Patent · US Expired

Communications system, and sending device, in a communication network offering both layer-2 and layer-3 virtual private network services

US7203762B2 · kind B2 · utility

15Cited by
3References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 22, 2002
Grant dateApr 10, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 7, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L49/3009
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A communications system in which both a layer-2 and layer-3 virtual private networks (VPNS) can operate in an efficient and cost-effective way to offer improved network services. An ingress edge node has a path data manager which sets and manages path data describing configuration of an intra-network transport path. For transport over the intra-network transport path, a labeling unit adds an intra-network transport label to each outgoing frame, based on the path data. Those frames also have a VPN label for transport over an end-to-end VPN path. In an egress edge node, a frame discrimination value setting unit gives a frame discrimination value for identifying to which VPN each received frame belongs. A redirection processor redirects the received frames to their destinations according to their VPN labels and frame discrimination value.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.