Methods and arrangements in an access system

Abstract

An access system (ACC1) for relating service providers (SP1-SPn) to users (U11-Um1) includes an edge access server (EAS) connecting the service providers and penults (P1-Pk) connecting the users. User devices (UD11-UD14) are connected via VLAN:s to a user port (UP11) on the penult. The edge access server has service agents (SA1-SAn), an administrator (AD1) and a broadcast handler (BH1), which forms a handling system together with handlers (H1-Hk) in the penults. A user (U11) decision including VLAN, service (SP1) and user port (UP1) is sent to the administrator (AD1), which dynamically allocates to the relevant service agent (SA1) a MAC address, defining a relation (R11). A user device (UD1) broadcasts a DHCP request unicasted together with user port (UP11) to the broadcast handler (BH1). The user device (UD11) gets its IP address and IP address to the service sgent (SAl). The device (UD11) broadcasts an ARP request which is unicasted by the penult (P1), to get the MAC address to the service agent (SA1). The MAC address has an internal structure, describing the switching route from source to destination.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to methods and arrangements for simplifying switching in an access network. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART [0002] Ethernet has been developed mainly as a LAN (Local Area Network) technology, aiming to provide an efficient infrastructure for data networks within a company. Originally it was developed for moderate speed shared media, but current technology applies mainly to point-to-point links up to 10 Gbit / s, interconnected by high capacity Ethernet switches, supporting virtual LAN, VLAN, as described in the standard IEEE 802.1q. A virtual LAN is a group of system, such as computers in a workgroup, that need to communicate with each other, and protocols that restrict the delivery of VLAN frames to members of the VLAN. [0003] A LAN can be partitioned into multiple VLAN:s, where each VLAN is assigned a number called a VLAN identifier that identifies it uniquely within the LAN. A LAN contains at least one VLAN, the defau...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017] Still a problem is how to express the path between the source and destination allowing network equipment to minimize internal resource usage and network bandwidth, i.e. there should be no unnecessary frame duplication (flooding) in the network.

[0029] Yet an advantage is that simplified switching can be implemented within the reach of a large scale Public Access network based on Ethernet technology. The invention encompasses switching support for both wired and wireless connections between user devices and terminal points of an access network.

Problems solved by technology

Another problem is how to make the switching efficient in both directions between two communicating parts.

Still a problem is how to express the path between the source and destination allowing network equipment to minimize internal resource usage and network bandwidth, i.e. there should be no unnecessary frame duplication (flooding) in the network.

Yet a problem is how to implement support for simplified switching, within the reach of a large scale Public Access network based on Ethernet technology.

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