Juniper Networks, Inc.

Sanjay Wadhwa

Jerome Pascal Moisand

John Liddy

Paul Raison

John C Scano

Rahul Aggarwal

Mathias Kokot

Vitali Vinokour

Sreenivasa R Tellakula

Jagadishchandra Sarnaik

Kathryn De Graaf

Ravi Nuguru

Benjamin Hickey

William D Townsend

Derek Harkness

Sunil Gandhewar

Ujjvala Nangineni

Dilip Pillaipakkamnatt

Ujjvala Nagineni

Kathryn DeGraaf

An example network device includes network interfaces and a control unit that receives a network configuration request from a client device and sends a network configuration response to the client device. The control unit comprises a network configuration protocol module that generates an authentication request in accordance with a network authentication protocol such that the authentication request includes a request for a second set of network configuration parameters based on a request for a first set of network configuration parameters in the network configuration request, and generates the network configuration response in accordance with the network configuration protocol, wherein the network configuration response is based on an authentication response generated by a second network device in accordance with the network authentication protocol, wherein the authentication response comprises a third set of network configuration parameters based on the request for the second set of network configuration parameters.

Tunneling DHCP options in authentication messages

In general, the invention is directed to techniques for offloading mobile data traffic from a mobile core network to a broadband network. For example, as described herein, a breakout gateway forwards a service request from a mobile device and addressed to a service node. The service node designates an access point name (APN) for offload such that data traffic associated with service requests specifying the designated APN is to be offloaded to an offload network. The service node receives the service requests from the breakout gateway and, if the service request specifies the designated APN, the service node sends a request to the breakout gateway. The breakout gateway receives the request and assigns a routable PDP address to the mobile device. An offload module on the breakout gateway redirects mobile data traffic to the offload network when the source PDP address of the traffic is the previously assigned PDP address.

Offloading mobile traffic from a mobile core network

Network devices, such as a router and a downstream multicast distribution device, may use multiple control channels when setting up a multicast stream for a multicast request. For example, first messages may be transmitted using a first protocol to an upstream device over a first channel, the first messages indicating when a first multicast media stream is being requested by at least one of a number of client devices. Second messages may be transmitted using a second protocol over a second channel, the second messages being transmitted on a per-client basis and each identifying a one of the client devices as requesting the first multicast media stream. By using two control channels to convey the multicast channel requests, the router may obtain visibility into the action of the subscriber and can consequently perform per-subscriber operations such as access-control, bandwidth based admission control, statistics, and QoS adjustment for multicast IPTV streams received by the subscriber.

Multiple control channels for multicast replication in a network

A network controls provision of access functionality by an access node to provide a network service to a subscriber device. For example, the network device may control the queuing and forwarding of packets by the access node to facilitate packet transmission according to, for example, a Quality of Service class. The network device may send control messages to the access node to dynamically configure a control object stored by the access node, such as a Quality of Service profile. The network device may be a router, and the access node may be a base station that wireless communicates with a subscriber device, e.g., a cellular phone. The access node may then delivery the packets in accordance with the dynamically configured control object.

Controlling access nodes with network transport devices within wireless mobile networks

A method performed by a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server comprising receiving a DHCP DISCOVER message from a DHCP client; generating a challenge in response to the DHCP DISCOVER message; sending the challenge to an authentication device; receiving a first challenge response from the authentication device; generating a DHCP OFFER message; sending the challenge to the DHCP client in the DHCP OFFER message; receiving a DHCP REQUEST message that includes a second challenge response from the DHCP client; comparing the first challenge response with the second challenge response; and authenticating the DHCP client when the first challenge response and the second challenge response match.

Dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) authentication using challenge handshake authentication protocol (CHAP) challenge

A network device may include logic to establish an IP session, establish a BFD session within the established IP session, transmit BFD packets within the established BFD session, and determine that the established IP session is active based upon reception of the BFD packets. In another embodiment, the logic may also determine that an IP session is active using an inactivity timer that may also trigger transmission of BFD packets.

Systems and methods for IP session keepalive using BFD protocols

The invention is directed towards techniques for forwarding subscriber frames through a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) aggregation network using MPLS labels. Layer two (L2) network devices, such as access nodes, of a service provider (SP) network implement MPLS functionality in the data plane, but do not implement an MPLS signaling protocol in the control plane. The L2 network devices include an interface for configuring a static pool of labels applied in the data plane of the L2 network device to output MPLS communications to the MPLS network. The access nodes may be configured by an administrator to maintain static pools of subscriber labels and MPLS labels. The access nodes autonomously allocate the subscriber labels to subscriber devices that request broadband services from a Broadband Services Router (BSR), and distribute the subscriber labels and MPLS labels as upstream assigned labels.

Layer two (L2) network access node having data plane MPLS

In general, techniques are described for automatically releasing network resources reserved for use by network devices within a network. In particular, a network device, such as a router, may include an interface card that receives a first and a second message from respective first and second client devices requesting reservation of network resources. The first message may include a first identifier, while the second message may include a second identifier. Both messages however may also include the same additional context information that identifies the same context in which the first client device operates. The router may include a control unit that determines whether the additional context information included within the first and second messages is the same. Based on a determination that this information is the same, the control unit may automatically release resources reserved for use by the first client device within the network.

Determining a subscriber device has failed gracelessly without issuing a DHCP release message and automatically releasing resources reserved for the subscriber device within a broadband network upon determining that another subscriber device requesting the reservation of a network address has the same context information as the failed subscriber device

The invention is directed towards techniques for forwarding subscriber frames through a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) aggregation network using MPLS labels. Layer two (L2) network devices, such as access nodes, of a service provider (SP) network implement MPLS functionality in the data plane, but do not implement an MPLS signaling protocol in the control plane. The L2 network devices include a pool of labels applied in the data plane of the L2 network device to output MPLS communications to the MPLS network, and a protocol that allows a layer three (L3) device to control provision of L2 functionality by the L2 device. The pool of labels is dynamically configured by the L3 device via the protocol. The access nodes distribute the subscriber labels and MPLS labels as upstream assigned labels.

Using layer two control protocol (L2CP) for data plane MPLS within an L2 network access node

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a way to provide optimal delivery of multicast content by retail ISPs in a wholesale aggregation network environment. A broadband network gateway dynamically informs an access node of a mapping between a multicast domain corresponding to the retail service provider, allowing the gateway to send multicast data to the access node for replication to subscribers instead of replicating the multicast data at the gateway. The gateway dynamically informs the access node of the mapping using a standardized access node control protocol. The gateway can also dynamically instruct the access node to update or delete the mapping.

Growing community of inventors

Acton, MA, United States of America

Sanjay Wadhwa