TRANSMISSION PATH SWITCHING

• US 20150029834A1
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: H3C Technologies Co., Limited (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Zhang, Haifeng, Lin, Changwang
• Application Number:
  US14/372,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029834A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/225
• 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 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables

Abstract

According to an example, a virtual next-hop is created and a destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop is stored. Each virtual next-hop comprises one best next-hop and one second-best next-hop, and a next-hop of the best path of the destination identity corresponding to a virtual next-hop is the best next-hop of the virtual next-hop, and a next-hop of the second-best path of the destination identity corresponding to the virtual next-hop is the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop. Path forwarding may be performed using the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop. If the best next-hop of a virtual next-hop is determined to be failed, path forwarding may be performed using the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop.

Claims

1. A method for implementing transmission path switching, comprising:

creating at least one virtual next-hop;

recording at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop, wherein each virtual next-hop comprises one best next-hop and one second-best next-hop, a next-hop of the best path of all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop is the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop, and a next-hop of the second-best path of all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop is the second-best next-hop of each virtual next-hop;

performing path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop using the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop;

performing failure detection for the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop; and

performing, after detecting that the best next-hop of a virtual next-hop is failed with the failure detection, the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to the virtual next-hop using the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop using the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop comprises:

sending all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop, and the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop to a hardware layer, to enable the hardware layer to perform the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop using the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop; and

performing the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to the virtual next-hop using the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop comprises;

sending the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop to the hardware layer, to enable the hardware layer to perform the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to the virtual next-hop using the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop using the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop comprises:

saving all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop, and the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop in a software table, to enable a CPU to query the software table, and perform the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop using the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop; and

performing the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to the virtual next-hop using the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop comprises;

saving the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop in the software table, to enable the CPU to query the software table, and perform the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to the virtual next-hop using the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring a flag denoting that failure detection is to be performed for the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop; and

configuring a flag denoting that the second-best next-hop is taken as a backup route for the second-best next-hop of each virtual next-hop.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the flag denoting that the failure detection is to be performed for the best next-hop comprises:

a type of the failure detection; and

the type of the failure detection comprises;

Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) detection and Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) detection.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending each virtual next-hop to the hardware layer, to establish a corresponding relationship between all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop and the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop in the hardware layer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the hardware layer is configured with a virtual next-hop table for saving each virtual next-hop, a destination identity table for saving all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop, and a real next-hop table for saving the best next-hop or the second-best next-hop of each virtual next-hop.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending, after detecting that the failed best next-hop of the virtual next-hop becomes an available route using failure detection, the best next-hop of the virtual next-hop to the hardware layer, to enable the hardware layer to switch the route from the second-best next-hop to the best next-hop, and perform the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to the virtual next-hop using the best next-hop of the virtual next-hop.

9. A device for implementing transmission path switching, comprising:

a processor and a memory;

wherein

the processor communicates with the memory, and executes instructions saved in the memory;

wherein

the instructions comprise;

a virtual creating instruction to create at least one virtual next-hop, and record at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop, wherein each virtual next-hop comprises one best next-hop and one second-best next-hop, a next-hop of the best path of all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop is the best next-hop of the virtual next-hop, and a next-hop of the second-best path of all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop is the second-best next-hop of each virtual next-hop;

a path sending instruction to perform path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop using the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop;

a failure detecting instruction to perform failure detection for the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop; and

a path switching instruction to perform, after detecting that the best next-hop of a virtual next-hop is failed with the failure detection, the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to the virtual next-hop using the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein

the path sending instruction is to send all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop, and the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop to a hardware layer, to enable the hardware layer to perform the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop using the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop;

and

the path switching instruction is to send the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop to the hardware layer, to enable the hardware layer to perform the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to the virtual next-hop using the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein

the path sending instruction is to save all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop, and the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop in a software table, to enable a CPU to query the software table, and perform the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop using the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop;

and

the path switching instruction is to save the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop in the software table, to enable the CPU to query the software table, and perform the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to the virtual next-hop using the second-best next-hop of the virtual next-hop.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein

the virtual creating instruction is to configure a flag denoting that failure detection is to be performed for the best next-hop for the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop, and configure a flag denoting that the second-best next-hop is taken as a backup route for the second-best next-hop of each virtual next-hop.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein

the path sending instruction is to send each virtual next-hop to the hardware layer, to establish a corresponding relationship between all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop and the best next-hop of each virtual next-hop in the hardware layer.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the hardware layer is configured with a virtual next-hop table for saving each virtual next-hop, a destination identity table for saving all the at least one destination identity corresponding to each virtual next-hop, and a real next-hop table for saving the best next-hop or the second-best next-hop of each virtual next-hop.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the memory further comprises:

a path switching-back instruction to send, after detecting that the failed best next-hop of the virtual next-hop becomes an available route using failure detection, the best next-hop of the virtual next-hop to the hardware layer, to enable the hardware layer to switch the route from the second-best next-hop to the best next-hop, and perform the path forwarding for all the at least one destination identity corresponding to the virtual next-hop using the best next-hop of the virtual next-hop.