from a server many thousands of miles away. By recording the location of content items and producing a mapping of a content item to all known replicas, it is possible to produce an authoritative proxy associated with a particular domain which is able to provide a list of URLs of alternative replica copies of a requested content item. In this way, a content request proxy associated with a requester of a content item may choose the best location for retrieving the content item from a list which may include local caches not directly associated with the requester.

Network proxy apparatus and methods

DNS in its native form cannot identify a good or best server. Traditional Service Providers deploy a centralised approach to global traffic management based on enhancements to DNS, but do have the capability to augment this with edge-based server selection because they do not own/operate an edge network. Their resolution of DNS requests is typically restricted to identifying candidate servers within an edge domain rather than selecting the 'best' server. The invention proposes a method of handling Internet resource requests whereby a local lookup server receiving a request searches for a best server able to satisfy the resource request. The local lookup server finds the best server by searching a database for a resource record associated with the best server, and then uses the resource record to retrieve an identifier of a series of executable instructions that are executed to locate the best server. The resource requests and responses may hold additional information relating to operational characteristics which may used to determine the best server. The invention proposes a DNS record type comprising a user-defined field for conveying this additional information in the resource request and in the response. The invention also proposes architecture for handling the resource request comprising a network server that provides the requested resource using the best server, as well as a communications network comprising this architecture.

Apparatus and method for managing internet resource requests

Previous systems and methods for personalizing web content presented to a user has been achieved in a decentralized manner by storing personal data relating to the user repeatedly by different content providing servers. Consequently, the consistency of the data stored can be inconsistent and, in some cases, incomplete. Additionally, the user does not have any control over the dissemination of the content. The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method whereby web related data is modified in communications between user equipment units and content providing servers. The modification to the web related data is carried out by a proxy server () having access to centrally stored personal data in a data store (). Consequently, data provided to content providing servers is consistent, complete and the information provided by the content providing servers to the user has a higher degree of relevance to the user.

System, apparatus and method for personalising web content

Leased lines are provisioned over an internet protocol communications network by providing bandwidth tallies at each node and link in the network. Traffic to be sent over the leased line is labelled as high priority at the entry point to the leased line. Differentiated services mechanisms are set up at each node in the route to allow high priority traffic on the leased line to be processed before other traffic. A customer requests a leased line between two points and with a specified bandwidth and quality of service. Bandwidth tallies are checked along the chosen path to ensure that the requested bandwidth is available. As well as this checks are made to ensure that no more than a threshold level of high priority traffic will be present at any one node or link. Once the network is configured such that sufficient bandwidth is available and high priority traffic levels will not exceed the threshold level, the leased line is available for use.

Method of provisioning a route in a connectionless communications network such that a guaranteed quality of service is provided

To ensure an effective mechanism for disaster recovery, system migration and network enlargement, a communication system (FIG.) comprises a narrowband-to-broadband interface () having a plurality of network adaptors () interconnected to a switch () that provides access to a plurality of virtual channels () supported by a broadband network. The plurality of network adaptors () are also coupled to a plurality of trunks () that each support at least one of a plurality of different communication functions. At least two call servers () are independently coupled to the narrowband-to-broadband interface () and are arranged to control interconnection of trunks to virtual channels, while each of the at least two call servers is responsible for controlling interconnections of group of trunks that share a common communication function within each group. Communication system functionality is therefore separated between the at least two call servers.

There is presently no single accepted scheme to support Quality of Service guarantees for IP based applications, although RSVP is the prevailing standard for network resource reservation. Thus, providing end-to-end Quality of Service guarantees for content delivery across the Internet presents a challenge for Service Providers. Typically load balancing algorithms are used for picking the best server, with respect to server capacity for satisfying a request, but they can not guarantee Quality of Service for the whole duration of the network transaction. The invention proposes a method of distributing server load in an IP network, comprising building an association between a subscriber edge device and a server controller using a packet switched network Quality of Service mechanism. A fair share of server bandwidth is offered out to the subscriber edge device, and a resource request from the client is directed, via the subscriber edge device and through a server controller, to a server having an amount of server bandwidth required by the client. The required fair share of server bandwidth is then reserved for meeting the client's resource request. The invention also proposes a subscriber edge device, a data center device, and a communications network comprising each. The subscriber edge device comprises, a resource requester for sending a request to the server controller associated with the source location of the requested resource, a resource reserver that reserves an amount of bandwidth using a Quality of Service mechanism and releases any unneeded bandwidth, and a resource returner that returns the requested resource to the client. The data center device comprises, a resource allocator that allocates fair shares of server bandwidth to the network, and a server controller that offers fair shares of server bandwidth using a Quality of Service mechanism.

