IP Library Granted Patent US 8,971,330
Granted Patent B2
US 8,971,330 · App. 11/609,096 · Granted Mar 3, 2015

Quality of service and encryption over a plurality of MPLS networks

Inventor: Daniel M. Wood (Acton, MA)
Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
H04L45/22H04L45/00H04L45/04H04L45/302H04L45/308H04L45/50H04L47/10H04L63/0428
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,971,330
App. No.
11/609,096
Granted
Mar 3, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A network device may transmit a request to each of a plurality of multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) networks for a label switched path (LSP) label, wherein each LSP label provides a defined quality of service connection through a corresponding MPLS network. The network device may then receive from each of the plurality of MPLS networks a corresponding LSP label and transmit at least one LSP label to each of a plurality of network devices, wherein the defined quality of service connection is provided through each of the plurality of MPLS networks.

Claims (79)

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, from a network device, a request to each of a plurality of untrusted multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) networks for a label switched path (LSP) label,

where each LSP label provides a defined quality of service connection through a corresponding untrusted MPLS network, and

where the network device is a first MPLS network device communicatively coupled to a first trusted network device through a first trusted network;

at the network device, receiving, from each of the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks, a corresponding LSP label; and

establishing a label switched path from the first trusted network device to a second trusted network device through the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks,

where establishing the label switched path from the first trusted network device to the second trusted network device further comprises:

transmitting, from the first MPLS network device, an LSP label to a trusted server that transmits the LSP label to a second MPLS network device that is communicatively coupled to the second trusted network device through a particular untrusted MPLS network.

2. The method of claim 1 , where transmitting the request to each of the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks for the LSP label further comprises:

transmitting the request to a plurality of servers,

where each server, of the plurality of servers, is associated with only a particular one of the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the established label switched path provides the defined quality of service connection.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a data packet from the first trusted network device;

encrypting the data packet using encryption that does not allow the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks to access data in the data packet; and

transmitting, through the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks, the encrypted data packet to a decryption device communicatively coupled to the second trusted network device through a trusted network.

5. The method of claim 1 ,

where the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks comprises different first and second untrusted MPLS networks,

where the first untrusted MPLS network comprises a first set of servers that stores at least one of network policies, quality of service requirements, or LSP labels associated with the first untrusted MPLS network, and

where the second untrusted MPLS network comprises a different second set of servers that stores at least one of network policies, quality of service requirements, or LSP labels associated with the second untrusted MPLS network.

6. The method of claim 5 , where

the first set of servers is associated with the first untrusted MPLS network but not the second untrusted MPLS network, and

the second set of servers is associated with the second untrusted MPLS network but not the first untrusted MPLS network.

7. The method of claim 1 , where the label switched path includes at least two network devices that each apply an LSP label to data transmitted from the first trusted network device to the second trusted network device through the established label switched path.

8. A trusted network device comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of label switched path (LSP) labels,

where each LSP label, of the plurality of LSP labels, identifies a connection through a corresponding untrusted multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network with a defined quality of service; and

a processor to execute instructions to:

transmit a request to a plurality of untrusted MPLS networks for an LSP label,

where the trusted network device is communicatively coupled to a first MPLS network device through a first trusted network;

receive an LSP label from each of the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks;

store the LSP label from each of the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks in the memory; and

cause a connection to be established, from the trusted network device to another trusted network device through the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks, with the defined quality of service,

the connection being established based on an LSP label being transmitted, from the first MPLS network device, to a trusted server that transmits the LSP label to a second MPLS network device that is communicatively coupled to the other trusted network device through a particular untrusted MPLS network.

9. The trusted network device of claim 8 , where the processor is further to:

receive a request for the defined quality of service from a first client device.

10. The trusted network device of claim 9 , where the connection provided through the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks with the defined quality of service connects the first client device to a second client device.

11. The trusted network device of claim 10 , where the first and second client devices are in trusted networks.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions which, when executed by a processor of a network device, cause the processor to:

transmit a request to each of a plurality of untrusted multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) networks for a label switched path (LSP) label,

where each LSP label provides a defined quality of service connection through a corresponding untrusted MPLS network, and

where the network device is a first MPLS network device communicatively coupled to a first trusted network device through a first trusted network;

receive, from each of the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks, a corresponding LSP label; and

establish a label switched path from the first trusted network device to a second trusted network device through the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks,

where the one or more instructions to establish the label switched path from the first trusted network device to the second trusted network device further include:

one or more instructions to transmit, from the first MPLS network device, an LSP label to a trusted server that transmits the LSP label to a second MPLS network device that is communicatively coupled to the second trusted network device through a particular untrusted MPLS network.

13. The medium of claim 12 , where the one or more instructions to transmit the request to each of the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks for the LSP label further include:

one or more instructions to transmit the request to a plurality of servers,

where each server, of the plurality of servers, is associated with only a particular one of the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks.

14. The medium of claim 12 , where the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to receive a data packet from the first trusted network device;

one or more instructions to encrypt the data packet using encryption that does not allow the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks to access data in the data packet; and

one or more instructions to transmit, through the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks, the encrypted data packet to a decryption device communicatively coupled to the second trusted network device through a trusted network.

15. The medium of claim 12 ,

where the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks comprises different first and second untrusted MPLS networks,

where the first untrusted MPLS network comprises a first set of servers that stores at least one of network policies, quality of service requirements, or LSP labels associated with the first untrusted MPLS network, and

where the second untrusted MPLS network comprises a different second set of servers that stores at least one of network policies, quality of service requirements, or LSP labels associated with the second untrusted MPLS network.

16. The medium of claim 12 , where the label switched path includes at least two network devices that each apply an LSP label to data transmitted from the first trusted network device to the second trusted network device through the established label switched path.

17. A system comprising:

a network device to:

transmit a request to each of a plurality of untrusted multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) networks for a label switched path (LSP) label,

where each LSP label provides a defined quality of service connection through a corresponding untrusted MPLS network, and

where the network device is a first MPLS network device communicatively coupled to a first trusted network device through a first trusted network;

receive, from each of the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks, a corresponding LSP label; and

establish a label switched path from the first trusted network device to a second trusted network device through the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks,

where the one or more instructions to establish the label switched path from the first trusted network device to the second trusted network device further include:

one or more instructions to transmit, from the first MPLS network device, an LSP label to a trusted server that transmits the LSP label to a second MPLS network device that is communicatively coupled to the second trusted network device through a particular untrusted MPLS network.

18. The system of claim 17 , where the network device, when transmitting the request to each of the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks for the LSP label, is further to:

transmit the request to a plurality of servers,

where each server, of the plurality of servers, is associated with only a particular one of the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks.

19. The system of claim 17 , where the network device is further to:

receive a data packet from the first trusted network device;

encrypt the data packet using encryption that does not allow the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks to access data in the data packet; and

transmit, through the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks, the encrypted data packet to a decryption device communicatively coupled to the second trusted network device through a trusted network.

20. The system of claim 17 ,

where the plurality of untrusted MPLS networks comprises different first and second untrusted MPLS networks,

where the first untrusted MPLS network comprises a first set of servers that stores at least one of network policies, quality of service requirements, or LSP labels associated with the first untrusted MPLS network, and

where the second untrusted MPLS network comprises a different second set of servers that stores at least one of network policies, quality of service requirements, or LSP labels associated with the second untrusted MPLS network.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2009
From: FEDERAL NETWORK SYSTEMS LLC
To: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
Reel/Frame 023455/0249 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2006
From: WOOD, DANIEL M.
To: FEDERAL NETWORK SYSTEMS LLC
Reel/Frame 018624/0498 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20080137657A1 · Jun 12, 2008