Resource reservation protocol based guaranteed quality of service Internet protocol (IP) connections over a switched network using newly assigned IP addresses

Abstract

Internet protocol communications are established between an originating host and a destination host through at least one bridge that interfaces with a switched transport network and an internet protocol network. An initiating message is received from the originating host through the internet protocol network via one of the at least one bridges. The one of the at least one bridges corresponds to a switched transport network address and an internet protocol network address. A setup message is forwarded to the switched transport network address of the one of the at least one bridges to establish internet protocol communications through the switched transport network.

1 . A method for establishing internet protocol communications between an originating host and a destination host through at least one bridge that interfaces with a switched transport network and an internet protocol network, the method comprising: 
 receiving an initiating message from the originating host through the internet protocol network via one of the at least one bridges, the one of the at least one bridges corresponding to a switched transport network address and an internet protocol network address; and    forwarding a setup message to the switched transport network address of the one of the at least one bridges to establish internet protocol communications through the switched transport network.    
   
   
       2 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 obtaining a new internet protocol address for the originating host, the new internet protocol address being recognizable by at least one of a private network associated with the destination host and a secure network associated with the destination host.    
   
   
       3 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 1 , the switched transport network comprising an asynchronous transfer mode network.  
   
   
       4 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the internet protocol communications are carried on a switched virtual circuit connection.    
   
   
       5 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 1 , the setup message comprising a user-to-network interface protocol message.  
   
   
       6 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 1 , the initiating message comprising a resource reservation protocol path message.  
   
   
       7 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 1 , the initiating message having been generated by the originating host and modified by the one of the at least one bridges.  
   
   
       8 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 1 , the originating host comprising an originating end-system, the destination host comprising a limited access destination end-system, and the one of the at least one bridges comprising an interworking function device.  
   
   
       9 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 1 , in which the initiating message includes at least one predetermined quality of service parameter which is passed to the setup message, the internet protocol communications being established in accordance with the at least one predetermined quality of service parameter.  
   
   
       10 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 9 , in which the at least one predetermined quality of service parameter comprises a bandwidth.  
   
   
       11 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 1 , in which the initiating message comprises a resource reservation protocol path message including a dynamic host configuration protocol parameter.  
   
   
       12 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 11 , in which the switched transport network address of the one of the at least one bridges is inserted into a transport network address parameter of the path message.  
   
   
       13 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 12 , in which the path message is received at a destination bridge through at least one router in the internet protocol network by default routing, the at least one router passing the path message without modifying the transport network address parameter.  
   
   
       14 . The method for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 forwarding the path message to the destination host, and    receiving the setup message from the destination host,    wherein the setup message is a resource reservation protocol reservation request message comprising a dynamic host configuration protocol response to the dynamic host configuration protocol parameter, each dynamic host configuration protocol response comprising a new address, temporarily assigned to the originating host and acceptable by the destination host.    
   
   
       15 . A destination bridge for establishing internet protocol communications between an originating host and a destination host, the destination bridge interfacing with a switched transport network and an internet protocol network, the destination bridge comprising: 
 a message receiver that receives an initiating message from the originating host through the internet protocol network via an originating bridge, the originating bridge corresponding to a switched transport network address and an internet protocol network address; and    a message forwarder that forwards a setup message to the switched transport network address of the originating bridge to establish internet protocol communications through the switched transport network.    
   
   
       16 . The destination bridge for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 15 , the setup message including at least one predetermined bidirectional flow parameter received from the initiating message, wherein the internet protocol communications are established in accordance with the at least one bidirectional flow parameter.  
   
   
       17 . The destination bridge for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 15 , 
 wherein the initiating message comprises a resource reservation protocol path message, and    wherein the originating bridge comprises an originating interworking function device that inserts its switched transport network address into a first data field of the path message and forwards the path message through at least one router in the internet protocol network by default routing, the at least one router passing the path message without modifying the first data field.    
   
   
       18 . The destination bridge for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 17 , 
 wherein the destination bridge receives the path message, retrieves the switched transport network address from the first data field of the path message, forwards the path message to the destination host, and receives a new internet protocol address assigned to the originating host for accessing the destination host.    
   
   
       19 . The destination bridge for establishing internet protocol communications according to  claim 18 , 
 wherein the destination bridge forwards the setup message, directed to the newly assigned internet protocol address, to the originating bridge through at least one switching device in the switched transport network, the setup message including a resource reservation protocol reservation request message generated by the destination host in response to the path message.    
   
   
       20 . A computer readable medium for storing a computer program for establishing internet protocol communications between an originating host and a destination host through at least one bridge that interfaces with a switched transport network and an internet protocol network, comprising: 
 an initiating message receiving code segment that receives an initiating message from the originating host through the internet protocol network via one of the at least one bridges, the one of the at least one bridges corresponding to a switched transport network address and an internet protocol network address; and    a setup message forwarding code segment that forwards a setup message to the switched transport network address of the one of the at least one bridges to establish internet protocol communications through the switched transport network.