Techniques for using first sign of life at edge nodes for a virtual private network

• US 20060187856A1
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Luo, Wei, Townsley, William Mark, Booth, Earl Hardin III, Wilkie, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing a signal on an intermediate network node at an edge of a provider packet-switched network to support a link-layer virtual private network includes receiving a signal on a particular interface. The particular interface is for a direct communication link to a customer network node outside the provider network. It is determined whether the signal indicates that the particular interface is changing from an inactive state to an active state, whereby the signal is called first sign of life (FSOL). If it is determined that the signal is FSOL, then configuration data is determined for configuring the particular interface for the particular virtual private network. The signal is processed based on the configuration data. These techniques allow a dynamic response to new signals on a customer interface without human intervention by the provider.

Claims

1. A method for processing a signal on a network interface on an intermediate network node at an edge of a provider network to support a virtual private network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal on a particular interface of a particular node at an edge of a provider network;

determining whether the signal indicates that the particular interface is changing from an inactive state to an active state, whereby the signal is called a first sign of life (FSOL);

if it is determined that the signal is a FSOL, then determining configuration data for configuring the particular interface for a particular virtual private network over the provider network; and

processing the signal based on the configuration data,

wherein

the provider network is a packet-switched network;

the particular virtual private network is a link layer virtual private network; and

the particular interface is for a direct communication link to a customer network node outside the provider network.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said step of determining configuration data for configuring the particular interface for the particular virtual private network further comprises the steps of

sending, to a first server on a first host computer of the provider network, interface identification data that uniquely indicates the particular interface, and

in response to sending the interface identification data, receiving configuration data from a second server on a second host computer of the provider network; and

the particular node is different from the first host and the second host.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first server on the first host is the same as the second server on the second host.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, said step of processing the signal based on the configuration data further comprising the step of configuring the particular interface for the virtual private network based on the configuration data without human intervention.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, said step of processing the signal based on the configuration data further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the signal is consistent with the configuration data; and

if it is determined that the signal is not consistent with the configuration data, then causing a message to be sent to a customer associated with the customer network node that notifies the customer that a signal was attempted that is not consistent with subscribed service.

6. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising receiving data at the particular node that indicates an address on the provider network for the first server.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the particular interface is a virtual circuit of a plurality of virtual circuits on the same physical circuit.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the particular interface is a physical circuit.

9. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first server is a Remote Access Dial-In Service (RADIUS) Server and the second server is the RADIUS server.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, said step of determining whether the signal is a FSOL further comprising determining whether the signal is a control plane data packet sent to establish a switched virtual circuit.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, said step of determining whether the signal is a FSOL further comprising determining whether the signal is an initial data plane data packet sent over a permanent virtual circuit.

12. An apparatus for processing a signal on a network interface on an intermediate network node at an edge of a provider network to support a virtual private network, comprising:

means for receiving a signal on a particular interface of a particular node at an edge of a provider network;

means for determining whether the signal indicates that the particular interface is changing from an inactive state to an active state, whereby the signal is called a first sign of life (FSOL);

means for determining configuration data for configuring the particular interface for a particular virtual private network over the provider network, if it is determined that the signal is a FSOL; and

means for processing the signal based on the configuration data,

wherein

the provider network is a packet-switched network;

the particular virtual private network is a link layer virtual private network; and

the particular interface is for a direct communication link to a customer network node outside the provider network.

13. An apparatus for configuring a network interface on an intermediate network node at an edge of a provider network to support a virtual private network, comprising:

a provider network interface that is coupled to a provider network for communicating therewith a data packet;

a customer network interface that is coupled to customer premises equipment outside the provider network for communicating therewith a data packet;

one or more processors;

a computer-readable medium; and

one or more sequences of instructions stored in the computer-readable medium, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of;

receiving a signal on the customer network interface;

determining whether the signal indicates that a particular interface on the customer network interface is changing from an inactive state to an active state, whereby the signal is called a first sign of life (FSOL);

if it is determined that the signal is a FSOL, then determining configuration data for configuring the particular interface for a particular virtual private network over the provider network; and

processing the signal based on the configuration data,

wherein

the provider network is a packet-switched network;

the particular virtual private network is a link layer virtual private network; and

the particular interface is for a direct communication link to a customer network node outside the provider network.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein:

said step of determining configuration data for configuring the particular interface for the particular virtual private network further comprises the steps of

sending, to a first server on a first host computer of the provider network, interface identification data that uniquely indicates the particular interface, and

in response to sending the interface identification data, receiving configuration data from a second server on a second host computer of the provider network; and

the particular node is different from the first host and the second host.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein the first server on the first host is the same as the second server on the second host.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, said step of processing the signal based on the configuration data further comprising the step of configuring the particular interface for the virtual private network based on the configuration data without human intervention.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, said step of processing the signal based on the configuration data further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the signal is consistent with the configuration data; and

if it is determined that the signal is not consistent with the configuration data, then causing a message to be sent to a customer associated with the customer network node that notifies the customer that a signal was attempted that is not consistent with subscribed service.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of receiving data at the particular node that indicates an address on the provider network for the first server.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the particular interface is a virtual circuit of a plurality of virtual circuits on the same physical circuit.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the particular interface is a physical circuit.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein the first server is a Remote Access Dial-In Service (RADIUS) Server and the second server is the RADIUS server.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, said step of determining whether the signal is a FSOL further comprising determining whether the signal is a control plane data packet sent to establish a switched virtual circuit.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, said step of determining whether the signal is a FSOL further comprising determining whether the signal is an initial data plane data packet sent over a permanent virtual circuit.