Dynamic eqam discovery in m-cmts architecture
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsRajiv ASATI, John Chapman, Mohamed Khalid
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one example, an Edge Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (EQAM) communicates EQAM information to a Modular Cable Modem Termination System (M-CMTS) core using a routing protocol that is configured on a packet switched network coupling the EQAM to the M-CMTS core. The EQAM generates a routing message according to the routing protocol and inserts EQAM information, such as a description of a modulated channel extending from the EQAM, the service-group information, etc, into the routing message. The EQAM then floods the EQAM information over at least portions of a routing domain by transmitting the routing message to an adjacent intermediary device.
Claims20
A local gateway to exchange data between a modulated portion of a first cable network and a packet switched portion of the cable network, the local gateway comprising:
- circuitry configured to:
- generate a routing message according to a routing protocol that is configured on the packet switched network portion;
- configure the routing message to be flooded over a local link state domain that includes a remote gateway operating between the packet switched network portion and a second network;
- insert into the routing message a description of a modulated channel extending from the local gateway;
- and
- flood the modulated channel description over the local link state domain by transmitting the routing message to an adjacent intermediary device, wherein the routing message is not addressed to the remote gateway but the modulated channel description is delivered to the remote gateway according to the flooding.
A Modular Cable Modem Termination System (M-CMTS), comprising:
- circuitry configured to:
- identify a received message that was generated according to an inter gateway routing protocol;
- inspect the identified message for a field value indicating that the message contains Edge Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (EQAM) parameters;
- if the message does not contain the field value, then process the identified message according to the inter gateway routing protocol;
- and
- if the message does contain the field value, then extract from the message a description of a modulated channel extending from the EQAM.
A computer readable storage medium comprising a memory storing instructions that, if executed, result in:
- generating a routing message according to a routing protocol that is configured on a packet switched portion of a cable network;
- inserting physical layer device information into the routing message, the physical layer device information including an Internet Protocol (IP) address for a physical layer device;
- and
- transmitting the routing message to an adjacent intermediary device, wherein the routing message is not addressed to a gateway for the cable network but the physical layer device capabilities are propagated to the cable network gateway according to the routing protocol;
- wherein the physical layer device capabilities are communicated over an in-band communication path extending over the packet switched network portion.
An apparatus, comprising:
- means for identifying a received message that was generated according to a routing protocol;
- means for inspecting the identified message for a bit value indicating that the message contains Edge Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (EQAM) parameters;
- means for processing the identified message according to the routing protocol if the message does not contain the bit value;
- means for extracting from the message an Internet Protocol (IP) address of an EQAM if the message does contain the bit value;
- and
- means for establishing a tunnel to the EQAM according to the extracted EQAM IP address.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.