Method and apparatus for configuring network devices with subnetworks in an ATM environment and retrieving permanent virtual channel (PVC) configuration information from network devices

An apparatus for retrieving Permanent Virtual Channel (PVC) configuration information from a network device coupled to the apparatus, wherein the PVC configuration information specifies one or more PVCs defined for the network device, the apparatus comprising:

• a PVC configuration parameter storage having a first input for receiving the PVC configuration information, the PVC configuration parameter storage for storing at least a portion of said PVC configuration information and providing a portion of said PVC configuration information at an output;
• a request generator for generating and providing to an output at least one request for PVC configuration information for at least one logical interface, wherein each PVC is uniquely identified by a Virtual Path Identifier (VPI) and a Virtual Channel Identifier (VCI), the request generator being configured to:
• if the VPI and VCI for a particular PVC are known, generate an ILMI getrequest command that includes the known VPI and VCI for the particular PVC, and
• if the VPI and VCI for a particular PVC are not known, generate an ILMI getnext command that includes a specified VPI and a specified VCI that indicate that the VPI and VCI for a particular PVC are not known;
• a network protocol adapter having an input coupled to the request generator output for receiving the at least one request for PVC configuration information and providing at an input/output logically configured into the at least one logical interface and coupled to the network device at least one message responsive to the at least one request for PVC configuration information, and for receiving at the first input/output at least one message from the network device and generating and providing at an output, on the network protocol adaptor, at least one message comprising the PVC configuration information responsive to at least one of the messages from the network device received at the network protocol adapter input/output;
• a response receiver having
• first input coupled to the network protocol adapter output for receiving the PVC configuration information from the network protocol, adaptor;
• a first output coupled to the PVC configuration parameter storage input;
• a second output coupled to the ILMI request generator,
• second input operatively coupled to receive an indicator responsive to an interruption in transmission between the apparatus and the network device;
• a deleter having an input coupled to the second input of the response receiver and an output coupled to the first output of the response receiver;
• wherein the response receiver is configured to provide to the first output of the response receiver at least a portion of the PVC configuration information received at the response receiver first input in response to an identifier contained in the message received at the response receiver first input from the network protocol adaptor;
• wherein the response receiver is further configured to extract VPIs and VCIs from the PVC configuration information and provide the VPIs and VCIs to the request generator to be used by the request generator to generate subsequent ILMI requests;
• wherein the response receiver is further configured to generate identification data that indicates that the at least a portion of the PVC configuration information was received from the network device;
• and
• wherein the deleter is configured to cause, based upon the identification data and receipt of the indicator at the input, of the deleter, the at least a portion of the PVC configuration information to be selectively deleted from the PVC configuration parameter storage.