KR19980037115A - Ethernet / Asynchronous Transfer Mode interworking device to provide effective bit rate (ABR) service - Google Patents

Abstract

1. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Ethernet / Asynchronous Transfer Mode interworking device to provide effective bit rate (ABR) service

2. The technical problem to be solved by the invention

It aims to provide ABR service to users of Ethernet local area network (LAN) which mainly use data traffic through interworking with ATM network.

3. Summary of Solution to Invention

A plurality of packet / cell conversion means 21 for converting packet data input from the Ethernet hub device into an ATM cell, and a condensation for converging and switching a plurality of ATM cells input from the plurality of packet / cell conversion means 21; and Cell speed adjusting means 23 for receiving an ATM cell assigned an ABR service from the converging means and the routing means 22, and transmitting and receiving control information with a counterpart interworking device to adjust and output a cell transmission rate. And an ATM network connection means 24 for transmitting the input ATM cell through the ATM network.

4. Important uses of the invention

Used for Ethernet / ATM interlocks.

Description

Ethernet / Asynchronous Transfer Mode interworking device to provide effective bit rate (ABR) service

The present invention relates to an Ethernet / ATM interworking apparatus for providing an available bit rate (ABR) service in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network, and more particularly, to an ABR presented as an efficient delivery service of data traffic in an ATM network. The present invention relates to an Ethernet / ATM interworking device for providing a service to an Ethernet user.

Unlike the fixed bit rate service (CBR) using fixed bandwidth, and the variable bit rate service (VBR), which allows the bandwidth to be changed to guarantee a certain quality of service, the ABR service uses efficient bandwidth utilization by using congestion state information transfer and flow control between ends. For the purpose. Thus, the remaining bandwidth can be provided to as many users as possible.

For the ABR service as described above, the standard set forth by the ATM Forum suggests ABR service-related connection standards between terminals having ATM functions and ATM switches, but a scheme for providing ABR service in a network other than ATM network. Is not presented.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an Ethernet / ATM interworking apparatus for providing ABR service to an Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN) user who mainly uses data traffic through an ATM network. .

1 is a connection diagram of an Ethernet terminal and an ATM network to which the present invention is applied;

Figure 2 is an embodiment of an Ethernet / ATM interworking apparatus according to the present invention,

Figure 3 is another embodiment of the Ethernet / ATM interlock device according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

21, 31: packet / cell converter

22, 33: collection and routing unit

23, 32: cell speed control unit

24, 34: ATM network connection

An embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object is a plurality of packet / cell conversion means for converting the packet data input from the Ethernet hub device to the ATM cell and outputted, and is connected to the plurality of packet / cell conversion means An aggregation and routing means for collecting and switching a plurality of ATM cells inputted from a plurality of packet / cell converting means, and receiving an ATM cell to which an ABR (Available Bit Rate) service is allocated from the collecting and routing means; Cell rate adjusting means for controlling and outputting a cell transmission rate while transmitting and receiving control information, and receiving an ATM cell assigned an ABR service from the cell rate adjusting means, and receiving an ATM cell not allocated an ABR service from the aggregation and routing means. It is characterized by having an ATM network access means for receiving the input and transmitting it through the ATM network.

In addition, another embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, a plurality of packet / cell conversion means for converting and outputting the packet data input from the Ethernet hub device to the ATM cell, and connected to the plurality of packet / cell conversion means And a plurality of cell rate adjusting means for controlling and outputting a cell transmission rate while transmitting and receiving control information with an interworking device to an ATM cell assigned to the ABR (Available Bit Rate) service inputted from the plurality of packet / cell converting means; An aggregation and routing means connected to the plurality of packet / cell conversion means and a plurality of cell rate adjusting means to aggregate and switch a plurality of input ATM cells, and an ATM cell input from the aggregation and routing means through an ATM network. ATM network access means for transmitting.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described an embodiment of the present invention;

1 is a connection diagram of an Ethernet terminal and an ATM network to which the present invention is applied, in which 1 is an ATM network, 2 is an Ethernet / ATM interworking apparatus of the present invention, 3 is a virtual connection for providing an ABR service, and 4 is an Ethernet terminal. , 5 represents an Ethernet hub device, 6 represents an ATM network connection, and 7 represents an Ethernet bus.

