METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING DATA OVER A DATA NETWORK

摘要

A method of provisioning an interface device (40), the interface device 40 interfacing between an access network (19, 20 30) and a back-bone network (50), the access network including a Digital Subscriber Line, DSL, connection (16, 18, 19, 20) to an end user (terminal 14) and a transceiver device (20) including a DSL transceiver for modulating and demodulating signals sent to and from the end user terminal (14) over the DSL connection, the arrangement of the network apparatus being such that data from a device (62) connected to the back-bone network (50) which is destined for the end user terminal (14) passes through the interface device (40) and then through the access network (30) and wherein the interface device (40) is operable to constrain the rate of flow of data from the backbone network (50) through the interface device (40) towards the end user terminal (14) to a predetermined maximum rate specified for the end user terminal (14). The method comprises: providing a management device (100) for managing the interface device (40); receiving data readings from the transceiver device (20) indicative of the current or recent line rate of the DSL connection; and provisioning the interface device (40) to restrict data flowing to the DSL connection to a new maximum rate selected by the management device (100) in accordance with the received data readings from the transceiver device (20) indicative of the current or recent line rate of the DSL connection, wherein, when the new maximum rate is greater than the existing maximum rate for the DSL connection at which the interface device (40) is currently provisioned, the interface device (40) is provisioned (or re-provisioned) only after a delay period, and wherein the delay period depends upon the amount of the increase in the new maximum rate compared to the existing maximum rate, and wherein, the greater the increase, the shorter the delay period.