Locator Resolution in Communications Networks

A method for use in an internetwork of interconnected communications networks, comprising:

• providing a set of attachment registers, each attachment register corresponding to an object from a plurality of objects in the internetwork;
• storing information in the attachment registers establishing one or more logical links between attachment registers, each logical link between attachment registers corresponding to a communication link between a respective pair of objects from the plurality of objects;
• and
• determining a locator for the destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator.

A method for use in interconnected communication networks containing a plurality of objects, at least some of the objects each having a corresponding attachment register, where there are logical links between certain ones of the attachment registers, the method comprising:

• querying one or more of the attachment registers to obtain or modify logical link information in the one or more attachment registers, the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to communication links between objects in the interconnected communication networks, a plurality of logical links between attachment registers forms a logical path between a source object and a destination object;
• determining a locator for a destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator;
• and
• using the determined locator to perform one or more network communications functions.

An apparatus for use in an internetwork of communications networks, comprising:

• a group of attachment registers, each attachment register corresponding to an object from a plurality of objects in the internetwork;
• and
• electronic circuitry configured to:
• store information in the attachment registers establishing one or more logical links between attachment registers, each logical link between attachment registers corresponding to a communication link between a respective pair of objects from the plurality of objects;
• and
• determine a locator for the destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator.

An apparatus for use in an internetwork of communication networks containing a plurality of objects, at least some of the objects each having a corresponding attachment register, where there are logical links between certain ones of the attachment registers, the apparatus comprising electronic circuitry configured to:

• query one or more of the attachment registers to obtain or modify logical link information in the one or more attachment registers, the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to a communication link between objects in the interconnected communication networks, a plurality of logical links between attachment registers forms a logical path between a source object and a destination object;
• determine a locator for the destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator;
• and
• use the logical link information to perform one or more network communications functions.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having computer program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a node in an internetwork of interconnected communications networks, causes the node to perform operations comprising:

• providing a set of attachment registers, each attachment register corresponding to an object from a plurality of objects in the internetwork;
• storing information in the attachment registers establishing one or more logical links between attachment registers, each logical link between attachment registers corresponding to a communication link between a respective pair of objects from the plurality of objects;
• and
• determining a locator for the destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having computer program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a node in an internetwork of interconnected communications networks containing a plurality of objects, at least some of the objects each having a corresponding attachment register where there are logical links between certain ones of the attachment registers, causes the node to perform operations comprising:

• querying one or more of the attachment registers to obtain or modify logical link information in the one or more attachment registers, the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to a communication link between objects in the interconnected communication networks, a plurality of logical links between attachment registers forms a logical path between a source object and a destination object;
• determining a locator for the destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator;
• and
• using the logical link information to perform one or more network communications functions.