Nortel Networks Corporation

Julian Frank Cable

Catherine Rosenberg

Clive Colin Hayball

Nigel Lawrence Bragg

Stephen Leonard Fagg

Sarah Lucy Wright

Stephen Rhylant Evans

Adrian M Winckles

Simon Daniel Brueckheimer

Roy Harold Mauger

Brian Michael Unitt

Michael F Grant

Hosame Hassan Abu-Amara

Martin Biddiscombe

Philip Davies

Laurent Thomasson

Alessandro Minato

Lou Pino

Gordon Bradley

Serge Halberstadt

Tolga Ors

Peter Takats

Michael Grant

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

A method of providing secure multicast over a local access network by means of a network access unit having a channel request vetting function and a permitted channel list. Channel requests from a subscriber are vetted with respect to the permitted channel list and forwarded only if permitted. The permitted list may be dynamically updated under headend control to allow users to subscribe to, and unsubscribe from, services upon request.

Access control enhancements for delivery of video and other services

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 border gateway protocol (BGP) management system ( ) dynamically determines an optimum or preferred data route ( ) from wireline networks ( ) into a satellite communication system ( ). Multiple gateways ( ) provide access points to the wireline networks. The management system includes a connectivity matrix which processes ( ) information, such as bandwidth availability and route congestion, and then generate a BGP update that is communicated ( ) into at least one of the gateways. The BGP update promotes preferred gateways and so identifies a preferred access path to the satellite system. Specifically, the BGP update instruction contains a metric altering a weighting of an identified route data route, which metric effects path selection at a gateway receiving IP datagrams. The metric is derived from information pertaining to a connectivity matrix associated with the satellite system.

Border gateway protocol manager and method of managing the selection of communication links

In a satellite communications system comprising a plurality of access units X communicating with a satellite S on an up-link U and a broadcast downlink B and a plurality of gateways E to and from a network N, wherein each gateway E receives from the satellite S transmissions communicated thereto by the access units X and intended for destinations in the network N, a method of routing transmissions including a gateway E concluding that a transmission received should follow an alternative route via one of the other gateways E, sending an alternative route message to the satellite S which forwards the message using the broadcast downlink B to a plurality of the source gateways E in the system.

Satellite traffic routing

A communication system having a multiple access segment ( ), which comprises a plurality of end systems ( ) and a switching node ( ) configured such that each end system can transmit packets to the switching node and such that the switching node can transmit packets which are received by all the end systems. The switching node comprises a switch ( ) for switching packets from the end systems to intermediate destinations within the system, and the MA segment operates in accordance with a protocol which provides a quality of service requested by the end systems for the packets transmitted over the segment. The switching node comprises means for collating primary label routing information for packets to be transmitted from the end systems across the MA segment which primary label is dependent on the intermediate destination of the packet and the QoS requirement of the packet and is independent of the end system from which the packet originates and the switching node switches packets from the end users to the intermediate destinations using only the primary label.

Multi protocol label switching for multiple access segments

A satellite communication system having a spatial segment comprising at least one satellite, preferably in a geostationary orbit, carrying a multi-beam telecommunication payload and a terrestrial segment comprising access gateways to terrestrial networks each arranged to communicate with the satellite via a forward link uplink beam and a return link downlink beam and user terminals each arranged to communicate with a satellite via a forward link downlink beam and a return link uplink beam, wherein the forward link carries signals multiplexed in time and the return link carries signals multiplexed in frequency and time, the payload comprising; a forward link router for routing signals multiplexed in time from a forward link uplink beam on a frame basis to a forward downlink beam, a return link router for routing signals multiplexed in frequency and time from a return uplink beam on a frequency bank basis to a return link downlink beam, and a mesh communication router for receiving signals multiplexed in frequency and time from a return link uplink beam, generating signals multiplexed in time and routing these signals to a forward link downlink beam.

Satellite communication system and satellite for such a system

A multiple access asynchronous network segment for providing network access to a plurality of end systems over a shared medium uplink to a satellite headend supported by a network controller, wherein the network controller allocates part of the uplink resource and the satellite headend allocates part of the uplink resource on a temporary basis in response to end systems making a new request for uplink resource. Also provided is a signalling system for use in a multiple access asynchronous network segment for providing network access to a plurality of end systems over a shared medium uplink to an intermediate. Also provided is an Integrated Addressing and packet Segmentation And Reassembly (IASAR) system for use in a multiple access asynchronous network segment for providing network access for a plurality of end systems to an intermediate system over a shared medium.

Integrated signalling for asynchronous networks

A connection broker (44), located between lower-level system entities (16, 58, 264) associated with a narrowband-broadband interface (250) and a call server (18) that controls call connection across the narrowband-broadband network, contains a memory (251) that stores connection-related information and protocol converters. The connection broker (44) accesses the protocol converters to interpret control messages received from the call server (18) and, where necessary, transposes messages for the call server into a standardised format for use over a uniform fabric application interface (66). Control messages pertaining to connection paths within the narrowband-broadband network (250) and relayed via the connection broker (44) are appropriately phrased (by the connection-related information and protocol converters) to ensure that meaningful information and instruction is communicated between the call server (18) and the lower-level system entities (16, 58, 264). Use of the protocol converters therefore enables connection attributes and network operation and configuration to be altered and advised in-call by having the connection broker (44) both change connection-related information and communicate any change in network configuration to the call server and lower-level system entities, as appropriate.

Communication system architecture and operating protocol therefor

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.

Growing community of inventors

Bishops Stortford, United Kingdom

Julian Frank Cable