The ATM network 1 connects the terminals to each other through a virtual connection, and among the virtual connections, the ABR service providing virtual connection 3 providing the ABR service is controlled by signaling or network management. In addition, the Ethernet / ATM interworking apparatus 2 may include a flow control function for the ABR service so that the Ethernet terminals 4 may receive the ABR service through the Ethernet bus 7 and the Ethernet hub device 5.

2 is an exemplary view illustrating an Ethernet / ATM interworking apparatus according to the present invention, in which 21 is a packet / cell converter, 22 is an aggregation and routing unit, 23 is a cell rate control unit, and 24 is an ATM network connection unit. Indicates.

The packet / cell conversion unit 21 converts the packet data input from the Ethernet hub device 5 into an ATM cell, and the converted ATM cell is routed through the aggregation and routing unit 22 so that the ATM cell in which the ABR service is set up is a cell. The speed adjusting unit 23 is transmitted to the counterpart interworking device through the ATM network connection unit 24 at an appropriate cell speed according to the state of the network side.

In more detail, the packet / cell converter 21 interprets a frame input from the Ethernet hub device 5, decomposes it into a cell payload size, generates a cell payload, and then moves to a destination of the frame. The cell header including the virtual connection identifier corresponding to the virtual connection is attached to output the completed ATM cell to the aggregation and routing unit 22.

The aggregation and routing unit 22 processes the ATM cells input from the plurality of packet / cell conversion units 21 in the same manner as the routing and aggregation functions in the general multiplexer and the switch, and provides the same ABR service Ethernet / ATM interworking device. Routing between Ethernet terminals connected to the network occurs or aggregation to the ATM network side occurs. At this time, ABR service allocation is possible according to the user's selection for the virtual connections destined for the ATM network side. Cells corresponding to the virtual connection to which the virtual connection identifier of the ATM cell directed to the ATM network side are assigned to the ABR service are inputted to the cell rate controller 23, and other cells are immediately inputted to the ATM network connection 24.

The cell speed control unit 23 outputs the cell to the ATM network connection unit 24 at an appropriate speed by the control information exchanged with the counterpart interworking device so that the input cells can be provided with the ABR service.

The ATM network connection unit 24 sends the cell input from the aggregation and routing unit 22 and the ATM cell desired for ABR service input from the cell rate control unit 23 to the ATM network side.

The ATM cell sent to the ATM network is sent to the Ethernet hub device through the reverse process of the above process.

One embodiment of the present invention as described above may be provided with a single cell rate control unit in the Ethernet / ATM interlocking device to provide a number of ABR services to a plurality of Ethernet terminals, but ABR service between Ethernet terminals accommodated in the same device is impossible Do. A method of enabling ABR service between Ethernet terminals accommodated in the same device will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

3 is another exemplary embodiment of an Ethernet / ATM interworking apparatus according to the present invention, in which 31 is a packet / cell conversion unit, 32 is a cell rate control unit, 33 is an aggregation and routing unit, and 34 is an ATM network connection unit. .

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the Ethernet / ATM interworking apparatus converts an Ethernet packet inputted from the Ethernet hub device 5 into an ATM cell in the packet / cell converter 31 and immediately requests the ABR service. Input to the control unit 32, otherwise it is delivered directly to the tangential and routing unit 33 is configured to be sent to the ATM network through the ATM network connection 34.

The packet / cell converter 31 interprets the Ethernet frame inputted from the Ethernet hub device 5, decomposes the cell frame into cell payload sizes, generates a cell payload, and then corresponds to a virtual connection to the destination of the frame. The ATM cell completed by attaching the cell header including the virtual connection identifier is output to the cell rate controller 32 in the case of ABR service, and output to the aggregation and routing unit 33 otherwise. That is, the packet / cell converter 31 sends a cell to the cell rate controller 32 when the virtual connection identifier of the generated cell is an ABR service virtual connection, or transfers the cell to the aggregation and routing unit 33.

