Satellite network virtual LAN usage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11211999-B2
Application number	US-201715856736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 28, 2017
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A satellite telecommunication system includes a satellite and multiple computing devices. One computing device is in communication with the satellite and programmed to generate a virtual local area network (VLAN) packet with a VLAN tag and transmit the VLAN packet to the satellite. Another computing device is in communication with the satellite and programmed to receive the VLAN packet, determine VLAN tag information from the VLAN tag, and forward at least the original packet while preserving VLAN tag information associated with the VLAN tag.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A satellite telecommunication system comprising:
a satellite;
a first computing device; and
a second computing device,
wherein the first computing device is in communication with the satellite and is programmed to generate a virtual local area network (VLAN) packet with a VLAN tag and transmit the VLAN packet to the second computing device via the satellite,
wherein the second computing device is in communication with the satellite and is programmed to:
receive the VLAN packet via the satellite,
then determine VLAN tag information from the VLAN tag, and then
forward at least the original packet to a third computing device while preserving VLAN tag information associated with the VLAN tag so that the VLAN tag is readable by the third computing device,

wherein the first computing device is one of a satellite terminal or a satellite gateway,
wherein the second computing device is the other of the satellite terminal or the satellite gateway, wherein at least one of the first computing device or the second computing device remaps the VLAN tag information such that the remapped VLAN tag information includes at least two different sets of VLAN tag information, wherein a first set of the at least two different sets corresponds to a first satellite gateway and a second set of the at least two different sets corresponds to a second satellite gateway,
wherein the second computing device is programmed to implement a VLAN-based rate control, wherein implementing the VLAN-based rate control includes determining, from a look-up table, a processing rate associated with the VLAN tag and processing the VLAN packet according to the processing rate associated with the VLAN tag.

2. The satellite telecommunication system of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device is programmed to preserve the VLAN tag information by removing a VLAN header from the VLAN packet and saving the VLAN tag information included in the VLAN header.

3. The satellite telecommunication system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first computing device and the second computing device are programmed to prioritize network traffic according to the VLAN tag.

4. The satellite telecommunication system of claim 1 , wherein the VLAN tag is an original VLAN tag and wherein the second computing device is programmed to remap the original VLAN tag to a new VLAN tag.

5. The satellite telecommunication system of claim 4 , wherein remapping the original VLAN tag to a new VLAN tag includes determining the new VLAN tag for the original packet based at least in part on the original VLAN tag and encapsulating the original packet with the new VLAN tag.

6. The satellite telecommunication system of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device is programmed to share a cache between multiple VLANs.

7. The satellite telecommunication system of claim 6 , wherein the VLAN tag include a first VLAN tag and wherein sharing the cache between multiple VLANs includes receiving a DNS query associated with a first VLAN tag, storing a result of the DNS query associated with the first VLAN tag in the cache, and making the result available from the cache in response to a DNS query associated with a second VLAN tag.

8. The satellite telecommunication system of claim 6 , wherein the VLAN tag include a first VLAN tag and wherein sharing the cache between multiple VLANs includes receiving a request for web content associated with a first VLAN tag, storing a result of the request for web content associated with the first VLAN tag in the cache, and making the result available from the cache in response to a request for web content associated with a second VLAN tag.

9. The satellite telecommunication system of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device is programmed to provide virtual network operator VLAN provisioning.

10. The satellite telecommunication system of claim 9 , wherein providing virtual network operator VLAN provisioning includes identifying a service provider associated with the VLAN tag and transmitting the VLAN packet to the service provider associated with the VLAN tag.

11. The satellite telecommunication system of claim 1 , wherein implementing the VLAN-based rate control includes:
using a predictive learning process to predict satellite optimization gains; and
dynamically changing VLAN rates based on the predicted satellite optimization gains.

12. A method comprising:
receiving, at a computing device in a satellite network, a virtual local area network (VLAN) packet with a VLAN tag and an original packet;
determining VLAN tag information from the VLAN tag;
forwarding at least the original packet while preserving VLAN tag information associated with the VLAN tag;
implementing a VLAN-based rate control including:
determining a processing rate associated with the VLAN tag; and
processing the VLAN packet according to the processing rate associated with the VLAN tag;

preserving the VLAN tag information by removing a VLAN header from the VLAN packet, processing the VLAN packet after removing the VLAN header, and appending the VLAN header to the VLAN packet before transmitting the VLAN packet out of the satellite network,
wherein preserving the VLAN tag information further comprises:
remapping the VLAN tag information such that the remapped VLAN tag information includes at least two different sets of VLAN tag information, wherein a first set of the at least two different sets corresponds to a first satellite gateway and a second set of the at least two different sets corresponds to a second satellite gateway.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising prioritizing network traffic according to the VLAN tag.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the VLAN tag is an original VLAN tag and the method further comprising remapping the original VLAN tag to a new VLAN tag, wherein remapping the original VLAN tag to a new VLAN tag includes:
determining the new VLAN tag for the original packet based at least in part on the original VLAN tag; and
encapsulating the original packet with the new VLAN tag.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the VLAN tag includes a first VLAN tag, the method further comprising sharing a cache between multiple VLANs including:
receiving a DNS query associated with the first VLAN tag;
storing a result of the DNS query associated with the first VLAN tag in the cache; and
making the result available from the cache in response to a DNS query associated with a second VLAN tag.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the VLAN tag includes a first VLAN tag, the method further comprising sharing a cache between multiple VLANs including:
receiving a request for web content associated with a first VLAN tag;
storing a result of the request for web content associated with the first VLAN tag in the cache; and
making the result available from the cache in response to a request for web content associated with a second VLAN tag.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing virtual network operator VLAN provisioning by:
identifying a service provider associated with the VLAN tag; and
transmitting the VLAN packet to the service provider associated with the VLAN tag.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein implementing the VLAN-based rate control includes:
using a predictive learning process to predict satellite optimization gains; and
dynamically changing VLAN rates based on the predicted satellite optimization gains.

19. A satellite telecommunication system comprising:
a satellite;
a first computing device; and
a

Assignees

• Hughes Network Systems Llc

Inventors

• Roy Satyajit
• Choquette George

Classifications

• H04B7/18584 Primary

  Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control (data switching networks H04L12/00) · CPC title

• H04L12/4633

  Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling · CPC title

• H04L12/4645

  Details on frame tagging (routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354) · CPC title