System and method for providing smart grid communications and management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9160552-B2
Application number	US-201414168487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 5, 2010
Publication date	Oct 13, 2015
Grant date	Oct 13, 2015

Abstract

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a request for a service that involves phasor measurement unit (PMU) data; identifying a service device in a network to perform the service; and multicasting one or more results of the service to a group of subscribers identified by a multicast group address. In more particular embodiments, particular PMU data is redirected to the service device via a service insertion architecture (SIA) protocol. In addition, the service can include replicating packets and masking a subset of traffic for forwarding to a first hop router of the network. In certain example instances, metadata is used in order to apply the service to certain traffic propagating in the network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
determining a service to be performed on phasor measurement unit (PMU) data;
identifying a subscriber to receive one or more results of the service;
determining whether the subscriber is part of a multicast group to receive the one or more results of the service;
provisioning a service device in a network to perform the service, wherein if the subscriber is not part of a multicast group, provisioning the service device near the subscriber and if the subscriber is part of a multicast group, provisioning the service device near the multicast group; and
communicating the one or more results of the service to at least one of the subscriber and the multicast group.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the subscriber is part of a multicast group, the method further comprises:
creating a multicast tree that incorporates the multicast group and a service device near the multicast group.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein particular PMU data is redirected to the service device via a service insertion architecture (SIA) protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service includes replicating packets and masking a subset of traffic for forwarding to a first hop router of the network.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service is a phasor data concentration service.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein metadata is used to apply the service to certain traffic propagating in the network.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service device is a provisioned at a last-hop router near one of the subscriber or the multicast group.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service device is located outside of another network that contains a network element that generated the PMU data.

9. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory media that includes code for execution that when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations, comprising:
determining a service to be performed on phasor measurement unit (PMU) data;
identifying a subscriber to receive one or more results of the service;
determining whether the subscriber is part of a multicast group to receive the one or more results of the service;
provisioning a service device in a network to perform the service, wherein if the subscriber is not part of a multicast group, provisioning the service device near the subscriber and if the subscriber is part of a multicast group, provisioning the service device near the multicast group; and
communicating the one or more results of the service to at least one of the subscriber and the multicast group.

10. The logic of claim 9 , wherein if the subscriber is part of a multicast group, the operations further comprise:
creating a multicast tree that incorporates the multicast group and a service device near the multicast group.

11. The logic of claim 9 , wherein particular PMU data is redirected to the service device via a service insertion architecture (SIA) protocol.

12. The logic of claim 9 , wherein the service includes replicating packets and masking a subset of traffic for forwarding to a first hop router of the network.

13. The logic of claim 9 , wherein the service is a phasor data concentration service.

14. The logic of claim 9 , wherein the service device is provisioned at a last-hop router near one of the subscriber or the multicast group.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory element configured to store data;
a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data, wherein the apparatus is configured for:
determining a service to be performed on phasor measurement unit (PMU) data;
identifying a subscriber to receive one or more results of the service;
determining whether the subscriber is part of a multicast group to receive the one or more results of the service;
provisioning a service device in a network to perform the service, wherein if the subscriber is not part of a multicast group, provisioning the service device near the subscriber and if the subscriber is part of a multicast group, provisioning the service device near the multicast group; and
communicating the one or more results of the service to at least one of the subscriber and the multicast group.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein if the subscriber is part of a multicast group, the apparatus is further configured for:
creating a multicast tree that incorporates the multicast group and a service device near the multicast group.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the service includes replicating packets and masking a subset of traffic for forwarding to a first hop router of the network.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the service is a phasor data concentration service.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , particular PMU data is redirected to the service device via a service insertion architecture (SIA) protocol.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein metadata is used to apply the service to certain traffic propagating in the network.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Taft Jeffrey D
• Yadav Navindra

Classifications

• H04L49/15

  Interconnection of switching modules · CPC title

• H04L49/35

  Switches specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• H04L45/16

  Multipoint routing · CPC title

• H04L12/1836 Primary

  with heterogeneous network architecture · CPC title

• H04L12/185 Primary

  with management of multicast group membership · CPC title