Automatic traffic mapping for multi-protocol label switching networks
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- executing, by a network device, a multiprotocol label switching protocol to direct a plurality of routers along a path to establish a label switched path along the path, the plurality of routers including a head-end label edge router that acts as an ingress to admit traffic into the label switched path and a tail-end label edge router that acts as an egress from the label switched path;
executing, by the network device, a path computation element communication protocol to generate a communication associating a label switched path community with the established label switched path;
transmitting, by the network device, in accordance with the path computation element communication protocol, and after the label switched path has been established to use one or more labels when admitting traffic into the label switched path, the communication to the head-end label edge router;
identifying, by the network device and based on traffic mapping rules, a mapping between a layer three network flow and the label switched path community;
executing, by the network device, a routing protocol used for routing advertising information to generate an advertisement advertising the mapping; and
transmitting, by the network device and in accordance with the routing protocol, the advertisement to the head-end label edge router so that the head-end label edge router is able to map the layer three network flow to the label switched path identified by the label switched path community and admit traffic corresponding to the layer three network flow into the label switched path identified by the label switched path community, and the layer three network flow identified in the advertisement by one or more of a destination address, a destination port, a source address, a source port, and a protocol.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In general, techniques are described for automated traffic mapping for multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) networks. A network device comprising a processor and an interface card may perform the techniques. The processor may generate an advertisement that conforms to a routing protocol. The advertisement may advertise a mapping between a network flow and a label switched path (LSP) tag. The processor may also generate a communication associating the label switched path tag with an LSP. The interface card may transmit the advertisement to a head-end label edge router that admits traffic into the LSP identified by the LSP tag. The interface card may also transmit the communication to the label edge router such that the label edge router is able to process the communication in conjunction with the advertisement to map the network flow to the LSP identified by the LSP tag.
80 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
executing, by a network device, a multiprotocol label switching protocol to direct a plurality of routers along a path to establish a label switched path along the path, the plurality of routers including a head-end label edge router that acts as an ingress to admit traffic into the label switched path and a tail-end label edge router that acts as an egress from the label switched path; executing, by the network device, a path computation element communication protocol to generate a communication associating a label switched path community with the established label switched path; transmitting, by the network device, in accordance with the path computation element communication protocol, and after the label switched path has been established to use one or more labels when admitting traffic into the label switched path, the communication to the head-end label edge router; identifying, by the network device and based on traffic mapping rules, a mapping between a layer three network flow and the label switched path community; executing, by the network device, a routing protocol used for routing advertising information to generate an advertisement advertising the mapping; and transmitting, by the network device and in accordance with the routing protocol, the advertisement to the head-end label edge router so that the head-end label edge router is able to map the layer three network flow to the label switched path identified by the label switched path community and admit traffic corresponding to the layer three network flow into the label switched path identified by the label switched path community, and the layer three network flow identified in the advertisement by one or more of a destination address, a destination port, a source address, a source port, and a protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A network device comprising:
-
one or more processors configured to; execute a multiprotocol label switching protocol to direct a plurality of routers along a path to establish a label switched path along the path, the plurality of routers including a head-end label edge router that acts as an ingress to admit traffic into the label switched path and a tail-end label edge router that acts as an egress from the label switched path; execute a path computation element communication protocol, to generate, a communication associating a label switched path community with the established label switched path; identify, based on traffic mapping rules, a mapping between a layer three network flow and the label switched path community; and execute a routing protocol used for routing advertising information to generate an advertisement advertising the mapping; and an interface card configured to; transmit, in accordance with the path computation element communication protocol and after the label switched path has been established to use one or more labels when admitting traffic into the label switched path, the communication to the head-end label edge router; and transmit, in accordance with the routing protocol used for advertising routing information and after the label switched path has been established to use one or more labels when admitting traffic into the label switched path, the advertisement to the head-end label edge router so that the head-end label edge router is able to map the layer three network flow to the label switched path identified by the label switched path community and admit traffic corresponding to the layer three network flow into the label switched path identified by the label switched path community, and the layer three network flow identified in the advertisement by one or more of a destination address, a destination port, a source address, a source port, and a protocol. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method comprising:
-
receiving, with a head-end label edge router that acts as in ingress to admit network traffic to a label switched path that has been established from the head-end label edge router to a tail-end label edge router in accordance with a multi-protocol label switching protocol to use one or more labels to transmit traffic along the label switched path and in accordance with a path computation element communication protocol, a communication associating a label switched path community with the established label switched path; receiving, with the head-end label edge router and in accordance with a routing protocol used for advertising routing information, a routing advertisement advertising a mapping between a layer three network flow and the label switched path community, the layer three network flow identified in the routing advertisement by one or more of a destination address, a destination port, a source address, a source port, and a protocol; processing, with the head-end label edge router, the communication and the routing advertisement to map the layer three network flow to the label switched path identified by the label switched path community; and processing, with the head-end label edge router, network traffic corresponding to the layer three network flow to admit the network traffic corresponding to the layer three network flow into the label switched path identified by the label switched path community. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A head-end label edge router configured to admit network traffic to a label switched path, the label edge router comprising:
-
an interface card configured to receive, after the label switched path has been established from the head-end label edge router to a tail-end label edge router in accordance with a multi-protocol label switching protocol to use one or more labels to admit traffic into the label switched path and in accordance with a path computation element communication protocol, a communication associating a label switched path community with the label switched path, and receive, in accordance with a routing protocol used for advertising routing information, a routing advertisement advertising a mapping between a layer three network flow and the label switched path community, the layer three network flow identified in the routing advertisement by one or more of a destination address, a destination port, a source address, a source port, and a protocol; and a control unit configured to process the communication and the advertisement to map the layer three network flow to the label switched path identified by the label switched path community, and process network traffic corresponding to the layer three network flow to admit the network traffic corresponding to the layer three network flow into the label switched path identified by the label switched path community. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification