Control protocol encapsulation

A method for providing control support to an unmanaged first device disposed on a packet based computer network, the method comprising:

• determining, at a second device disposed on the packet based computer network, one or more non-core functions to be performed by the unmanaged first device disposed on the packet based computer network;
• generating, at the second device, a point-to-point control message conforming to a point-to-point control protocol for controlling the unmanaged first device over a point-to-point serial bus connection to perform the determined one or more non-core functions;
• encapsulating, at the second device, the point-to-point control message in a transport packet conforming to a packet switching protocol for transport over the packet based computer network, the transport packet including a header;
• and
• transmitting the transport packet that includes the encapsulated point-to-point control message via a port of the second device, the port being coupled to the packet based computer network, the packet based computer network being configured to route the transport packet including the encapsulated point-to-point control message based on the header included in the transport packet so that the point-to-point control message is received at the unmanaged first device via the packet based computer network.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a switch core device configured to direct data packets between a plurality of ports of an unmanaged device disposed on a packet based computer network;
• a controller device configured to perform non-core functions at the unmanaged device, wherein the controller device performs the non-core functions responsive to control information received from a management device via the packet based computer network, the management device disposed on the packet based computer network;
• an interface device configured to
• (i) de-encapsulate a point-to-point control message in a transport packet that conforms to a packet switching protocol, the transport packet including a header and having been routed to the unmanaged device via the packet based computer network based on the header included in the transport packet, the point-to-point control message conforming to a point-to-point control protocol for controlling the unmanaged device over a point-to-point serial bus connection,
• (ii) retrieve control information from the point-to-point control message, the retrieved control information indicating one or more non-core functions to be performed at the unmanaged device, and
• (iii) provide the retrieved control information to the control device.

A method, comprising:

• performing, at an unmanaged device, a packet switching function to direct data packets between a plurality of ports of the unmanaged device, the unmanaged device being disposed on a packet based computer network;
• receiving, at the unmanaged device, a transport packet that conforms to a packet switching protocol, the transport packet including a header and having been routed to the unmanaged device via the packet based computer network based on the header included in the transport packet, the transport packet having been transmitted by a management device via the packet based computer network;
• de-encapsulating, at the unmanaged device, a point-to-point control message in the transport packet, the point-to-point control message conforming to a point-to-point control protocol for controlling the unmanaged device over a point-to-point serial bus connection;
• and
• performing, at the unmanaged device, a non-core function responsive to and indicated by control information in the point-to-point control message, the non-core function having been determined by the management device.