Method and apparatus for optimizing network service

A syntactical representation is used to generate data describing a hierarchical broadband network and relationships between it elements. The format of the syntactical representation resembles logic programming language clauses. The syntactical representation is used to specify a broadband connection problem to be solved. Data describing physical resources and functionality of a set of network elements is entered into an inference engine which applies an algorithm to its input in order to find a solution to a specified connections planning problem. The algorithm is recursive and uses artificial intelligence techniques; such as, first fail hierarchical planning and hill-climbing to guide the inference engine's search for a solution.

Planning system for broadband multi-service connections

A communication network ( ) comprises a call server ( ) and several fabric control modules ( ) coupled to the call server ( ) through a fabric application interface ( ). The fabric control modules are arranged to control circuit connections ( ) within, for example, a narrowband-broadband interface ( ) in response to the call server. A management agent ( ) coupled to the call server through a dedicated management interface ( ) includes a memory ( ) for storing network configuration information and a processor ( ) arranged to provide the network configuration information to the call server over the dedicated management interface ( ) to affect initial establishment of the fabric application interface ( ). In this way, the fabric application interface ( ) is optimized in relation to available resources and consequently provides a uniform view between the call server and a narrowband-broadband interface ( ).

Communication system architecture and a management control agent and operating protocol therefor

Communication system architecture, apparatus and management and signalling method therein

Management functionality in a communications network is integrated using a design module for constructing a management information base (MIB). A unit of manageable physical resources is represented in the MIB by a management unit comprising a collection of managed objects representing actual physical and logical resources in the network. The functionality provided by those physical and logical resources is represented separately and independently from the objects representing those physical and logical resources. A realisation model associates classes of objects representing the functionality with classes of objects representing the physical and logical resources. In an embodiment, an Application model represents the functionality of network resources. An Implementation model represents the actual, specific implementation of how that functionality is carried out. A set of realisation associations links an application model to an implementation model to form a realisation model. Division and representation of physical and logical resources in the MIB by the management unit method allows substitution of physical and logical resources by different implementations of similar resource components without reconfiguring the parts of the MIB representing the functionality.

Mechanism for integration of management functionality in communications networks

A method of managing a communications network is described which makes use of information about the current state of the network and in addition, information about past and/or future states of the network. Information about the current state of the network is stored in a management information base (MIB) and the information about the past/future states is either stored in this MIB, or separate past/future MIBs are created. The information about the past/future states is stored in a way such that it can be operated on in the same way as the information about the current state of the network. By storing the information in this way management of the network is improved. For example, future states of the network can be tested before being implemented. Also, information about past states can be used to predict future states. Fault management, configuration management, accounting management and performance management can all be improved by using the information about past/future states.

Method and apparatus for managing a communications network by storing management information about two or more configuration states of the network

A communications network, eg a distributed network, comprises a plurality of distributed physical resources in the form of components, assemblies of components, and systems based on components and composites. A network management system of such a network comprises an application level which represents the functionality of a plurality of different composites being hardware and/or software components of different proprietary manufacture and different function capability, and an implementation level which implements control of the composites. The application level is sub-divided into a plurality of application level elements each of which correspond to a function capability of a composite or system, a system being a highest level of composite. The implementation level is sub-divided into a plurality of implementation level elements each of which represents a system, a composite or a component. The internal structure of the elements within the application controller and implementation level corresponds to internal architectures of the systems and composites. As the communications network is assembled from a plurality of different components and composites, the network management system can also be assembled using predetermined constructions of composite controllers and component controllers which correspond to specific composites or specific components within those composites.

Communications network having management system architecture supporting reuse

A number of narrow band networks are interconnected via a broad band network having a signalling protocol different from that or those of the narrow band networks. Calls between terminals associated with first and second narrow band networks are set up by the selection by a call server of a phantom trunk between the networks. This phantom trunk is used to relay the addresses of the two terminals to be connected. By recognizing that two connection requests have been received at opposite ends of the same phantom trunk, a processor in the second network determines that a connection between the terminals via the broad band network is required. Selection of the phantom trunk and sending of address messages is effected via a selected one of a number of identical connection brokers coupled to the call server. The workload of the call server is shared among the connection brokers coupled thereto.

Communications system with load sharing communications interface

A management base of a communications network manager is constructed using object oriented techniques. A network comprises a plurality of physical resources in the form of components and assemblies of components, which are distributed across the network. A management system for the network is constructed in an evolutionary manner by representing an overall functionality of the network by an application model in which each function of the network is modeled independently of its implementation, decomposing the application model into an implementation model in which every function represented in the application model is represented in the implementation model, representing the application model as a plurality of objects, representing the implementation model as another plurality of objects, connecting the objects of the application model and implementation model together to obtain a combined object model, and constructing a management base according to the combined object model.

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Sawbridgeworth, United Kingdom

Clive Colin Hayball