Multiplex communications – Data flow congestion prevention or control – Flow control of data transmission through a network
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-01
2002-05-07
Chin, Wellington (Department: 2664)
Multiplex communications
Data flow congestion prevention or control
Flow control of data transmission through a network
C370S395430, C370S401000, C370S466000, C370S471000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06385171
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a router apparatus using an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) switch to make routing of packets.
As a router apparatus using the ATM switch capable of exchanging signals at a high speed in the hardware manner to make routing of IP (Internet Protocol) packets, a product group named generically as IP switch made of IPSILON NETWORKS, Inc. is known.
FIG. 8
schematically illustrates this router apparatus.
As shown in
FIG. 8
, the router apparatus
1000
is connected among gateway apparatuses
2000
connected to LAN and WAN which adopt the IP.
The gateway apparatus
2000
receives IP packets from the LAN and WAN to make ATM cells and sends the ATM cells to the router apparatus
1000
while designating the defaulted VP and VC. An ATM switch
1100
of the router apparatus
1000
sends to an IP switch controller
1200
the ATM cells which designate the defaulted VP and VC. The IP switch controller
1200
restores the IP packets from the received ATM cells and investigates an address of the IP packets. The IP switch controller
1200
makes ATM cells which designate the defaulted VP and VC from the IP packets again and sends the ATM cells through the ATM switch
1100
to the gateway apparatus
2000
corresponding to the investigated address. The gateway apparatus which has received the ATM cells restores the IP packets from the ATM cells and sends the IP packets to the LAN and WAN connected thereto.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
When the IP switch controller
1200
restores the IP packets from the ATM cells which designate the defaulted VP and VC received from the ATM switch
1100
, the controller examines the service (FTP, HTTP, NFS, DNS, SMTP, POP, etc.) utilizing the IP packets, so that when it is the service having a heavy traffic, VP and VC which are new in a flow to which the IP packets belong are assigned to the gateway apparatus
2000
on the transmission side of the ATM cells. Further, when the gateway apparatus on the reception side of the ATM cells also receives from the router apparatus
1000
the ATM cells designating the defaulted VP and VC and restores the IP packets therefrom, the gateway apparatus examines the service utilizing the IP packets and when it is the service having a heavy traffic, VP and VC which are new in the flow to which the IP packets belong are assigned to the router apparatus
1000
. The ATM switch
1100
is set so that the gateway apparatus
2000
on the reception side is caused to exchange the ATM cells received from the gateway apparatus
2000
on the transmission side and which designate the VP and VC assigned to the flow from the gateway apparatus
2000
on the transmission side as the ATM cells designating the VP and VC assigned to the flow to the gateway apparatus
2000
on the reception side.
When the gateway apparatus
2000
on the transmission side receives the assignment to the flow of the VP and VC, the ATM cells formed from the IP packets belonging to this flow are transmitted to the router apparatus while designating the assigned VP and VC.
The ATM switch
1100
of the router apparatus
1000
causes the gateway apparatus
2000
on the reception side to exchanges the ATM cells received and designating the VP and VC assigned to the flow from the gateway apparatus
2000
on the transmission side as the ATM cells designating the VP and VC assigned to the flow to the gateway apparatus
2000
on the reception side in accordance with setting.
Messages such as a request of the VP and VC and an assignment between the gateway apparatus
2000
and the IP switch controller
1200
of the router apparatus are stored in the ATM cells as the messages in accordance with a predetermined protocol named the IFMP (Ipsillon Flow Management. Protocol) to be transmitted and received, and the setting/release of contents of the exchange of the ATM cells in the ATM switch
1100
by the IP switch controller
1200
between the IP switch controller
1200
and the ATM switch
1100
of the router
1000
and control of transmission of the ATM cells designating the defaulted VP and VC in the ATM switch
1100
by the IP switch controller
1100
are stored in the ATM cells as the messages in accordance with a predetermined protocol named the GSMP (General Switch Management Protocol) to be transmitted and received.
According to the router apparatus described above, the router apparatus
1000
cannot perform traffic control (priority control and congestion control-of ATM cells) of the ATM cells in cooperation with the gateway apparatus
2000
. Accordingly, when only the router apparatus
1000
attempts to guarantee the transfer band required in each flow, it is necessary to provide a buffer apparatus having a large capacity in the router apparatus. Further, since the router apparatus
1000
and the gateway apparatus
2000
must perform the traffic control independently, the transmission capacity cannot be used effectively as a whole.
Further, in the router apparatus, control signals such as a message conforming to the IFMP between the gateway apparatus
2000
and the IP switch controller
1200
of the router apparatus and a message conforming to the GSMP between the IP switch controller
1200
of the router apparatus and the ATM switch
1100
are all transmitted by means of the transmission path which is physically identical with the ATM cells. Accordingly, since the transmission band of the ATM cells cannot be assured to a level near to the maximum transmission capacity of the physical transmission path when more detailed control is performed, the transmission efficiency is lowered.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a router apparatus using an ATM switch and capable of performing various control such as traffic control more effectively.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a router apparatus using an ATM switch to make routing of IP packets, comprises a multiplexer inputted with the IP packets for producing ATM cells from the inputted IP packets to multiplex the produced ATM cells, and an ATM switch unit for exchanging the ATM cells inputted from the multiplexer to produce the ATM cells to an ATM network, the multiplexer including shaping function for discarding the ATM cell in accordance with circumstances of the ATM network. Further, a router apparatus using an ATM switch to make routing of IP packets, comprises a multiplexer inputted with the IP packets for producing ATM cells from the inputted IP packets to multiplex the produced ATM cells, and an ATM switch unit for exchanging the ATM cells inputted from the multiplexer to produce the ATM cells to an ATM network, the multiplexer including a first interface including a line corresponding unit having an IP packet input unit for inputting the IP packets, an ATM cell producing unit for producing ATM cells with a mark indicative of a priority of the ATM cells in accordance with service of the inputted IP packet, and a shaping unit for discarding the ATM cell produced from the ATM cell producing unit in accordance with circumstances of the ATM network, and a data multiplexing unit for multiplexing the ATM cells processed by the shaping unit, and a second interface for synchronizing the ATM cells produced from the first interface.
For example, a router apparatus using an ATM switch to make routing of IP packets, comprises an ATM switch for exchanging ATM cells in accordance with VPI and VCI included in the ATM cells, a plurality of interface units connected to a network which transmits the IP packets, and an IP switch controller for making routing of the IP packets, each of the interface units including means for forming an ATM cell from a flow of the IP packets received from the connected network and transmitting to the ATM switch the ATM cell with specific VPI and VCI set to the flow in cooperation with the IP switch controller, means for receiving the ATM cells transmitted from the ATM switch and restoring the flow of the IP packets to transmit it to the connected network, means for setting specific
Kunimoto Masao
Miki Kazuho
Murakami Masaru
Takase Akihiko
Takatori Masahiro
Chin Wellington
Phan M.
Sofer & Haroun LLP
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