Zoning for distance pricing and network engineering in connectionless and connection-oriented networks
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorsDonald Russell Ellis, Martin Charbonneau
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described are a system and method for establishing zone-based pricing for services transported over connectionless and connection-oriented networks. The connectivity network supporting the service is partitioned into one or more zones. A node connected to a packet transport network receives a packet associated with the service. The packet has information that is used to identify one of the zones of the connectivity network to which the packet can be transmitted. Service providers are thus able to use zoning to apply a pricing structure for services traditionally lacking distance-based pricing, such as Ethernet, Storage, and Internet Protocol services.
Claims25
A method for establishing zone-based pricing for a service transported over a network, the method comprising:
- partitioning the network into zones;
- associating the service with one of the zones to establish an extent to which packets of service traffic belonging to the service are permitted to traverse the network for a given price;
- receiving, at a node connected to the network at a boundary of the zone associated with the service, a packet of service traffic belonging to the service, the packet having an Ethernet VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) tag;
- reading, by the node, the Ethernet VLAN tag from the packet of service traffic;
- identifying, by the node, the zone associated with the service to which the packet of service traffic belongs from the Ethernet VLAN tag read from the packet;
- and
- restricting the packet, by the node, from traversing beyond the zone identified from the Ethernet VLAN tag into an unauthorized zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.