Bidirectional multicasting over virtual port channel

• US 10,333,828 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bacthu, Nataraj, Sivaramu, Raghava, Ramabadran, Srinivasan, Tang, Terry Fangcheng, Dontuboyina, Lenin Babu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Chi Ho A
• Application Number:
  US15/216,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20170346721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/70 Routing based on monitoring results
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/201 Multicast operation; Broadcast operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/354 for supporting virtual local area networks [VLAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems for arbitrating direct forwarder (“DF”) instantiation between VPC peers used to facilitating the transport of bidirectional multicast traffic over a L2/L3 network boundary. In some aspects, arbitration of DF instantiation on a given VPC peer can include determining a first set of metrics for a first VPC switch, determining a second set of metrics for a second VPC switch, and determining, at the first VPC switch, whether to instantiate a designated forwarder (DF) operation based on a comparison of the first set of metrics and the second set of metrics. Methods and machine-readable media are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for transporting bidirectional multicast traffic over a virtual port channel (VPC), comprising:

determining a first set of metrics for a first VPC switch;

determining a second set of metrics for a second VPC switch;

sending the first set of metrics from the first VPC switch to the second VPC switch;

receiving, at the first VPC switch, the second set of metrics for the second VPC switch; and

determining, at the first VPC switch, whether to instantiate a designated forwarder (DF) operation based on the first set of metrics and the received second set of metrics indicating the first VPC switch provides a more efficient network route to a rendezvous point (RP) than the second VPC switch;

receiving, at the second VPC switch, the first set of metrics for the second VPC switch; and

determining, at the second VPC switch, whether to instantiate a designated forwarder (DF) operation based on the received first set of metrics and the second set of metrics indicating the second VPC switch provides a more efficient network route to a rendezvous point (RP) than the first VPC switch;

wherein the first and second VPC switches self-determine whether or not they will be a direct forwarder.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein instantiation of DF operation at the first VPC prevents the second VPC switch from forwarding traffic toward a rendezvous point in a layer 3 network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first VPC switch and the second VPC switch are configured to provide a virtual port channel link with a layer 2 network.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first VPC switch and the second VPC switch are communicatively coupled with a rendezvous point (RP) in a layer 3 network.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first VPC switch and the second VPC switch form a boundary between a layer 2 network and a layer 3 network.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to instantiate a DF operation further comprises:

comparing the first set of metrics with the second set of metrics to determine if the first VPC switch provides a more efficient network route to a rendezvous point (RP) than the second VPC switch, and

wherein the first set of metrics and the second set of metrics comprise unicast metrics.

7. A system for transporting bidirectional multicast traffic over a virtual port channel (VPC), comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

determining a first set of metrics for a first VPC switch;

determining a second set of metrics for a second VPC switch;

sending the first set of metrics from the first VPC switch to the second VPC switch;

receiving, at the first VPC switch, the second set of metrics for the second VPC switch; and

determining, at the first VPC switch, whether to instantiate a designated forwarder (DF) operation based on the first set of metrics and the received second set of metrics indicating the first VPC switch provides a more efficient network route to a rendezvous point (RP) than the second VPC switch;

receiving, at the second VPC switch, the first set of metrics for the second VPC switch; and

determining, at the second VPC switch, whether to instantiate a designated forwarder (DF) operation based on the received first set of metrics and the second set of metrics indicating the second VPC switch provides a more efficient network route to a rendezvous point (RP) than the first VPC switch;

wherein the first and second VPC switches self-determine whether or not they will be a direct forwarder.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein instantiation of DF operation at the first VPC prevents the second VPC switch from forwarding traffic toward a rendezvous point in a layer 3 network.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first VPC switch and the second VPC switch are configured to provide a virtual port channel link with a layer 2 network.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first VPC switch and the second VPC switch are communicatively coupled with a rendezvous point (RP) in a layer 3 network.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first VPC switch and the second VPC switch form a boundary between a layer 2 network and a layer 3 network.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein determining whether to instantiate a DF operation further comprises:

comparing the first set of metrics with the second set of metrics to determine if the first VPC switch provides a more efficient network route to a rendezvous point (RP) than the second VPC switch, and

wherein the first set of metrics and the second set of metrics comprise unicast metrics.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a first set of metrics for a first VPC switch;

determining a second set of metrics for a second VPC switch;

sending the first set of metrics from the first VPC switch to the second VPC switch;

receiving, at the first VPC switch, the second set of metrics for the second VPC switch; and

determining, at the first VPC switch, whether to instantiate a designated forwarder (DF) operation based on the first set of metrics and the received second set of metrics indicating the first VPC switch provides a more efficient network route to a rendezvous point (RP) than the second VPC switch;

receiving, at the second VPC switch, the first set of metrics for the second VPC switch; and

determining, at the second VPC switch, whether to instantiate a designated forwarder (DF) operation based on the received first set of metrics and the second set of metrics indicating the second VPC switch provides a more efficient network route to a rendezvous point (RP) than the first VPC switch;

wherein the first and second VPC switches self-determine whether or not they will be a direct forwarder.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein instantiation of DF operation at the first VPC prevents the second VPC switch from forwarding traffic toward a rendezvous point in a layer 3 network.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first VPC switch and the second VPC switch are configured to provide a virtual port channel link with a layer 2 network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first VPC switch and the second VPC switch form a boundary between a layer 2 network and a layer 3 network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein determining whether to instantiate a DF operation further comprises:

comparing the first set of metrics with the second set of metrics to determine if the first VPC switch provides a more efficient network route to a rendezvous point (RP) than the second VPC switch, and

wherein the first set of metrics and the second set of metrics comprise unicast metrics.