Method and system for utilizing a gateway to enable peer-to-peer communications in service provider networks

摘要

A broadband gateway may be operable to receive network topology information to enable peer-to-peer communications between a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway. The broadband gateway may be operable to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. A communication link which may bypass core layer network components and/or resources for enabling the peer-to-peer communications between the first communication device and the second communication device may be established by the broadband gateway, based on the received network topology information, a location of the first communication device and a location of the second communication device. The broadband gateway may establish the communication link to enable the peer-to-peer communications by marking traffic such as by inserting QinQ tags into traffic between the first communication device and the second communication device.

主权项

1. A method for communication, the method comprising:
in a broadband gateway that is communicatively coupled to a first communication device, the broadband gateway being configured to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider: receiving network topology information that represents a hierarchical network topology of a network to which said broadband gateway is coupled, said hierarchical network topology comprising a plurality of layers of nodes of said network, the plurality of layers including a core layer, an access layer comprising a plurality of nodes including said broadband gateway, and an aggregation layer providing at least one connection between said access layer and said core layer using at least a network device that operates at an open system interconnection (OSI) data link layer or network layer and that comprises a node of the aggregation layer, each of the nodes of said network being from one of the plurality of layers and comprising a network device connected within said network; and establishing a communication link that bypasses at least one node indicated as being from said core layer using said received network topology information, to enable peer-to-peer communications between said first communication device and a second communication device, wherein said communication link is established using said network topology information, a location of said first communication device, and a location of said second communication device.