Techniques for Migrating a Point to Point Protocol to a Protocol for an Access Network

An apparatus for managing, at a broadband remote access server, a persistent session associated with a particular Media Access Control (MAC) address, comprising:

• a network interface that is coupled to a network for communicating one or more packet flows therewith;
• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
• determining whether an elapsed time since a data packet is received with the particular MAC address exceeds a threshold time;
• and
• if it is determined that the elapsed time exceeds the threshold time, then performing the steps of:
• sending point-to-point protocol (PPP) control data in a data link protocol payload that is encapsulated in a data packet with an Ethernet destination field that indicates the particular MAC address, wherein the PPP control data indicates a request for an echo;
• determining whether a data packet with the particular MAC address in an Ethernet source field is received within a particular time interval;
• and
• if it is determined that the data packet with the particular MAC address in an Ethernet source field is not received within the particular time interval, then terminating a session associated with the particular MAC address.

A computer-readable volatile or non-volatile medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for managing, at a broadband remote access server, a persistent session associated with a particular Media Access Control (MAC) address, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• determining whether an elapsed time since a data packet is received with the particular MAC address exceeds a threshold time;
• and
• if it is determined that the elapsed time exceeds the threshold time, then performing the steps of:
• sending point-to-point protocol (PPP) control data in a data link protocol payload that is encapsulated in a data packet with an Ethernet destination field that indicates the particular MAC address, wherein the PPP control data indicates a request for an echo;
• determining whether a data packet with the particular MAC address in an Ethernet source field is received within a particular time interval;
• and
• if it is determined that the data packet with the particular MAC address in an Ethernet source field is not received within the particular time interval, then terminating a session associated with the particular MAC address.