AT500360A1 - DYNAMIC ATM PVC PROVISIONING - Google Patents

Description

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Description: Dynamic ATM PVC Provisioning

Technical area:

Provisioning of ATM-based broadband connections, e.g. ADSL or FTTx (Fiber-to-the-Premises). Provisioning is the configuration of network hardware (network elements) for customer data and voice connections through configuration protocols. An example is the establishment of an ADSL connection for a subscriber, whereby a series of connections must be switched between network elements in which configuration commands are sent in various supported protocols, depending on the network element.

Previous state of the art:

Technical background:

Broadband connections for residential and corporate customers over ADSL and FTTx are predominantly ATM based. While switched and defendant ATM connection types such as Switched Virtual Connections (SVCs), Soft Permanent Virtual Connections (SPVCs) and Virtual Path Connections (VPs) exist, most broadband access networks use a series and simple Permanent Virtual Connections (PVCs) as operators well know the characteristics of this type of connection. PVCs are permanent, static connections between network elements and their interfaces. Dynamic provisioning, which is significantly different from the current static approach of the PVC device, has been successfully used for years in setting narrowband ISP dial-up IP parameters (but not for switching multiple static ATM links for the duration of a customer connection session.

State of the art:

Most broadband access networks use a series of Permanent Virtual Connections (PVCs) to drive customer premise equipment (CPE) traffic through the operator's core network to an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The path from a customer to an ISP traffic termination point typically goes from a CPE modem to a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) through 2 ATM switching nodes and a Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS) where traffic is terminated-and converted from ATM to IP becomes.

In the primarily static ATM-based network architectures, as shown in the example configuration of Figure 1, traffic can travel up to 7 ATM ports - Virtual Channel Links (VCLs). The corresponding number of links here is 6 Virtual Connections (VCs) - PVCs.

Technical problem to be solved:

With paths extending across multiple PVC links and running across multiple network elements, the operational overhead of maintaining these static distributed data structures becomes very high. This is especially the case for larger operators where the number of customers can be several million. Furthermore, multiple Operations Support Systems (OSSs) can access these data structures on network elements, which can cause stochastic changes in centralized inventory and configuration databases. Keeping up to date and operating millions of lines each made up of several PVCs under stochastic change impact on link parameters that must be found and corrected operationally difficult.

Link-oriented and static provisioning models are traditionally used for business customers and high-speed transport links. However, these models have inherent scaling problems when applied to retail access.

Invention corresponding to the claim:

The method described here is a new approach to replace static provisioning with session-based and session-initiated provisioning of end-to-end path information. An inventory database is coupled with a RADIUS [RFC 2865] 1 Provisioning and Database Access Protocol. A path composed of multible links is set up link-by-link during the setup of the subscriber session

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Claims (2)

1. Beschreibung: With dyiramic ATM provisioning PVC links are provisioned upon user session initiation: (1) a subscnber initiates a connection by tuming on a customer premises device - such as anÄDSL modern (2) a central offme (CO) DSLAM receives the event and contacts a provisioning Server ytflizing the dynamic provisioning mbthod implemented in Software (3) the provisioning Server holds inventory data on PVCs and all corresponding re«6urces, such as free ATM switch ports, virtual path/virtual channel identifier (VPI/VCI). Its database Stores both free resources (the pool from which new Connections are built from) and assigned resources/The provisioning Server looks up the next free resources in its pool and builds a logical ATM path from the subscriber to the BRAS device. (4) the provisioning Server provision^the PVCs on the DSLAM, ATM switches and BRAS device. Between some device pairs it may use a fixecNubscriber-mdependent mrerconnection raster (preprovisioning)1 (5) the provisioning Server keeps the path opvp and resourceyissigned as long as the user session is active (6) upon termination of the user session plus a \fcmting time the provisioning Server tears down the path and frees the previously assigned resources and puts^thpm back into the free pool for assignment to another session PVC PVC PVC CPE DSLAM / ATM Switch ATM Switch BRAS "X / 2xP/Cs M- crossaonnected -► ATM IP Figure 1 - Network Diagram Vorteil: Verwaltung weniger Provisioning Server und vordefinierter Session Properties anstelle von Millionen ans statischer Verbindungen Patentenanspruch: Das Management großer Breitband Access Netzwerke wird mit der beschriebenen Methode, gekennzeichnet durch das dynamische Provisioning von PVC auf Session Basis, signifikant effizienter. Schutz wird beansprucht auf die Methode für jede Subscriber Session2 dynamisch PVCs zu setzen, anstelle sie statisch lx einzurichten und dann maintainen zu müssen.
2. 2 1 this is not the static customer-specific provisioning but generic fixed raster interconnects between e.g. one VPI/VCI pair with another 2 ^definiert als link-layer Verbindung von CPE mit der first-level aggregation device (DSLAM)