Data service unit having inband networking protocol packet processing

Abstract

An intelligent data service unit (DSU) which terminates a digital subscriber loop is provided and includes a digital subscriber loop interface which receives incoming data from a DDS line of the service provider, a framing and signal converter for taking the incoming data and formatting the data for output, an output interface, a processor connected to the framing and signal converter and to each of the interfaces, and a data memory buffer coupled to the processor. All data provided to the DSU from the digital subscriber loop is reformatted by the framing and signal converter and propagated to the output interface as it is received. At the same time, a copy of the data is buffered into the memory, and the processor scans the memory to find and synchronize with an networking protocol frame (e.g., an IP frame) Once synchronized, the processor compares the destination address in the IP frame to the network address of the DSU. If the addresses match, the IP frame is stored for processing (e.g., the DSU may be directed to gather statistical information and/or to configure the DSU according to protocol standards). If the addresses do not match, the frame is discarded by the processor. The DSU is preferably SNMP compatible and is provided with a management information base which allows the SNMP controller to configure, diagnose and maintain circuit integrity.