Private network access point router for interconnecting among internet route providers

Abstract

An improvement to the Private Network Access Point (PNAP) packet switched network described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,081, where two customers connected to the same PNAP will exchange traffic through the PNAP without transiting over the backbones of the Internet. In addition, a multi-homed customer connected to the PNAP is provided with access to the PNAP optimized routing table so that the customer will also have the ability to know the best route for a particular destination. In this way, if a multi-homed customer connected to the PNAP is directly connected to a particular NSP to which a destination is also connected, the PNAP customer can use the PNAP information regarding the NSP to send the information to the destination through that commonly connected NSP in the most direct fashion.

1 . A packet-switched network, comprising: 
 a Private Network Access Point (PNAP) having a customer side and a service provider side;    at least a first customer and a second customer connected to the customer side of the PNAP;    at least one service provider connected to the service provider side of the PNAP; and    an interconnected network system accessible to said service provider and to said first and second customers;    wherein traffic between said first and second customers is exchanged through the PNAP without transiting over said service provider.    
   
   
       2 . A network as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the PNAP routing infrastructure within said PNAP contains a routing table listing all routes to all destinations in the network, along with a parameter indicating the degree of preference attached to each route of a set of identical routes from multiple sources.  
   
   
       3 . A network as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said PNAP routing infrastructure lists a direct connection between said first and second customers within said customer side of the PNAP, and wherein said PNAP routing infrastructure sets the level of preference higher for said direct connection than for any other routes between said first and second customers.  
   
   
       4 . A network as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said customers is connected to a service provider who is also connected to the service provider side of the PNAP so that said customer is multi-homed.  
   
   
       5 . A network as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said multi-homed customer is provided a routing table listing all routes to all destinations in the network, along with a community attribute denoting the preferred reachability of a given route over the customer non-PNAP connection.  
   
   
       6 . A network as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said multi-homed customer can utilize the ASimilater data received over the BGP feed from the PNAP and send traffic to a destination served by said service provider through said customer's connection to said service provider by using said routing table to set route preferences in a router maintained by said customer.  
   
   
       7 . A packet-switched network comprising: 
 a Private Network Access Point (PNAP) having a customer side and a service provider side;    at least a first customer and a second customer connected to the customer side of the PNAP;    a plurality of service providers connected to the service provider side of the PNAP; and    an interconnected network system accessible to said plurality of service providers and to said first and second customers;    wherein the PNAP routing infrastructure within said PNAP contains a routing table listing all routes to all destinations in the network, along with a parameter indicating the degree of preference attached to each route of a set of identical routes from multiple sources;    wherein said PNAP routing infrastructure lists a direct connection between said first and second customers within said customer side of the PNAP.    
   
   
       8 . A network as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said PNAP routing infrastructure sets the level of preference higher for said direct connection than for any other routes between said first and second customers.  
   
   
       9 . A network as recited in  claim 7 , wherein traffic between said first and second customers is exchanged through the PNAP without transiting over said service provider.  
   
   
       10 . A network as recited in  claim 7 , wherein at least one of said customers is connected to a service provider who is also connected to the service provider side of the PNAP so that said customer is multi-homed.  
   
   
       11 . A network as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said multi-homed customer is provided with said routing table listing all routes to all destinations in the network, along with a community attribute denoting the preferred reachability of a given route over the customer non-PNAP connection.  
   
   
       12 . A network as recited in  claim 11 , wherein said multi-homed customer can utilize the ASimilater data received over the BGP feed from the PNAP and send traffic to a destination served by said service provider through said customer's connection to said service provider by using said routing table to set route preferences in a router maintained by said customer.  
   
   
       13 . A method for exchanging traffic in a packet-switched network, comprising: 
 providing a Private Network Access Point (PNAP) having a customer side and a service provider side;    connecting at least a first customer and a second customer to the customer side of the PNAP;    connecting at least one service provider to the service provider side of the PNAP;    making an interconnected network system accessible to said service provider and to said first and second customers; and    causing traffic between said first and second customers to be exchanged through the PNAP without transiting over said service provider.    
   
   
       14 . A network as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the PNAP routing infrastructure within said PNAP contains a routing table listing all routes to all destinations in the network, along with a parameter indicating the degree of preference attached to each route of a set of identical routes from multiple sources.  
   
