Border Gateway Protocol Extended Community Attribute for Layer-2 and Layer-3 Virtual Private Networks

• US 20120008630A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Ould-Brahim, Hamid
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4662 wherein a VLAN tag represents a service instance, e.g. I-SID in PBB
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/033 by updating distance vector protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/66 Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's

Abstract

Described are a network, computer program product, and method of distributing routing information for a virtual private network (VPN) application through a packet-switched network (PSN) having fully meshed provider edge (PE) routers through Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnels. A PE router is configured to participate in a VPN and to run a BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) as an auto-discovery process for finding one or more other PE routers participating in the VPN. The VPN is associated with a PBB tunnel. A service instance identifier (I-SID) is assigned to the VPN. The PE router advertises membership in the VPN by including the I-SID assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery process.

Claims

1. A method of distributing routing information for a virtual private network (VPN) application through a packet-switched network (PSN), the method comprising:

configuring a PE router of the PSN to support a VPN and to run a BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) as an auto-discovery process for finding one or more other PE routers participating in the VPN;

associating the VPN with a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnel;

assigning an I-component service instance identifier (I-SID) to the VPN;

advertising, by the PE router, membership in the VPN by including the I-SID assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute for carrying the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising encapsulating packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising encapsulating the PBB tunnel associated with the VPN in a PBT (Provider Backbone Transport) tunnel.

7. A packet-switched network comprising a provider edge (PE) router, the PE router being configured to participate in a virtual private network (VPN) and to run a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) as an auto-discovery mechanism for finding one or more other PE routers in the VPN, the VPN being associated with a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnel and having an assigned I-component service instance identifier (I-SID), the PE router advertising membership in the VPN by including the I-SID assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery process

8. The network of claim 7, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute for carrying the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

9. The network of claim 7, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

10. The network of claim 7, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

11. The network of claim 7, wherein the PE router encapsulates packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.

12. The network of claim 7, wherein the PE router encapsulates the PBB tunnel associated with the VPN in a PBT (Provider Backbone Transport) tunnel.

13. A computer program product for distributing routing information for a virtual private network (VPN) application through a packet-switched network (PSN), the computer program product comprising:

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

computer-readable program code configured to configure a PE router of the PSN to support a VPN and to run a BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) as an auto-discovery process for finding one or more other PE routers in the VPN;

computer-readable program code configured to associate the VPN with a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnel;

computer-readable program code configured to assign an I-component service instance identifier (I-SID) to the VPN;

computer-readable program code configured to advertise, by the PE router, membership in the VPN by including the I-SID assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery process.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute for carrying the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer-readable program code configured to encapsulate packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer-readable program code configured to encapsulate the PBB tunnel associated with the VPN in a PBT (Provider Backbone Transport) tunnel.

19. A method of distributing routing information for a virtual private network (VPN) application through a packet-switched network (PSN) having a plurality of provider edge (PE) routers, the method comprising:

configuring each PE router to support at least one VPN and to run a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) as a VPN auto-discovery mechanism for finding one or more other PE routers attached to the same VPN;

associating a given VPN with a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnel; and

advertising, by each PE router, membership in the VPN by including a Service Instance Identifier (I-SID) assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery mechanism.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the BGP message includes a BGP route target attribute having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of PE routers are fully meshed through PBB tunnels.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of encapsulating packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of encapsulating the PBB tunnel associated with the VPN in a Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) tunnel.

27. A packet-switched network comprising a plurality of PE routers, each PE router being configured to support a VPN and to run BGP as an auto-discovery mechanism for finding one or more other PE routers in the same VPN, the VPN being associated with one of the PBB tunnels and having an assigned I-SID, each PE router advertising membership in the VPN by including the I-SID assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery process

28. The network of claim 27, wherein the plurality of PE routers are fully meshed through PBB tunnels.

29. The network of claim 27, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

30. The network of claim 27, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

31. The network of claim 27, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

32. The network of claim 27, wherein one of the PE routers encapsulates packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.

33. The network of claim 27, wherein one of the PE routers encapsulates the PBB tunnel associated with the VPN in a PBT tunnel.

34. A PE router configured to support a VPN over a packet-switched network through a PBB tunnel, the PE router comprising:

a processor assigning an I-SID to the VPN;

memory storing a mapping of the VPN to the PBB tunnel and program code with computer-readable instructions for performing a BGP auto-discovery mechanism for finding one or more other PE routers in the same VPN; and

a processor executing the computer-readable instructions to produce a BGP message that includes an I-SID;

the I-SID assigned to the VPN in order to advertise membership in the VPN during the auto-discovery mechanism.

35. The PE router of claim 34, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

36. The PE router of claim 34, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

37. The PE router of claim 34, wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.

38. The PE router of claim 34, further comprising a processor encapsulating packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.

39. The PE router of claim 34, further comprising a processor encapsulating packets belonging to the VPN in a PBT (Provider Backbone Transport) header.