Access Node Multicast Admission Control via Service Request Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for providing multimedia services in computer networks face complexity due to the need for additional signaling protocols like ANCP or L2CP for admission control, which increases complexity and resource usage in access nodes and subscriber devices.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where an access node receives a service request from a subscriber device, forwards it to a service edge router, and modifies internal mapping tables based on the router's authorization, eliminating the need for explicit signaling protocols by using interface-determinative control plane inspection to authorize and manage multicast traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional signaling protocols like ANCP or L2CP are implemented for admission control, then multicast service authorization can be achieved, but device complexity and resource usage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges admission control functionality into the existing service request snooping and authorization processes. The access node inspects service requests (IGMP, MLD, or HTTP-ACS) that are already being processed for multicast delivery, and uses the same request to trigger admission control decisions. This eliminates the need for separate signaling protocols by combining multiple functions into the existing service request handling mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The access node is designed to handle multiple types of service requests (IGMP, MLD, HTTP-ACS) uniformly through a single admission control mechanism. The same inspection and authorization process works for different multicast join methods, making the system universal and eliminating the need for protocol-specific admission control implementations.
2Reliability
If service request snooping and authorization processes are modified to implement admission control, then multicast traffic management improves, but changes to existing processes increase complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The access node performs admission control inspection during the initial service request phase, before multicast traffic is actually delivered. By examining the service request early in the process and making authorization decisions beforehand, the system avoids complex modifications to the ongoing traffic delivery process. The admission control decision is made as part of the initial request handling, not as a separate subsequent step.
3Device complexity
If interface-determinative control plane inspection is used to authorize service requests, then admission control is achieved without additional signaling protocols, but processing overhead at the access node increases
Solution Approach 1:
The service request itself contains all the information needed for admission control decisions (subscriber identification, service type, multicast group). The access node extracts this information from the existing service request message without needing additional signaling exchanges. The request message serves its dual purpose of both initiating multicast delivery and providing admission control data, eliminating redundant processing.
Data Source
AI summary
In general, techniques are described for simplifying admission control signaling between subscriber devices, access nodes, and service edge routers to facilitate subscriber-specific admission control for multicast streams. In one example, a service edge router receives a service request and accesses a subscriber profile to determine whether the requesting subscriber is authorized to receive the service. Upon authorization, the service edge router returns the service request to the access node in a substantially similar form in which the service request was received. The access node receives the service request on a service edge router-facing interface, indicating the service edge router has granted authorization for the subscriber device to receive multicast traffic associated with the multicast group identified within the service request. The access node therefore modifies internal mapping tables that determine local elaboration of multicast traffic associated with the multicast group to include an interface to the subscriber device.