The cell rate adjusting unit 32 adjusts the transmission rate of the cell at an appropriate speed by the control information exchanged with the counterpart interworking device so that the input cells can be provided with the ABR service, and outputs it to the aggregation and routing unit 33.

The aggregation and routing unit 33 processes the ATM cells input from the cell rate control unit 32 and the packet / cell conversion unit 31 to cause routing between Ethernet terminals connected to the same device or to the ATM network side. Aggregation will take place. At this time, ABR service allocation is possible according to the user's selection for the virtual connections destined for the ATM network and the virtual connections destined for the Ethernet terminals accommodated in the same device.

The ATM network connection unit 34 transmits the cell input from the aggregation and routing unit 33 to the ATM network side.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of cell rate controllers are embedded in an Ethernet / ATM interworking device to enable ABR services between Ethernet terminals accommodated in the same device as well as Ethernet terminals across an ATM network.

The present invention described above is capable of various substitutions, modifications, and changes within the scope without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention for those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, and thus is limited to the above-described embodiments and drawings. It is not.

The present invention as described above has the following distinctive effects.

First, it can provide Ethernet users connected to ATM network with ABR service proposed by ATM Forum as efficient delivery service of data traffic in ATM network.

Second, one cell speed control unit may be provided in the Ethernet / ATM interworking device to provide the ABR service to a plurality of Ethernet terminals.

Third, by providing several cell rate controllers in the Ethernet / ATM interworking device, ABR service is possible between the Ethernet terminals across the ATM network as well as the Ethernet terminals accommodated in the same device.

Claims (4)

A plurality of packet / cell converting means 21 for converting packet data input from the Ethernet hub device into ATM cells and outputting them; Condensing and routing means (22) connected to the plurality of packet / cell converting means (21) to condense and switch a plurality of ATM cells input from the plurality of packet / cell converting means (21); A cell rate adjusting means (23) for receiving an ATM cell assigned to ABR (Available Bit Rate) service from the aggregation and routing means (22) and controlling and outputting a cell transmission rate while transmitting and receiving control information with an opposing interworking device; And ATM network access to which the ABR service is allocated from the cell rate adjusting means 23, and receives ATM cells to which the ABR service is not allocated from the aggregation and routing means 22, and transmits them through the ATM network. Ethernet / Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) interlock with means (24). The method of claim 1, The packet / cell conversion means 21, Interpreting the Ethernet packet inputted from the Ethernet hub device, generating a decomposition cell payload with a cell payload size, and attaching a cell header including a virtual connection identifier corresponding to the virtual connection to the destination to the cell payload generated. Ethernet / asynchronous transmission mode (ATM) interlocking device, characterized in that configured to output to the concentrating and routing means (22). A plurality of packet / cell converting means 31 for converting packet data input from the Ethernet hub device into ATM cells and outputting them; While transmitting and receiving control information to and from the counterpart interworking device, an ATM cell connected to the plurality of packet / cell conversion means 31 and assigned an ABR (Available Bit Rate) service inputted from the plurality of packet / cell conversion means 31. A plurality of cell rate adjusting means 32 for adjusting and outputting a cell transmission rate; Condensing and routing means 33 connected to the plurality of packet / cell converting means 31 and the plurality of cell rate adjusting means 32 to condense and switch the inputted plurality of ATM cells; Ethernet / Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) interworking apparatus having ATM network access means (34) for transmitting ATM cells inputted from the aggregation and routing means (33) through an ATM network. The method of claim 3, wherein The packet / cell conversion means 31, Interpreting the Ethernet packet inputted from the Ethernet hub device, generating a decomposition cell payload with a cell payload size, and attaching a cell header including a virtual connection identifier corresponding to the virtual connection to the destination to the cell payload generated. After the ABR service is allocated, the ATM cell is outputted to the cell rate adjusting means 32, and the ATM cell to which the ABR service is allocated is output to the aggregation and routing means 22. ATM) interlocks.