Interworking circuit emulation service over packet and IP/MPLS packet processing
View Patent ↗A system and method are provided for implementing CESOP inexpensively yet effectively implemented across an MPLS or an IP network. A Zarlink chip provides CESOP functionality, providing a TDM pseudowire by converting TDM streams into Ethernet packets. These Ethernet packets can be processed by a Marvell chip, which has the ability to perform QoS functions on the packets. The Marvell chip converts the Ethernet packets into MPLS or IP packets for transmission over a packet network. Use of a single virtual circuit label, invisible to the packet network for routing purposes, within the Ethernet packet allows Marvell chips at each end of the emulated circuit to tie traffic to a particular customer and to thereby apply appropriate QoS constraints.
1. A method of providing a Circuit Emulation Service over Packet (CESoP) service over a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network, the method comprising:
receiving Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) data from a customer;
encapsulating the received TDM data and a virtual circuit (VC) label into an Ethernet packet, the VC label identifying the customer;
transmitting the Ethernet packet into the MPLS network:
receiving the Ethernet packet at a packet processor;
in the packet processor, de-encapsulating the Ethernet packet;
retrieving the TDM data and the VC label;
encapsulating the TDM data and the VC label into a MPLS packet by adding an MPLS tunnel label while preserving the VC label; and
associating the MPLS packet with the customer using the retrieved VC label so that traffic carried over the MPLS network using the CESoP service is tied to the customer.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in the packet processor, applying Quality of Service (QoS) constraints to the MPLS packet, the QoS constraints being associated with the customer.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein encapsulating the received TDM data and the VC label into the Ethernet packet further comprises:
encapsulating the received TDM data and the VC label into the Ethernet packet within a Circuit Emulation Service (CES) processor separate from the packet processor.
4. A method of providing a Circuit Emulation Service over Packet (CESoP) service over an Internet Protocol (IP) network, the method comprising:
receiving Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) data from a customer;
encapsulating the received TDM data and a virtual circuit (VC) label into an Ethernet packet, the VC label identifying the customer;
transferring the Ethernet packet to a packet processor;
in the packet processor, de-encapsulating the Ethernet packet to obtain the TDM data and VC label; and
encapsulating the TDM data and the VC label into an IP packet while preserving the VC label; and
associating the IP packet with the customer using the preserved VC label so that traffic using the CESoP service is tied to the customer.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
in the packet processor, applying Quality of Service (QoS) constraints to the IP packet, the QoS constraints being associated with the customer.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein encapsulating the received TDM data and the VC label into the Ethernet packet further comprises:
encapsulating the received TDM data and the VC label into the Ethernet packet within a Circuit Emulation Service (CES) processor separate from the packet processor.
7. A Circuit Emulation Service (CES) device for converting Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) data from a customer into a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) packet, the device comprising:
a CES processor that converts the TDM data from the customer into an Ethernet packet having a virtual channel (VC) label associated with the customer; and
a packet processor that receives the Ethernet packet, retrieves the TDM data and the VC label from the received Ethernet packet, encapsulates the retrieved TDM data and the VC label within the Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) packet, the encapsulating preserving the retrieved VC label, and associates the MPLS packet with the customer using the retrieved VC label.
8. The CES device of claim 7 , wherein the CES processor is a Zarlink™ ZL50110/1/4 processor, and wherein the packet processor is a Marvell™ MX-610/5 processor.
9. The CES device of claim 7 , wherein the packet processor preserves the retrieved VC label by swapping the VC label retrieved from the Ethernet packet for a second VC label having the same value.
10. A Circuit Emulation Service (CES) device for converting Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) data from a customer into an Internet Protocol (IP) packet, the device comprising:
a CES processor that converts the TDM data from a customer into an Ethernet packet having a virtual channel (VC) label associated with the customer; and
a packet processor that retrieves the TDM data and the VC label from the Ethernet packet and encapsulates the retrieved TDM data and the VC label within the Internet Protocol (IP) packet, the encapsulating preserving the retrieved VC label and associates the IP packet with the customer using the retrieved VC label.
11. The CES device of claim 10 , wherein the CES processor is a Zarlink™ ZL50110/1/4 processor, and wherein the packet processor is a Marvell™ MX-610/5 processor.
12. The CES device of claim 10 , wherein the packet processor preserves the VC label by swapping the VC label retrieved from the Ethernet packet for a second VC label having the same value.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Ethernet packet uses a single VC label that is invisible to the MPLS network for routing purposes.
14. The method of claim 4 , wherein the Ethernet packet uses a single VC label that is invisible to the IP network for routing purposes.
15. The device of claim 7 , wherein the Ethernet packet uses a single VC label that is invisible to a MPLS network for routing purposes.
16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the Ethernet packet uses a single VC label that is invisible to an IP network for routing purposes.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the VC label remains tied to the customer even when the VC label has a different value.
18. The method of claim 4 , wherein the VC label remains tied to the customer even when the VC label has a different value.
19. The device of claim 7 , wherein the VC label remains tied to the customer even when the VC label has a different value.
20. The device of claim 10 , wherein the VC label remains tied to the customer even when the VC label has a different value.