Patent ID: 7940773
Filing Date: 2011-05-10
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An automated computer implemented method for provisioning a subscriber device for use on a packet-switched network, the comprising: receiving, via a cell-switched network, a network address request from a subscriber device at a network communications device, the network address request including at least one data cell including a channel identifier associated with the subscriber device, the channel identifier identifying the subscriber device for the cell-switched network, wherein the at least one data cell further includes a path identifier, the path identifier identifying a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) for the cell-switched network, said DSLAM associated with and coupled to the subscriber device; determining, by the network communications device, the channel identifier from the network address request; determining, by the network communications device, whether the channel identifier currently exists in a provisioning table used for provisioning the subscriber device for a packet-switched network; in response to a determination that the channel identifier does not currently exists in the provisioning table, determining whether the channel identifier is excluded from being assigned to an egress port of the network communication device in communication with the packet-switched network based on an exclusion principle assigned by a service provider: in response to a determination that the channel identifier does not currently exists in the provisioning table and is not excluded from being assigned to the egress port of the network communication device in communication with the packet-switched network generating, by the network communications device, a customer tag for the subscriber device using the channel identifier, the customer tag identifying the subscriber device for the packet-switched network; storing, by the network communications device, the channel identifier and the customer tag in the provisioning table; storing the path identifier and a service tag in the provisioning table, the service tag identifying said DSLAM for the packet-switched network; and forwarding, by the network communications device, the network address request to a network address assigning device configured to assign a network address to the subscriber device.