Methods, systems, and computer program products for pushing and/or popping multiple multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) labels/shim headers at a single node

• US 20060007931A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rembert, James William, Wright, Steven Allen, Anschutz, Thomas Arnold, Vernon, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,149,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC

Abstract

A multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) packet is processed by modifying the packet so as to push or pop a plurality of MPLS shim headers at a network node. An MPLS network is operated by pushing a plurality of MPLS shim headers onto a packet at network node. The packet is replicated to obtain a plurality of packets for transmission on a plurality of paths associated with a plurality of nodes, respectively. At least one MPLS shim header is popped from respective ones of the plurality of packets. The one or more MPLS shim headers that are popped correspond to at least one of the plurality of nodes that is not associated with one of the plurality of paths for which one of the plurality of packets comprising the one or more MPLS shim headers is destined for transmission. The plurality of packets is-then transmitted on the plurality of paths, respectively.

Claims

1. A method of processing a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) packet, comprising:

modifying the packet by pushing or popping a plurality of MPLS shim headers at a network node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the MPLS shim headers comprises a non-routing instruction.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a packet communication context for the packet, the context comprising an uncompressed version of the plurality of MPLS shim headers;

compressing the plurality of MPLS shim headers; and

wherein modifying the packet comprises modifying the packet by pushing or popping a plurality of compressed MPLS shim headers at the network node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein compressing the plurality of MPLS shim headers comprises replacing static information in the plurality of MPLS shim headers with a context identification field that identifies the context.

5. A method of operating a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network, comprising:

pushing a plurality of MPLS shim headers onto a packet at a node;

replicating the packet to obtain a plurality of packets for transmission on a plurality of paths associated with a plurality of nodes, respectively;

popping at least one MPLS shim header from respective ones of the plurality of packets, the at least one MPLS shim header corresponding to at least one of the plurality of nodes that is not associated with one of the plurality of paths for which one of the plurality of packets comprising the at least one MPLS shim header is destined for transmission;

then

transmitting the plurality of packets on the plurality of paths, respectively.

6. A system for processing a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) packet, comprising:

means for obtaining a packet; and

means for modifying the packet by pushing or popping a plurality of MPLS shim headers at a network node.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the MPLS shim headers comprises a non-routing instruction.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

means for establishing a packet communication context for the packet, the context comprising an uncompressed version of the plurality of MPLS shim headers;

means for compressing the plurality of MPLS shim headers; and

wherein the means for modifying the packet comprises means for modifying the packet by pushing or popping a plurality of compressed MPLS shim headers at the network node.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for compressing the plurality of MPLS shim headers comprises means for replacing static information in the plurality of MPLS shim headers with a context identification field that identifies the context.

10. A system for operating a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network, comprising:

means for pushing a plurality of MPLS shim headers onto a packet at a node;

means for replicating the packet to obtain a plurality of packets for transmission on a plurality of paths associated with a plurality of nodes, respectively;

means for popping at least one MPLS shim header from respective ones of the plurality of packets, the at least one MPLS shim header corresponding to at least one of the plurality of nodes that is not associated with one of the plurality of paths for which one of the plurality of packets comprising the at least one MPLS shim header is destined for transmission; and

means for transmitting the plurality of packets on the plurality of paths, respectively.

11. A computer program product for processing a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) packet, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to obtain a packet; and

computer readable program code configured to modify the packet by pushing or popping a plurality of MPLS shim headers at a network node.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein at least one of the MPLS shim headers comprises a non-routing instruction.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to establish a packet communication context for the packet, the context comprising an uncompressed version of the plurality of MPLS shim headers;

computer readable program code configured to compress the plurality of MPLS shim headers; and

wherein the computer readable program code configured to modify the packet comprises computer readable program code configured to modify the packet by pushing or popping a plurality of compressed MPLS shim headers at the network node.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program code configured to compress the plurality of MPLS shim headers comprises computer readable program code configured to replace static information in the plurality of MPLS shim headers with a context identification field that identifies the context.

15. A computer program product for operating a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to push a plurality of MPLS shim headers onto a packet at a node;

computer readable program code configured to replicate the packet to obtain a plurality of packets for transmission on a plurality of paths associated with a plurality of nodes, respectively;

computer readable program code configured to pop at least one MPLS shim header from respective ones of the plurality of packets, the at least one MPLS shim header corresponding to at least one of the plurality of nodes that is not associated with one of the plurality of paths for which one of the plurality of packets comprising the at least one MPLS shim header is destined for transmission; and

computer readable program code configured to transmit the plurality of packets on the plurality of paths, respectively.