   
       15 . A network as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said PNAP routing infrastructure lists a direct connection between said first and second customers within said customer  
   
   
       16 . A method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said PNAP routing infrastructure sets the level of preference higher for said direct connection than for any other routes between said first and second customers.  
   
   
       17 . A network as recited in  claim 13 , wherein at least one of said customers is connected to a service provider who is also connected to the service provider side of the PNAP so that said customer is multi-homed.  
   
   
       18 . A network as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising providing said multi-homed customer with a routing table listing all routes to all destinations in the network, along with a community attribute denoting the preferred reachability of a given route over the customer non-PNAP connection.  
   
   
       19 . A network as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising allowing said multi-homed customer to utilize ASimilater data received over the BGP feed from the PNAP and send traffic to a destination served by said service provider through said customer's connection to said service provider by using said routing table to set route preferences in a router maintained by said customer.  
   
   
       20 . A method for exchanging traffic in a packet-switched network, comprising: 
 providing a Private Network Access Point (PNAP) having a customer side and a service provider side;    connecting at least a first customer and a second customer to the customer side of the PNAP;    connecting at least one service provider to the service provider side of the PNAP; and    making an interconnected network system accessible to said service provider and to said first and second customers;    wherein the PNAP routing infrastructure within said PNAP contains a routing table listing all routes to all destinations in the network, along with a parameter indicating the degree of preference attached to each route of a set of identical routes from multiple sources;    wherein said PNAP routing infrastructure lists a direct connection between said first and second customers within said customer side of the PNAP.    
   
   
       21 . A method as recited in  claim 20 , further comprising causing traffic between said first and second customers to be exchanged through the PNAP without transiting over said service provider.  
   
   
       22 . A method as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said PNAP routing infrastructure sets the level of preference higher for said direct connection than for any other routes between said first and second customers.  
   
   
       23 . A method as recited in  claim 20 , wherein at least one of said customers is connected to a service provider who is also connected to the service provider side of the PNAP so that said customer is multi-homed.  
   
   
       24 . A method as recited in  claim 23 , further comprising providing said multi-homed customer with said routing table listing all routes to all destinations in the network, along with a community attribute denoting the preferred reachability of a given route over the customer non-PNAP connection.  
   
   
       25 . A method as recited in  claim 24 , further comprising allowing said multi-homed customer to utilize ASimilater data received over the BGP feed from the PNAP and send traffic to a destination served by said service provider through said customer's connection to said service provider by using said routing table to set route preferences in a router maintained by said customer.  
   
   
       26 . A packet-switched network comprising: 
 a Private Network Access Point (PNAP) having a customer side and a service provider side;    at least one customer connected to the customer side of the PNAP;    at least one service provider connected to the service provider side of the PNAP; and    an interconnected network system accessible to said service provider and to said customer;    wherein said customer is connected to a service provider who is also connected to the service provider side of the PNAP so that said customer is multi-homed;    wherein said multi-homed customer is provided a routing table listing all routes to all destinations in the network, along with a community attribute denoting the preferred reachability of a given route over the customer non-PNAP connection; and    wherein said multi-homed customer can utilize the ASimilator data received over the BGP feed from the PNAP and send traffic to a destination served by said service provider through said customer's connection to said service provider by using said routing table to set route preferences in a router maintained by said customer.    
   
   
       27 . A packet-switched method for exchanging traffic in a packet-switched network, comprising: 
 providing a Private Network Access Point (PNAP) having a customer side and a service provider side;    connecting at least one customer to the customer side of the PNAP;    connecting at least one service provider to the service provider side of the PNAP;    making an interconnected network system accessible to said service provider and to said customer;    wherein said customer is connected to a service provider who is also connected to the service provider side of the PNAP so that said customer is multi-homed;    providing said multi-homed customer a routing table listing all routes to all destinations in the network, along with a community attribute denoting the preferred reachability of a given route over the customer non-PNAP connection; and    allowing said multi-homed customer to utilize the ASimilator data received over the BGP feed from the PNAP and send traffic to a destination served by said service provider through said customer's connection to said service provider by using said routing table to set route preferences in a router maintained by said customer.