Virtual private network (VPN)-aware customer premises equipment (CPE) edge router
US6778498B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 17, 2001 |
| Grant date | Aug 17, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 13, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04Q2213/13399
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A network architecture includes a communication network that supports one or more network-based Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The communication network includes a plurality of boundary routers that are connected by access links to CPE edge routers belonging to the one or more VPNs. To prevent traffic from outside a customer's VPN (e.g., traffic from other VPNs or the Internet at large) from degrading the QoS provided to traffic from within the customer's VPN, the present invention gives precedence to intra-VPN traffic over extra-VPN traffic on each customer's access link through access link prioritization or access link capacity allocation, such that extra-VPN traffic cannot interfere with inter-VPN traffic. Granting precedence to intra-VPN traffic over extra-VPN traffic in this manner entails partitioning between intra-VPN and extra-VPN traffic on the physical access link using layer 2 multiplexing and configuration of routing protocols to achieve logical traffic separation between intra-VPN traffic and extra-VPN traffic at the VPN boundary routers and CPE edge routers. By configuring the access networks, the VPN boundary routers and CPE edge routers, and the routing protocols …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.