EP0602824A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic network element identity information registration apparatus and method
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1993-12-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-12-01
Abstract
Abstract In a telecommunications management network including a network element provisioned as a so-called Directory Services Network Element (DSNE) and at least one sub-network intended to include one or more network elements, automatic registration network element identity information is realized by employing a routing exchange protocol to dynamically maintain identity information of network elements reachable within the network, enhancing the routing exchange protocol interface to automatically supply an indication of detection of a newly reachable network element to an applications layer protocol, and using the indentity information of a newly reachable network element in the applications layer protocol of the DSNE to establish communications with the newly reachable network element. Then, the newly reachable network element supplies additional identity information (e.g., its name, network address and the like) to the DSNE. The DSNE, upon receiving the additional identity information, supplies its identity information to the newly reachable network element. Consequently, the identity information of the DSNE is supplied to each newly reachable network element as it is added to the network. This provides all network elements the capability of establishing communications with the DSNE, so that queries can be made for identity information of other network elements in the sub-network. The retrieved identity information can, in turn, be used by the individual network elements to establish communications with other network elements in the sub-network.
Inventors
- 👤 Christopher J. Hunt
- 👤 Christopher S. Welles
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 12:50
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L41/00; H04L41/04; H04L41/046; H04L43/00; H04L43/50; H04L69/00; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/0016; H04Q3/0062; H04L61/00; H04L61/45; H04L61/4505; H04L61/4517; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13516
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
A first network element for use in a digital transmission system including at least one other network element CHARACTERIZED BY: means for supporting an open standard interface (OSI) protocol stack having at least an OSI network layer including OSI routing protocols and an application layer including a directory distribution protocol; means for connecting said first network element to said at least one other network element via a data communications channel, said data communications channel being used to transport OSI protocol stack data; means for utilizing said OSI routing protocol for detecting via received OSI protocol stack data that said at least one other network element has become reachable and for automatically providing an indication of said at least one other network element being reachable to said directory distribution protocol in said applications layer; means for automatically obtaining network identity information from the indicated newly reachable at least one other network element; and means for automatically supplying network identity information of the first network element to the newly reachable at least one other network element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
70 words
A first network element as defined in claim 1 further including a directory information base and wherein said means for automatically obtaining identity information includes means responsive to reception of an indication of a newly reachable network element for sending a registration initialization request to the newly reachable network element and means for adding the received network identity information of said newly reachable network element to said directory information base.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
99 words
A first network element for use in a transmission system as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one other network element includes means for supporting an open standard interface (OSI) protocol stack having at least an OSI network layer including OSI routing protocols and an application layer including a directory distribution protocol, means for connecting said at least one other network element to the first network element via a data communications channel, said data communications channel being used to transport OSI protocol stack data and means for automatically receiving network identity information of the first network element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A first network element for use in a transmission system as defined in claim 3 wherein said at least one other network element includes means for storing said received network identity information of the first network element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
75 words
A first network element as defined in claim 1 further including means for establishing a routing table including indications of said at least one other network element in said OSI network layer, an indication of said at least one other network element becoming reachable being included as an entry in said routing table and means for providing direct access from said applications layer to said routing table and the entries therein in said network layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
A first network element as defined in claim 5 further including means for supplying said indication from said directory distribution protocol in said applications layer to a distribution manager, said distribution manager including a directory information base and means for adding identity information of said newly reachable at least one network element to said directory information base.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
94 words
A first network element as defined in claim 5 further including means for utilizing said OSI routing protocols for detecting via received OSI protocol stack data that said at least one other network element has ceased to be reachable and for automatically providing an indication of said at least one other network element ceasing to be reachable to said directory distribution protocol in said applications layer, an indication that said at least one other network element was reachable being removed from said routing table upon said detection that it has ceased to be reachable.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
62 words
A first network element as defined in claim 7 further including means for supplying said indication from said directory distribution protocol in said applications layer to a distribution manager, said distribution manager including a directory information base and means for deleting identity information of said at least one other network element which has ceased to be reachable from said directory information base.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
173 words
A method for use in a first network element to be employed in a digital transmission system including at least one other network element CHARACTERIZED BY the steps of: supporting an open standard interface (OSI) protocol stack having at least an OSI network layer including OSI routing protocols and an application layer including a directory distribution protocol; connecting said first network element to said at least one other network element via a data communications channel, said data communications channel being used to transport OSI protocol stack data; utilizing said OSI routing protocol for detecting via received OSI protocol stack data that said at least one other network element has become reachable and for automatically providing an indication of said at least one other network element being reachable to said directory distribution protocol in said applications layer; automatically obtaining network identity information from the indicated newly reachable at least one other network element; and automatically supplying network identity information of the first network element to the newly reachable at least one other network element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method as defined in claim 9 wherein said step of automatically obtaining identity information includes a step of sending, in response to reception of an indication of a newly reachable network element, a registration initialization request to the newly reachable network element and adding the received network identity information of said newly reachable network element to a directory information base.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
95 words
A method as defined in claim 9 for use in a digital transmission system wherein said at least one other network element includes the steps of supporting an open standard interface (OSI) protocol stack having at least an OSI network layer including OSI routing protocols and an application layer including a directory distribution protocol; connecting said at least one other network element to the first network element via a data communications channel, said data communications channel being used to transport OSI protocol stack data, and automatically receiving network identity information from the first network element.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as defined in claim 9 wherein said at least one other network element further includes the step of storing said received network identity information of the first network element.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
71 words
The method as defined in claim 9 further including the steps of establishing a routing table including indications of said at least one other network element in said network layer, an indication of said at least one other network element becoming reachable being included as an entry in said routing table and providing direct access from said applications layer to said routing table and the entries therein in said network layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method as defined in claim 13 further including the steps of supplying said indication from said directory distribution protocol in said applications layer to a distribution manager, said distribution manager including a directory information base and adding identity information of said newly reachable at least one other network element to said directory information base.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
93 words
The method as defined in claim 13 further including the steps of utilizing said OSI routing protocols for detecting via received OSI protocol stack data that said at least one other network element has ceased to be reachable and for automatically providing an indication of said at least one other network element ceasing to be reachable to said directory distribution protocol in said applications layer and deleting an indication that said at least one other network element was reachable from said routing table upon said detection that it has ceased to be reachable.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method as defined in claim 15 further including the steps of supplying said indication from said directory distribution protocol in said applications layer to a distribution manager, said distribution manager including a directory information base and deleting identity information of said at least one network element which has ceased to be reachable from said directory information base.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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