US 2004/0202148 A1Published application

System and method of data stream transmission over MPLS

OwnerThomas Kuehnelinventor

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Abstract

In a system and method for efficient transport of streaming data over MPLS, incoming data is multiplexed to generate a single data stream. A composite data stream is then generated by selectively combining certain packets of the single data stream with an IP header or generating new packets with a full IP header at a predetermined timing interval, and transmitted to a first MPLS converter that assigns a MPLS label to data packets in the composite data stream, in accordance with information from said IP header. The composite data stream is then transported and routed to a second MPLS converter, via a MPLS network, that strips the MPLS labels from the data packets. A discriminator separates the stripped, combined data stream into non-IP header data output via a demultiplexer to generate multiple outgoing data streams, and IP header data output to a traffic monitor that controls said routing mechanism.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A system for streaming data transport over a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network, comprising:

an ingress router, comprising,
a first multiplexer that receives and processes at least one input data stream and outputs single stream data comprising a plurality of data packets, each of said plurality of data packets having a data portion,
an IP traffic generator that generates IP routing packets at a fixed or dynamic predetermined interval in response to a trigger signal,
a second multiplexer, coupled to said first multiplexer and said IP traffic generator, that inserts said IP routing packets into said single stream data, and
a first MPLS converter, coupled between said second multiplexer and said MPLS network, that attaches a label to each of said plurality of data packets to generate a combined data stream comprising a plurality of data packets of a first type interspersed between a plurality of data packets of a second type, each of said data packets carrying said label generated in accordance with each of said IP routing packets, wherein one-to-one mapping is performed between said label and said address information of each of the IP-routing packets;
and
an egress router, comprising,
a second MPLS converter, coupled to said MPLS network, that receives said combined data stream from said MPLS network and removes said label from each of said plurality of data packets of said combined data stream,
a discriminator, coupled to said second MPLS converter, that separates said combined data stream into IP routing packets and said single stream data,
a de-multiplexer, coupled to said discriminator, that receives said single stream data and generates at least one output data stream, wherein said de-multiplexer reconstructs said at least one input data stream, and
a traffic monitor, coupled to said discriminator, that receives said IP routing packets for IP stream data and generates said trigger signal, to provide for monitoring and feedback functions, wherein said system is configured to transport streamed data bidirectionally.

8 more elements

A system for streaming data, comprising:

a first router that receives input stream traffic and generates a combined data stream comprising a plurality of data packets that include a first type of data packet and a second type of data packet, generated in accordance with routing information;
an MPLS network that is coupled to said first router and receives and transports said combined data stream in accordance with said routing information;
and
a second router coupled to said MPLS network and generating output stream traffic, wherein said first router is capable of operating as said second router and said second router is capable of operating as said first router to transport streamed data bidirectionally.

1 more element

A method of transport of packetized streaming data over a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network, comprising the steps of:

generating a composite data stream by selectively combining a plurality of data packets of a single stream of packetized data, said single stream comprising a plurality of incoming data streams, with a data stream containing full IP header information at a predetermined interval, and in accordance with a routing address identifying a destination of said composite data stream;
transmitting said composite data stream to a first MPLS converter that assigns a MPLS label to each of said plurality of data packets in said composite data stream, in accordance with the IP header information that includes routing information to a second MPLS converter;
transporting said composite data stream to said second MPLS converter that is configured to strip said MPLS label from each of said plurality of data packets of said composite data stream;
separating said stripped, combined data stream into non-IP header data and IP header data having said IP native format;
and
outputting said non-IP header data to generate outgoing data and outputting said IP header data to control said routing mechanism via a feedback signal, wherein said MPLS network is configured to transport streamed data bidirectionally.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.