Ipv6 address generation to trigger a virtual leased line service

Abstract

Various embodiments relate to a communications system and related method for determining an address of a service access point (SAP) upon establishment of a service over a packet data network. A customer SAP connected to a provider SAP may request a link-local address for another customer SAP on the far-end of the packet data network. When the service, such as a virtual leased line (VLL) is not yet established, the provider SAP may generate an address for the customer based on another value, such as its own media access control (MAC) address. The generated address may then allow the service to become established, which may allow Neighbor Solicitation and Neighbor Advertisement packets to be sent, analyzed, and extracted. The provider SAP may then replace the generated address with the address extracted from the Neighbor Solicitation or Advertisement packet received after the service was established.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method performed by a network device for establishing a network connection, the method comprising:
 generating, by the network device, a substitute address to act as an address for a first device;   negotiating a session with a second device using the substitute address;   receiving a true address of the first device after negotiation of the session using the substitute address; and   renegotiating the session with the second device using the true address of the first device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substitute address is generated based on an address of the network device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the substitute address is an IPv6 address and the address of the network device is a MAC address of the network device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network device receives the true address via a service that utilizes the session. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the session is an IPv6CP session and the service is a virtual leased line (VLL) service. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the true address comprises:
 receiving a message from the first device and addressed to the second device via the session; and   extracting the true address from the message.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein negotiation of the session triggers an activation of a service that utilizes the session. 
     
     
         8 . A network device comprising:
 a memory; and   a processor in communication with the memory, the processor being configured to:
 generate, by the network device, a substitute address to act as an address for a first device, 
 negotiate a session with a second device using the substitute address, 
 receive a true address of the first device after negotiation of the session using the substitute address, and 
 renegotiate the session with the second device using the true address of the first device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the substitute address based on an address of the network device. 
     
     
         10 . The network device of  claim 9 , wherein the substitute address is an IPv6 address and the address of the network device is a MAC address of the network device. 
     
     
         11 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein the network device receives the true address via a service that utilizes the session. 
     
     
         12 . The network device of  claim 11 , wherein the session is an IPv6CP session and the service is a virtual leased line (VLL) service. 
     
     
         13 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein, in receiving the true address, the processor is configured to:
 receive a message from the first device and addressed to the second device via the session; and   extract the true address from the message.   
     
     
         14 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein negotiation of the session triggers an activation of a service that utilizes the session. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory machine readable medium encoded with instructions for execution by a network device for establishing a network connection, the machine readable medium comprising:
 instructions for generating, by the network device, a substitute address to act as an address for a first device;   instructions for negotiating a session with a second device using the substitute address;   instructions for receiving a true address of the first device after negotiation of the session using the substitute address; and   instructions for renegotiating the session with the second device using the true address of the first device.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions for generating the substitute address comprise instructions for generating the substitute address based on an address of the network device. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the substitute address is an IPv6 address and the address of the network device is a MAC address of the network device. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the network device receives the true address via a service that utilizes the session. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 18  wherein the session is an IPv6CP session and the service is a virtual leased line (VLL) service. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions for receiving the true address comprise:
 instructions for receiving a message from the first device and addressed to the second device via the session; and   instructions for extracting the true address from the message.