Managing interworking communications protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing interworking protocols are provided. According to one embodiment, a service management system (SMS) communicatively coupled with multiple service processing switches of a service provider provisions transport network interfaces of the service processing switches to provide a transport between subscriber interfaces of the service processing switches. The subscriber interfaces are configured to communicate data in accordance with a first protocol. The transport network interfaces configured to communicate data in accordance with a second protocol. The SMS causes a first-protocol-over-second-protocol (FPoSP) Virtual Private Network (VPN) to be created through which subscriber sites securely exchange data by establishing a virtual router (VR) within the service processing switches corresponding to each subscriber interface. The VRs communicate the data among the service processing switches by encapsulating packets received from the subscriber sites within packets of the second protocol and transmitting the encapsulated packets through the transport network interfaces.

1 . A computerized method for managing interworking protocols comprising the following computer-implemented steps:
 provisioning, by a service management system (SMS) communicatively coupled with a plurality of service processing switches of a service provider, transport network interfaces of the plurality of service processing switches to provide a transport between subscriber interfaces of the plurality of service processing switches, the subscriber interfaces configured to communicate data in accordance with a first protocol, the transport network interfaces configured to communicate data in accordance with a second protocol; and   causing to be created, by the SMS, a first-protocol-over-second-protocol (FPoSP) Virtual Private Network (VPN) through which a plurality of subscriber sites securely exchange data by establishing a virtual router (VR) within the plurality of service processing switches corresponding to each subscriber interface, the VRs communicate the data among the plurality of service processing switches by encapsulating packets received from the plurality of subscriber sites within packets of the second protocol and transmitting the encapsulated packets through the transport network interfaces.   
     
     
         2 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein the first protocol comprises a frame relay protocol. 
     
     
         3 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein the second protocol comprises a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol. 
     
     
         4 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein the second protocol comprises an Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) protocol. 
     
     
         5 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein the first protocol comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) protocol. 
     
     
         6 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein said provisioning transport network interfaces utilizes the parameters from the predefined policy. 
     
     
         7 . A service processing system comprising:
 a first service processing switch including a first plurality of processing elements;   a second service processing switch including a second plurality of processing elements; and   a service management system (SMS), communicably coupled to the first service processing switch and the second service processing switch, operable to automatically establish a logical network connection between subscriber sites associated with the first service processing switch and the second service processing switch by:
 provisioning transport network interfaces of the first service processing switch and the second service processing switch to provide a transport between a first subscriber interface of the first service processing switch configured to communicate data in accordance with a first protocol and a second subscriber interface of the second service processing switch configured to communicate data in accordance with the first protocol, the transport network interfaces communicating in accordance with a second protocol; and 
 creating a first-protocol-over-second-protocol (FPoSP) Virtual Private Network (VPN) through which the subscriber sites securely exchange data by establishing a first virtual router (VR) corresponding to the first subscriber interface and a second VR corresponding to the second subscriber interface, the first VR and the second VR communicate the data between the first service processing switch and the second service processing switch by encapsulating packets received from the subscriber sites within packets of the second protocol and transmitting the encapsulated packets through the transport network interfaces. 
   
     
     
         8 . The service processing system of  claim 7 , wherein the first protocol comprises a frame relay protocol. 
     
     
         9 . The service processing system of  claim 7 , wherein the second protocol comprises a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol. 
     
     
         10 . The service processing system of  claim 7 , wherein the second protocol comprises an Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) protocol. 
     
     
         11 . The service processing system of  claim 7 , wherein the first protocol comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) protocol. 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a service management system (SMS) of a service provider that is operable to automatically establish a logical network connection among a plurality of subscriber sites through a plurality of service processing switches to which the SMS is communicatively coupled, cause a method to be performed comprising the following computer-implemented steps:
 provisioning transport network interfaces of the plurality of service processing switches to provide a transport between subscriber interfaces of the plurality of service processing switches, the subscriber interfaces configured to communicate data in accordance with a first protocol, the transport network interfaces configured to communicate data in accordance with a second protocol; and   causing to be created a first-protocol-over-second-protocol (FPoSP) Virtual Private Network (VPN) through which a plurality of subscriber sites securely exchange data by establishing a virtual router (VR) within the plurality of service processing switches corresponding to each subscriber interface, the VRs communicate the data among the plurality of service processing switches by encapsulating packets received from the plurality of subscriber sites within packets of the second protocol and transmitting the encapsulated packets through the transport network interfaces.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the first protocol comprises a frame relay protocol. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the second protocol comprises a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the second protocol comprises an Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) protocol. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the first protocol comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) protocol.