Managing traffic in a multiport network node using logical ports

• US 20040017816A1
• Filed: 06/04/2003
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Mehta, Apurva, Subbiah, Rajagopalan, Ishwar, Prashanth, Gaonkar, Ajay
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.53
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/467 Arrangements for supporting untagged frames, e.g. port-based VLANs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]

Abstract

A technique for implementing VLANs across a service provider network involves establishing logical ports that have bindings to transport tunnels. The logical ports are then treated the same as physical ports in defining broadcast domains at particular service provider edge devices. Logical ports can be established for Layer 2 transport tunnels that use stacked VLAN tunneling and MPLS tunneling. Establishing a logical port that uses stacked VLAN tunneling involves binding a physical port and a stacked VLAN tunnel to the logical port. Establishing a logical port that uses MPLS tunneling involves binding an MPLS tunnel to a logical port. In one embodiment, the logical port is bound to a static MPLS tunnel and in another embodiment, the logical port is bound to a dynamic MPLS tunnel and the destination IP address of the destination service provider edge device.

Claims

1. A method for managing virtual local area network (VLAN) traffic in a network node comprising:

establishing a logical port within a network node that includes a binding to a tunnel;

associating said logical port with a VLAN;

receiving traffic at said network node that is associated with said VLAN; and

forwarding said traffic out of said network node using said logical port.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding said traffic out said network node using said logical port includes transmitting said traffic in said tunnel that is bound to said logical port.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said VLAN is associated with a broadcast domain that includes said logical port.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing said logical port includes binding said logical port to a physical port and a stacked VLAN tunnel.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein forwarding said traffic out said network node using said logical port includes transmitting said traffic out said physical port in said stacked VLAN tunnel.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein binding said logical port to said stacked VLAN tunnel includes identifying a VLAN ID that is to be added to outgoing packets.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein transmitting said traffic out said physical port in said stacked VLAN tunnel includes encapsulating said traffic with a header that includes said VLAN ID.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said VLAN ID and said header that includes said VLAN ID conform to the IEEE 802.1 Q standard.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing said logical port includes binding said logical port to a multiprotocol label switched (MPLS) tunnel.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein forwarding said traffic out said logical port includes transmitting said traffic in said MPLS tunnel.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said MPLS tunnel is associated with a label switch path.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing said logical port includes binding said logical port to an MPLS tunnel and a destination IP address.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein forwarding said traffic out said logical port includes transmitting said traffic in said MPLS tunnel to said destination IP address.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said MPLS tunnel is associated with a label switch path.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing said logical port includes binding said logical port to a physical port and a stacked VLAN tunnel.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein forwarding said traffic using said tunnel includes forwarding said traffic out said physical port in said stacked VLAN tunnel.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein binding said logical port to said stacked VLAN tunnel includes identifying a VLAN ID that is to be added to outgoing packets.

15. A system for managing virtual local area network (VLAN) traffic in a network node comprising:

means for;

establishing a logical port within a network node that includes a binding to a tunnel;

associating said logical port with a VLAN; and

forwarding VLAN traffic out of said network node using said logical port.

16. The system method of claim 15 wherein said means for forwarding said traffic out said network node using said logical port includes means for transmitting said traffic in said tunnel.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said means for establishing said logical port includes means for binding said logical port to a physical port and a stacked VLAN tunnel.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said means for forwarding said traffic out said network node using said logical port includes means for transmitting said traffic out said physical port in said stacked VLAN tunnel.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said means for binding said logical port to said stacked VLAN tunnel includes identifying a VLAN ID that is to be added to outgoing packets.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said means for transmitting said traffic out said physical port in said stacked VLAN tunnel includes means for encapsulating said traffic with a header that includes said VLAN ID.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said VLAN ID and said header that includes said VLAN ID conform to the IEEE 802.1 Q standard.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein said means for establishing said logical port includes means for binding said logical port to a multi-protocol label switched (MPLS) tunnel.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said means for forwarding said traffic out said logical port includes means for transmitting said traffic in said MPLS tunnel.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein said means for establishing said logical port includes means for binding said logical port to a multi-protocol label switched (MPLS) tunnel and a destination IP address.

25. A method for managing virtual local area network (VLAN) traffic in a network node comprising:

establishing a logical port within a network node that includes a binding to a second network node via a tunnel;

associating said logical port with a VLAN;

receiving traffic at said network node that is related to said VLAN;

in response to receiving said traffic, identifying said logical port from said logical port and VLAN association;

using said logical port to identify said tunnel; and

forwarding said traffic to said second network node using said tunnel.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein establishing said logical port includes binding said logical port to a multiprotocol label switched (MPLS) tunnel.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein establishing said logical port includes binding said logical port to a multi-protocol label switched (MPLS) tunnel and a destination IP address.

31. A method for managing traffic in a network node that includes multiple physical ports comprising:

establishing a logical port within a network node that includes a binding to a tunnel; and

treating the logical port the same as the physical ports of the network node in the forwarding of traffic through the network node.