DEVICE AND METHOD FOR EGRESS PACKET FORWARDING USING MESH TAGGING

• US 20130114619A1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Wakumoto, Shaun K
• Application Number:
  US13/809,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114619A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/406
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4645 Details on frame tagging routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/309 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/354 for supporting virtual local area networks [VLAN]

Abstract

A method for packet forwarding using a tag in a mesh network is described herein. A packet is received on a non-mesh port of a first mesh network device of the mesh network. One or more available paths between the first mesh network device and a second mesh network device are determined. A path of the one or more available paths is selected based on an egress forwarding rule associated with the path. A tag associated with the selected path is inserted into the packet. The packet is forwarded along the selected path.

Claims

1. A method for packet forwarding using a tag in a mesh network, the method comprising:

receiving a packet on a non-mesh port of a first mesh network device of the mesh network;

determining one or more available paths between the first mesh network device and a second mesh network device;

selecting a path of the one or more available paths based on an egress forwarding rule associated with the path;

inserting a tag associated with the selected path into the packet; and

forwarding the packet along the selected path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the egress forwarding rule specifies limitations on forwarding packets on egress through mesh network devices of the mesh network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the path comprises comparing an ingress component of the egress forwarding rule to a property of the packet.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the packet on a mesh port of a mesh network device of the mesh network; and

determining whether the packet is a unicast packet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the packet is a unicast packet, her comprising:

determining that the path of the packet within the mesh network terminates at the receiving mesh network device;

removing the tag from the packet; and

forwarding the packet out of one or more non-mesh ports corresponding to the tag.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the packet is a unicast packet, further comprising:

determining that the path of the packet within the mesh network does not terminate at the receiving mesh network device; and

forwarding the packet out of a mesh port corresponding to the tag.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the packet is not a unicast packet, further comprising forwarding the packet out of a port corresponding to the tag, wherein the port is at least one of a mesh port and a non-mesh port.

15. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more egress ports are non-mesh ports of the network device where the packet is a unicast packet and the path terminates at the network device.

8. A network device for use in a mesh network for packet forwarding using a tag, the network device comprising;

a plurality of ports including a mesh port and a non-mesh port, wherein the non-mesh port is configured to receive a first packet;

a controller coupled to the plurality of ports, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine one or more available paths between the network device and a destination mesh network device;

select a path of the one or more available paths based on an egress forwarding rule associated with the path; and

insert a tag associated with the selected path into the first packet.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the egress forwarding rule specifies limitations on forwarding packets on egress through network devices of the mesh network.

10. The network device of claim 8, wherein the controller s configured to select the path by comparing an ingress component of the egress forwarding rule to a property of the packet.

11. The network device of claim 8, wherein the mesh port is configured to receive a second packet, and wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the second packet is a unicast packet.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the second packet is a unicast packet, and wherein the controller is configured to:

determine that the path of the second packet within the mesh network terminates at the network device;

remove the tag from the second packet; and

forward the second packet out of one or more non-mesh ports of the plurality of ports corresponding to the tag.

13. A method for packet forwarding using a tag in a mesh network, the method comprising:

receiving a packet on a mesh port of a network device of the mesh network, the packet including a tag associated with a path within the mesh network, wherein the path is selected based on an egress forwarding rule associated with the path;

determining a path identifier from the tag;

finding an entry in an egress forwarding table using the path identifier;

obtaining one or more egress ports associated with the path identifier in the entry of the egress forwarding table; and

forwarding the packet through the one or more egress ports of the network device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more egress ports is a mesh port of the network device where the packet is a unicast packet and the path does not terminate at the network device.