ENCODING USER SUBSCRIPTION IN IP ADDRESS

Abstract: The invention is related to the technical implementation of an Internet user subscription with service differentiation. Service differentiation is required in order to give certain quality guarantees in an IP network which are necessary for demanding applications such as IP Telephony, IP Videophony or gaming. The current solution uses too much processor capacity of the IP edge router, and the continous adjustment of the configuration of all IP edge routers in the network is necessary. The invention makes it possible, with a once-only configuration of IP edge routers, and with large numbers of users, to have IP traffic classified for differentiated handling by an IP edge router according to different subscriptions. This is achieved by assigning to users an IP address in which the subscription is encoded as a bit pattern in a fixed location.

Description: Title: Encoding user subscription in IF address. A. Background of the invention The invention is related to a method for the transmission, via an IP access point and various IP routers, of IP packets, originating from users with different service contracts. It is known in the prior art that IP packets can be handled by IP routers differentially on the basis of the so-called IP precedence bits in the header of a packet, and that the IP precedence bits can be set by an IP router at the edge of the network ("IP edge router") on the basis of various attributes of the IP packet ("classification"). It is also known that, on the basis of the precedence bits, the IP traffic of users with different service subscriptions can be differentially handled ("per hop behaviour"), i.e. according to the subscription-related contract agreements. Said classification and "per hop behaviour" are the building blocks with which, in an IP network, future-determined quality guarantees can be given which are required for demanding applications, such as IP telephony, IP videophony or gaming. The prior art has the following disadvantages: (1) classification requires much processor capacity of the IP edge router, whereby, with the current technology, it is deployable for far too few users simultaneously and therefore unsuitable for large-scale use, and (2) continuous adjustment of the configuration of all IP edge routers in the network is necessary, viz. upon every login or logout of a user. B . Summary of the invention The invention seeks to obviate the said disadvantages. To this end the invention provides the following measures: when a user logs in (for example upon establishing the PPP protocol) , the user name/password combination is used to search for the subscription of the user in a database. By means of a specific bit pattern in a fixed location in the IP address which is assigned to the user, it is subsequently designated which subscription the user has. IP edge routers classify each IP packet after inspection of the bit pattern in said fixed location in the IP address. For this, a fixed setting of the IP edge routers with a limited number of (selection) rules is sufficient, whereby only little processor capacity of the IP edge router and no continuous adjustment of configuration of the IP edge routers is required. C . Description of the diagram The mode of operation of the invention is further explained on the basis of two figures. Fig. 1 shows how an IP address is assigned to a user. In this example, two subscriptions are distinguished: ordinary and special. Users with a special subscription receive an IP address with the format "xxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx.11111111.xxxxxxxx" , i.e. the bit pattern "11111111" in positions 17-24 counted from the left, where "x" can be a 0 or a 1. Users with an ordinary subscription receive an IP address with another bit pattern in positions 17-24. In the customary notation for the Internet, this is an address "a.b.255.d" , where 0<=a,b, d<=255, as IP address for users with a special subscription, and "a.b.c.d", where 0<=a,b,d<=255 and c<255, as IP address for ordinary users. Fig. 2 shows how an IP address of this example is used by the IP edge router to set the IP precedence bits, in this example to the value of 0 for ordinary users and 7 for special users. D. References 1. "Cisco IOS Enabling Network Services: QoS Services"; www.cisco.com/warp/public/732/net_enabled/queuing.html 2. "Cisco - Advanced QoS Services for the Intelligent Internet"; www.cisco.com/warp/public/732/net_enabled/- qos_wp . htm 3. "An Architecture for Differentiated Services", Steven Blake, Internet draft IETF DIFFSERV Working Group, 1998; ftp.nic.it/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-diffserv-arch-01.txt 4. "A Framework for Differentiated Services", Yoram Bernet, Internet draft IETF DIFFSERV Working Group, 1998; ftp.nic. it/- internet-drafts/draft-ietf-diffserv-framework-00. txt 5. "IP Commands"; www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/- product/software/ioslll/mods/4mod/4rbook/4rip.htm 6. "Committed Access Rate": www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/- doc/product/software/ioslll/cclll/car.htm

Claims: E. Claims 1. A method for the transmission, via an IP access device and various IP routers, of IP packets, originating from users with different service contracts, characterised in that/ upon login of a user, user parameters which are a representation of facilities registered in the service contract of the user are retrieved from a database, on the basis of which, in an IP address assigned to the user, in a fixed location, a specific bit pattern is written, in accordance with the said user parameters, in which the IP routers assign to each IP packet one or more Quality of Service parameters based on the said bit pattern in a fixed location of the IP address, and subsequently process the IP packet according to said Quality of Service parameters. 2. An IP access device for the transmission of IP packets, originating from users with different service contracts, characterised by means (procl) for assigning an IP address to a user and to writing, in a fixed location, a specific bit pattern, in accordance with user parameters which are a representation of facilities registered in the service contract of a user. 3. An IP router, for the routing, on the basis of IP addresses, of IP packets, originating from users with different service contracts, characterised by means (proc2) for assigning to each IP packet one or more Quality of Service parameters in accordance with a bit pattern, in a certain location within the IP address.

Inventors: BLOM MARCUS ANTHONIUS, BLOM, MARCUS, ANTHONIUS
Applicants: BLOM MARCUS ANTHONIUS, KONINKL KPN NV, BLOM, MARCUS, ANTHONIUS, KONINKLIJKE KPN N.V.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: H04L29
IPC codes: H04L12, H04L29