Alcatel Lucent

Luc Absillis

Sudheer Dharanikota

Gopal Surya

Charles Michael Storry

Charles Storry

Robert McIntosh

Operations, administration and management (OAM) functions in a passive optical network (PON) can be performed by providing a system of flow points (i.e., software entities), such as those along the lines of the Maintenance End Points (MEPs) and Maintenance Intermediate Points (MIPs) described in the IEEE 802.1ag specification, which communicate connectivity fault test messages with each other. The flow points can be provided in the Optical Line Terminal (OLT) and Optical Network Terminator (ONT). Alternatively or in addition, flow points can be provided in a subscriber gateway coupled to the ONT. The flow points issue test messages, to which other flow points can respond with information regarding the state of network connectivity.

GPON OAM using IEEE 802.1ag methodology

A client device obtains an Internet Protocol (IP) address in response to completion of an authentication protocol process. The IP address can be provided in accordance with, for example, the dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP). The authentication protocol can be, for example, that which is defined by the IEEE 802.1x standard. When a client device detects completion of the 802.1x authentication process, it issues a DHCP request to the network.

Triggering DHCP actions from IEEE 802.1x state changes

A service node authenticates a service provider network to which it is connected. When the service node is connected between subscriber devices and a network node of the service provider network, the service node issues an authentication request to the network node. The network node responds to the authentication request by transmitting a reply. The service node receives the reply and determines if it indicates the service provider network to which the service node is connected is authentic. These authentication communications can conform to a standard authentication protocol, such as Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP). If the reply indicates the service provider network is authentic, the service node permits communication between the subscriber devices and the service provider network. If the reply indicates the service provider network is not authentic, the service node blocks such communication.

Method for inverse port-based authentication

An access node comprises an application server, a logical access port coupled to the application server and a redirection filter module coupled to the logical access port. The redirection filter module includes a data redirection filter and an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) redirection filter. The data redirection filter facilitates a data packet received on the access port being directed to the application server when a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the data packet corresponds to a MAC address of the application server or when a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address of the data packet corresponds to an IP address of the application server. The ARP redirection filter facilitates an ARP reply message being issued when a target IP address of an ARP request message received on the access port corresponds to the IP address of the application server.

Method for facilitating application server functionality and access node comprising same

A Passive Optical Network (PON) includes an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and an Optical Line Terminal (OLT). The ONT is configured for providing controlled port operations of authenticator Port Access Entity (PAE) functionality and the OLT is configured for providing entity authentication operations of the authenticator PAE functionality. The controlled port operations of authenticator PAE functionality includes inhibiting transmission of non-authentication messages from the ONT, transmitting a supplicant authentication request to the OLT and enabling transmission of non-authentication messages from the ONT in response to receiving supplicant authentication confirmation. The entity authentication operations of the authenticator PAE functionality include facilitating authentication of an identity of the supplicant and facilitating transmission of supplicant authentication confirmation for reception by the ONT in response to the identity being authenticated.

Distributed authentication functionality

In a VLAN per service architecture, an ONT of a GPON network operating in an untrusted mode produces a service selection filter from a DHCP message sent from a particular VLAN. The service filter may be dependent on the CPE address and/or the destination address, and is used to select a port-id for upstream transmission of data from the ONT.

Determining transmission port in a GPON network

A passive optical network (PON) access network connected to an external data network can be tested using a remote test host operating on the external data network by looping test data from the test host through the PON to an Optical Network Terminator (ONT), through a data path between an ONT test port and an ONT user port, and back through the PON to the test host. Data tunneling is used to route the data through the external data network between the test host and the PON Optical Line Terminal (OLT). The invention can be used to emulate downstream as well as upstream PON traffic for remote diagnostic testing or other purposes.

PON with distributed virtual port loopback

A method for configuring an access node to provide residential routing functionality comprising populating a fixed match forwarding table with host entries learned during authentication of a residential router instance or during IP address assignment for the residential router instance, associating the residential router instance exclusively with a respective virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier, forwarding upstream traffic dependent upon the respective VLAN identifier and forwarding downstream traffic dependent upon a host entry designated by the downstream traffic being determined. The host entry is accessed from within the fixed match forwarding table. At least one logical interface associated with the residential router instance is provided. The IP packet received on a VLAN corresponding to the VLAN identifier is limited to being forwarded to one of the logical interfaces. Forwarding the upstream traffic includes ignoring a designated destination IP address of an IP packet and forwarding the IP packet toward a default gateway dependent upon the host entry.

Method and system configured for facilitating residential broadband service

A method and apparatus to permit testing of Layer 2 and higher services provisioned for a port on a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) line card. Each line card is provisioned with a virtual port, a virtual port cross-connect function, and a virtual port tunneling function. The virtual port can be linked to any physical port on the line card. A test host can link to the virtual port from anywhere in a network to perform verification of end-to-end service provisioning and functionality throughout a network.

Method and apparatus for verifying service provisioning in networks used to provide digital subscriber line services

An access node comprises an access port configured for operating in a semi-transparent mode. The semi-transparent mode provides for 1:1 between a logical circuit on a network interface of the access node and a logical circuit on an access loop between the access port and customer premise equipment (CPE). The 1:1 mapping enables manipulation of subscriber traffic at the access port on a per-subscriber basis while maintaining logical separation of per-subscriber traffic.

Method and access node configured for providing intelligent cross connection functionality

System management functions are remotely performed on customer premises equipment (CPE), such a residential gateway, even if the CPE has not been authenticated or dynamically allocated an IP address or otherwise is not in a state that enables normal communication with the network. CPE management information is communicated using an IP address identifying a destination CPE but exclusively associated with CPE management. The access node that receives the CPE management information reconfigures the packets to translate the address to a fixed, non-public address. The same fixed address can be shared by all of the CPE's connected to the access node. The CPE recognizes the fixed address as though it were being addressed locally rather than through the network and is therefore able to receive the CPE management information even if the CPE has not been authenticated or dynamically allocated an IP address.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Luc Absillis