System for registration of clients in an ATM network providing for communication of client registration messages to a central manager

A system for communicating a location of a client in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network, said system having:

• (a) a manager for registering said client with said network, said manager requiring identification information identifying said client and location information identifying the location of said client within said network in order to achieve registration of said client, said manager maintaining said identification information and said location information to provide a mapping between said identification information and said location information;
• (b) said client coupled with a first port of a first switch to communicate a client registration ATM cell to said first switch;
• said client registration ATM cell including a header;
• and
• (c) said first switch coupled in communication with said manager, said first switch having a switch fabric for switching a plurality of ATM cells through said first switch and for translating headers of said ATM cells, said first switch configured to translate said header of said client registration ATM cell to include location information.

A method of registering clients in a network of devices, said network of devices including at least a first client, a plurality of switches, and a central management supervisor (CMS), each of said plurality of switches including one or more ports, said first switch coupled to said CMS and said network of devices, said CMS including a client address table for mapping logical addresses to physical network locations within said network of devices, said method comprising the steps of:

• said first client attempting to register itself in said client address table upon being connected to a first port of a first switch of said plurality of switches, said first client being associated with a logical address and a network location, said step of attempting to register itself in said client address table including the steps of transmitting a registration message to said CMS via said first switch, and including within said registration message said logical address associated with said first client;
• said first switch transmitting said first client registration message to said CMS by performing the steps of
• receiving said registration message,
• translating said registration message to include information indicative of said network location, and
• transmitting said registration message on a previously established virtual service path (VSP) between said first switch and said CMS;
• said CMS receiving said registration message;
• and
• said CMS registering said first client in said client address table by performing the steps of
• storing said logical address in said client address table, and
• storing said network location in said client address table.

A method for registration of clients in a network of devices, said network of devices including a first client, a first switch, and a central management supervisor (CMS), said first client coupled to said first switch, said first client associated with a first logical address and located at a first physical location within said network of devices, said first switch coupled to said CMS and said network of devices, said CMS including a client address table for mapping logical addresses to physical locations within said network of devices, said method comprising the steps of:

• said first client attempting to register itself in said client address table by transmitting a first client registration message to said CMS via said first switch,
• said first client registration message including said first logical address;
• said first switch receiving said first client registration message;
• said first switch translating said first client registration message to include information indicative of said first physical location;
• said first switch transmitting said first client registration message to said CMS;
• and
• said CMS registering said first client in said client address table.