MECHANISM AND PROCEDURES FOR MULTI-DOMAIN ENTERPRISE FABRIC DOMAIN FEDERATIONS

• US 20200136968A1
• Filed: 12/23/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hooda, Sanjay K., Moreno, Victor M., Kondalam, Satish Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 10,944,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/741 Routing in networks with a plurality of addressing schemes, e.g. with both IPv4 and IPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/10 characterised by the switching fabric construction

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method generally includes a first edge (E) node in a network receiving an encapsulated data packet, wherein the encapsulated data packet comprises an outer header and a data packet, wherein the outer header comprises a first router locator (RLOC) corresponding to the first E node, wherein the data packet comprises an internet protocol (IP) header, and wherein the IP header comprises a destination endpoint identification (EID) corresponding to a host H. The first E node determines whether the host H is attached to the first E node. And in response to the first E node determining the host is attached to the first E node, the first E node forwards the data packet to the host H. The first E node receives a message from another node after the host H detaches from the first E node and reattaches to another E node, wherein the message comprises the destination EID.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a first border (B) node in a network receiving an encapsulated data packet, wherein the encapsulated data packet comprises an outer header and a data packet, wherein the outer header comprises a first router locator (RLOC) corresponding to the first B node, wherein the data packet comprises an internet protocol (IP) header, wherein the IP header comprises a destination endpoint identification (EID) corresponding to a host H;

the first B node determining whether the EID is mapped in memory to another RLOC;

in response to the first B node determining the EID is not mapped in memory to another RLOC, the B node sending a first request;

the first B node receiving a first reply to the first request, wherein the first reply comprises a second RLOC;

the first node re-encapsulating the data packet with a new outer header, wherein the new outer header comprises the second RLOC;

the first node forwarding the re-encapsulated data packet towards a node corresponding to the second RLOC.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first B node sends the first request to a first control plane (CP) node that is contained in a first fabric site that contains the first B node.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first B node sends the first request to a first CP node that is contained in a transit site, wherein the first B node is contained in the transit site and a first fabric site.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the first B node sending a second request in response to the first B node determining the EID is not mapped in memory to another RLOC;

the first node receiving a second reply to the second request, wherein the second reply comprises a third RLOC;

wherein the first response comprises the EID;

wherein the second response comprises a prefix covering the EID.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the first B node sending a second request in response to the first B node determining the EID is not mapped in memory to another RLOC;

the first node receiving a second reply to the second request, wherein the second reply lacks a RLOC;

wherein the first response comprises a prefix covering the EID.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising an act of mapping the first RLOC to the EID in the memory.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the first B node receiving and storing a list of EIDs before the first B node receives the encapsulated data packet;

the first B node sends the first request to a first CP node in a first fabric if the EID is not contained in the list of EIDS;

the first B node sends the first request to second CP node in a transit fabric if the EID is contained in the list of EIDs.

8. A computer readable memory (CRM) comprising executable instructions, wherein a method is implemented in response to a processor of a first border (B) node executing the instructions, the method comprising:

receiving an encapsulated data packet, wherein the encapsulated data packet comprises an outer header and a data packet, wherein the outer header comprises a first router locator (RLOC) corresponding to the first B node, wherein the data packet comprises an internet protocol (IP) header, wherein the IP header comprises a destination endpoint identification (EID) corresponding to a host H;

determining whether the EID is mapped in memory to another RLOC;

in response to determining the EID is not mapped in memory to another RLOC, sending a first request;

receiving a first reply to the first request, wherein the first reply comprises a second RLOC;

re-encapsulating the data packet with a new outer header, wherein the new outer header comprises the second RLOC;

forwarding the re-encapsulated data packet towards a node corresponding to the second RLOC.

9. The CRM of claim 8 wherein the first B node sends the first request to a first control plane (CP) node that is contained in a first fabric site that contains the first B node.

10. The CRM of claim 8 wherein the first B node sends the first request to a first CP node that is contained in a transit site that is connected to a first fabric site that contains the first B node.

11. The CRM of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:

sending a second request in response to determining the EID is not mapped in memory to another RLOC;

receiving a second reply to the second request, wherein the second reply comprises a third RLOC;

wherein the first response comprises the EID;

wherein the second response comprises a prefix covering the EID.

12. The CRM of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:

sending a second request in response to determining the EID is not mapped in memory to another RLOC;

receiving a second reply to the second request, wherein the second reply lacks a RLOC;

wherein the first response comprises a prefix covering the EID.

13. The CRM of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises mapping the first RLOC to the EID in the memory.

14. The CRM of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving and storing a list of EIDs before the first B node receives the encapsulated data packet;

the first B node sends the first request to a first CP node in a first fabric if the EID is not contained in the list of EIDS;

the first B node sends the first request to second CP node in a transit fabric if the EID is contained in the list of EIDs.

15. A network node comprising:

a network interface circuit;

a memory storing instructions;

a processor operably coupled to the network interface circuit and configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor implements a method in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising;

receiving an encapsulated data packet, wherein the encapsulated data packet comprises an outer header and a data packet, wherein the outer header comprises a first router locator (RLOC) corresponding to the network node, wherein the data packet comprises an internet protocol (IP) header, wherein the IP header comprises a destination endpoint identification (EID) corresponding to a host H;

determining whether the EID is mapped in memory to another RLOC;

in response to determining the EID is to mapped in memory to another RLOC, re-encapsulating the data packet with a new outer header, wherein the new outer header comprises the other RLOC;

forwarding the re-encapsulated data packet towards a node corresponding to the other RLOC.

16. The network node of claim 15 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a first encapsulated data packet, wherein the first encapsulated data packet comprises a first outer header and a first data packet, wherein the first outer header comprises the first RLOC, wherein the first data packet comprises a first internet protocol (IP) header, wherein the first IP header comprises a first EID corresponding to a first host H;

determining whether the first EID is mapped in memory to another RLOC;

in response to determining the first EID is not mapped in memory to another RLOC, sending a first request;

receiving a first reply to the first request, wherein the first reply comprises a second RLOC;

re-encapsulating the first data packet with a new first outer header, wherein the new first outer header comprises the second RLOC;

forwarding the re-encapsulated first data packet towards a node corresponding to the second RLOC.

17. The network node of claim 16 wherein the network node sends the first request to a first control plane (CP) node that is contained in a first fabric site that contains the network node.

18. The network node of claim 16 wherein the first network node network node is contained in the transit site and a first fabric site.

19. The network node of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

sending a second request in response to the network node determining the first EID is not mapped in memory to another RLOC;

receiving a second reply to the second request, wherein the second reply comprises a third RLOC;

wherein the first response comprises the first EID;

wherein the second response comprises a prefix covering the first EID.

20. The network node of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

sending a second request in response to the network node determining the first EID is not mapped in memory to another RLOC;

receiving a second reply to the second request, wherein the second reply lacks a RLOC;

wherein the first response comprises a prefix covering the first EID.