Path computation element protocol response and simple network management protocol confirmation for tunnel configuration

• US 10,511,544 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Heng, Zhang, Leah
• Primary Examiner(s): Chau, Peter P
• Application Number:
  US15/358,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20180145929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/021 Ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/52 Multiprotocol routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/825 Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS

Abstract

Devices, computer-readable media and methods are disclosed for managing path utilizations for telecommunication network tunnels. For example, a processor deployed in a telecommunication network may receive a request from a router of the telecommunication network for a tunnel to a destination in the telecommunication network, send a response to the router that includes at least one path comprising the tunnel through the telecommunication network to the destination, receive a trap message from the router that includes a confirmation that the at least one path is utilized by the router, and update at least one record for the at least one path in response to the trap message, where the at least one record indicates a status of a utilization of the at least one path.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor deployed in a telecommunication network; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a request from a router of the telecommunication network for a tunnel to a destination in the telecommunication network;

sending a response to the router, wherein the response includes at least one path comprising the tunnel through the telecommunication network to the destination;

receiving a trap message from the router, wherein the trap message includes a confirmation that the at least one path is deployed and is in use in routing of traffic by the router; and

updating, responsive to the confirmation, at least one record for the at least one path in response to the trap message, wherein the updating comprises updating a status of a utilization of the at least one path in the at least one record.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

changing the status of the utilization of the at least one path in the at least one record to a pending status when the response is sent to the router.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the updating of the at least one record comprises changing the status of the utilization of the at least one path in the at least one record to a confirmed status, in response to the receiving the trap message that includes the confirmation that the at least one path is deployed and is in use in routing of traffic by the router.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating the tunnel in response to the receiving the request from the router.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the tunnel comprises a traffic engineering tunnel.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the trap message comprises a simple network management protocol trap message.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a processor of a path computation element.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a path computation element protocol request message.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the response comprises a path computation element protocol response message.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the router comprises a path computation client.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the tunnel comprises a label switched path.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the router comprises a label switched router.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the router comprises a head router of the tunnel.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the router deploys the tunnel via a resource reservation protocol for traffic engineering message to at least one additional router of the telecommunication network.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the telecommunication network comprises a multiprotocol label switching network.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor deployed in a telecommunication network, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a request from a router of the telecommunication network for a tunnel to a destination in the telecommunication network;

sending a response to the router, wherein the response includes at least one path comprising the tunnel through the telecommunication network to the destination;

receiving a trap message from the router, wherein the trap message includes a confirmation that the at least one path is deployed and is in use in routing of traffic by the router; and

updating, responsive to the confirmation, at least one record for the at least one path in response to the trap message, wherein the updating comprises updating a status of a utilization of the at least one path in the at least one record.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

changing the status of the utilization of the at least one path in the at least one record to a pending status when the response is sent to the router.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the updating of the at least one record comprises changing the status of the utilization of the at least one path in the at least one record to a confirmed status, in response to receiving the trap message that includes the confirmation that the at least one path is deployed and is in use in routing of traffic by the router.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

calculating the tunnel in response to the receiving the request from the router.

20. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor deployed in a telecommunication network, a request from a router of the telecommunication network for a tunnel to a destination in the telecommunication network;

sending, by the processor, a response to the router, wherein the response includes at least one path comprising the tunnel through the telecommunication network to the destination;

receiving, by the processor, a trap message from the router, wherein the trap message includes a confirmation that the at least one path is deployed and is in use in routing of traffic by the router; and

updating, by the processor and responsive to the confirmation, at least one record for the at least one path in response to the trap message, wherein the updating comprises updating a status of a utilization of the at least one path in the at least one record.