The invention relates to a method for establishing a connection via a first serving edge node of a serving network, which method comprises a step of receiving one or more diversity parameters defining one or more diversities between said connection and a further connection via a second serving edge node of said serving network.
Said serving network for example comprises a circuit-switched network or a packet-switched network, with said serving edge nodes being nodes situated at the edge of said serving network for connecting said serving network with a further network. Said diversities for example comprise link and/or shared risk link group and/or node diversities defining certain links or nodes needing to be different in both connections, to, inter alia, reduce risks and to reduce consequences from failures.
A prior art method is of common general knowledge to a person skilled in the art. In such a prior art method, said connection and said further connection from which said connection needs to be diverse both use the same serving edge node. In other words, said first and second serving edge nodes are the same edge node.
The known method is disadvantageous, inter alia, due to being limited to establishing diverse connections only via the same serving edge node.
It is an object of the invention, inter alia, of providing a method as defined above which is not limited to establishing diverse connections via the same serving edge node.
The method according to the invention is characterised in that said first serving edge node and said second serving edge node are different serving edge nodes, which method comprises the steps of exchanging information between said serving edge nodes and of, in response to exchanged information, setting up at least a part of said connection
By firstly exchanging information between said different serving edge nodes and secondly in response to exchanged information setting up said connection, diverse connections via different serving edge nodes can now be established.
A first embodiment of the method according to the invention is defined by claim 2.
Said first serving edge node is coupled via a first client edge node to a client source node in a client network, and said second serving edge node is coupled via a second client edge node to said client source node in said client network, to create a dual-homed or more generally a multi-homed situation. In a dual-homed situation, a client edge node is coupled to two serving edge nodes, and in a multi-homed situation a client edge node is coupled to three or more serving edge nodes.
A second embodiment of the method according to the invention is defined by claim 3.
Said exchanged information comprises a request flowing from first serving edge node to second serving edge node to indicate that said connection to be established must be diverse from said further connection usually already established. Said connection parameters define connections in such a way that a certain diversity between two connections can be created by making certain connection parameters of both connections different from each other.
A third embodiment of the method according to the invention is defined by claim 4.
In case of said first serving edge node making the calculations for said connection to be established, said exchanged information will comprise, in addition to said request flowing from first serving edge node to second serving edge node, one or more further connection parameters defining at least a part of said further connection and flowing from second serving edge node to first serving edge node in response to said request. The result of said calculations define the path to be followed when setting up said connection.
A fourth embodiment of the method according to the invention is defined by claim 5.
In case of said second serving edge node making the calculations for said connection to be established, said exchanged information will comprise, in addition to said request, simultaneously or not, or as a a part of said request, one or more connection parameters defining at least a part of said connection to be established and also flowing from first serving edge node to second serving edge node. Said exchanged information will further comprise a result of said calculations flowing from second serving edge node to first serving edge node in response to said request. Again the result of said calculations define the path to be followed when setting up said connection.
A fifth embodiment of the method according to the invention is defined by claim 6.
Connection parameters may define any possible part of a connection, and diversity parameters may define any kind of diversity and any kind of non-diversity.
The invention also relates to a serving edge node for performing a method for establishing a connection via a first serving edge node of a serving network, which method comprises a step of receiving one or more diversity parameters defining one or more diversities between said connection and a further connection via a second serving edge node of said serving network.
The serving edge node according to the invention is characterised in that said first serving edge node and said second serving edge node are different serving edge nodes, which method comprises the steps of exchanging information between said serving edge nodes and of, in response to exchanged information, setting up at least a part of said connection, and which serving edge node comprises a request-transceiver for transceiving a request to/from another serving edge node and comprises a connection-parameter-transceiver for transceiving connection parameters to/from another serving edge node and comprises a calculator for calculating at least a part of said connection.
The invention also relates to an interface for use in a serving edge node for performing a method for establishing a connection via a first serving edge node of a serving network, which method comprises a step of receiving one or more diversity parameters defining one or more diversities between said connection and a further connection via a second serving edge node of said serving network.
The serving interface according to the invention is characterised in that said first serving edge node and said second serving edge node are different serving edge nodes, which method comprises the steps of exchanging information between said serving edge nodes and of, in response to exchanged information, setting up at least a part of said connection, and which interface comprises a request-transceiver for transceiving a request to/from another serving edge node and comprises a connection-parameter-transceiver for transceiving connection parameters to/from another serving edge node and comprises a calculator for calculating at least a part of said connection.
The invention also relates to a client edge node for performing a method for establishing a connection via a first serving edge node of a serving network, which method comprises a step of receiving one or more diversity parameters defining one or more diversities between said connection and a further connection via a second serving edge node of said serving network.
The client edge node according to the invention is characterised in that said first serving edge node and said second serving edge node are different serving edge nodes, which method comprises the steps of exchanging information between said serving edge nodes and of, in response to exchanged information, setting up at least a part of said connection, and which client edge node comprises a diversity-parameter-transceiver for transceiving diversity parameters to/from another node and comprises a connection-parameter-transceiver for transceiving connection parameters to/from another node. 5 The invention also relates to an interface for use in a client edge node for performing a method for establishing a connection via a first serving edge node of a serving network, which method comprises a step of receiving one or more diversity parameters defining one or more diversities between said connection and a further connection via a second serving edge node of said serving network.
The client interface according to the invention is characterised in that said first serving edge node and said second serving edge node are different serving edge nodes, which method comprises the steps of exchanging information between said serving edge nodes and of, in response to exchanged information, setting up at least a part of said connection, and which interface comprises a diversity-parameter-transceiver for transceiving diversity parameters to/from another node and comprises a connection-parameter-transceiver for transceiving connection parameters to/from another node.
Embodiments of the serving edge node according to the invention and of serving interface according to the invention and of the client edge node according to the invention and of client interface according to the invention correspond with the embodiments of the method according to the invention.
The invention is based upon an insight, inter alia, that, risks and consequences from failures can be further reduced by introducing diversities in connections using different serving edge nodes, and is based upon a basic idea, inter alia, that these different serving edge nodes need to exchange information before the diverse connection can be set up.
The invention solves the problem, inter alia, of providing a method which is not limited to establishing diverse connections via the same serving edge node, and is advantageous, inter alia, in that risks and consequences from failures are further reduced.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments(s) described hereinafter.
The serving network 1 shown in
The method according to the invention functions as follows. A connection via first serving edge node 11 is to be established for a communication between source node 20 and destination node 30. This connection, indicated by the thick dotted line in
According to a first possibility, said other information comprises one or more further connection parameters defining at least a part of said further connection, with said first serving edge node 11 calculating at least a part of said connection. In this case, first serving edge node 11 will for example delete those connection parameters which are already used for said further connection, dependently upon the conditions given by the diversity parameters, and use the remaining connection parameters for calculating path parameters for setting up at least a part of said connection as indicated by the thick dotted line (for example comprising one or more new tunneling connections in serving network 1).
According to a second possibility, said request will either comprise or be accompanied by or followed by one or more connection parameters defining at least a part of said connection, with said second serving edge node 12 now calculating at least a part of said connection. Said other information then comprises the calculated path parameters in response to which said first serving edge node 11 can set up at least a part of said connection as indicated by the thick dotted line (for example comprising one or more new tunneling connections in serving network 1).
Said connection parameters comprise for example a connection identification, a connection node, a connection link, a connection resource, a connection source and a connection destination, with said diversity parameters for example comprising a link diversity, a node diversity, a resource diversity, a shared risk diversity, a link non-diversity, a node non-divesity, a resource non-diversity and a shared risk non-diversity. Ususally a link is defined by two nodes.
The serving edge node 40 according to the invention shown in
The client edge node 70 according to the invention shown in
The functioning of serving edge node 40 and of client edge node 70 is in line with the procedures described for
The expression “for” in for example “for establishing” etc. does not exclude that other functions are performed as well, simultaneously or not. The expressions “X coupled to Y” and “a coupling between X and Y” and “coupling/couples X and Y” etc. do not exclude that an element Z is in between X and Y. The expressions “P comprises Q” and “P comprising Q” etc. do not exclude that an element R is comprises/included as well. The terms “a” and “an” do not exclude the possible presence of one or more pluralities.
The steps of receiving, exchanging and setting up do not exclude further steps, like for example, inter alia, the steps of letting information flow from A to B and of calculating at least a part of a connection and of transceiving a request to/from another serving edge node and of transceiving connection parameters to/from another serving edge node and of transceiving diversity parameters to/from another node and of transceiving connection parameters to/from another node etc.
The invention is based upon an insight, inter alia, that, risks and consequences from failures can be further reduced by introducing diversities in connections using different serving edge nodes, and is based upon a basic idea, inter alia, that these different serving edge nodes need to exchange information before the diverse connection can be set up.
The invention solves the problem, inter alia, of providing a method which is not limited to establishing diverse connections via the same serving edge node, and is advantageous, inter alia, in that risks and consequences from failures are further reduced.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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03290252.0 | Feb 2003 | EP | regional |