3-layer VPN and constructing method thereof

• US 7,411,955 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Bing, Dong, Weisi
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad; Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed; Salman
• Application Number:
  US10/336,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20040037275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 370/392, 370/397, 370/399, 370/395.32
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]

Abstract

A 3-layer Virtual Private Network (VPN) is disclosed and includes P devices and PE devices in the backbone network, a plurality of sites and CE devices in subscribers'"'"' VPNs, and Hierarchy of PE (HoPE) devices, the HoPE devices serve as edge routers in the backbone network and are connected to P devices in the backbone network as well as sites and CE devices in subscribers'"'"' VPNs; the HoPE devices include understratum PEs (UPEs), zero or more middle-level PEs (MPEs) and superior PEs (SPEs) connected with each other, and all of the PEs (UPEs, MPEs, and SPEs) take different roles and deliver the function of a central PE. For the SPEs, the routing and forwarding performance should be relatively higher; while for UPEs, the performance may be lower. The architecture can enhance the expandability in hierarchical BGP/MPLS VPNs.

Claims

1. A 3-layer VPN, comprising a P device (Provider Router) and a PE device (Provider Edge Router) in a backbone network, several sites and CE devices in a subscribers'"'"' VPN;

the VPN further comprising a hierarchy of PE device (HoPE) as an edge router in the backbone network and connected to the P device in the backbone network and the several sites and CE devices in the VPNs;

said HoPE comprising an understratum PE (UPE) and a superior PE (SPE) which are connected with each other;

the UPE maintaining the routes to VPN sites connected directly thereto, and allocating internal labels for routes to the VPN sites, and issuing labels to the SPE through the VPN routes;

the SPE maintaining all routes in the VPN where the sites are connected via the UPE, and issuing default VRF (VPN routing/forwarding instance) routes or converged VRF routes to UPE, with labels carried;

one interface or sub-interface connecting said UPE and said SPE or connecting different UPEs, between which the messages are forwarded by labels;

wherein said HoPE further comprises several middle-level PEs (MPEs) between the UPE and the SPE; and

said MPEs maintaining all routes in the VPN where the sites are connected via the UPE, issuing default VRF (VPN routing/forwarding instance) routes or converged routes to the UPE, and replacing the labels carried by the default VRF routes issued from SPE, and issuing them to UPE;

if an MPE has generated a default route for the VRF, an ILM being generated on the MPE.

2. A method for constructing a 3-layer VPN, comprising:

deploying a HoPE in a backbone network, and said HoPE, as an edge router in the backbone network, connected to a P device in the backbone network and several sites and CE devices in a subscribers'"'"' VPN;

said HoPE comprising an understratum PE (UPE) and a superior PE (SPE) connected each other;

wherein the UPE maintaining the routes to the VPN sites connected directly to the UPE, allocating internal labels for routes to the VPN sites, and issuing labels to SPE through VPN routes;

the SPE maintaining all routes in the VPN where the sites are connected via the UPE, and issuing a default VRF (VPN routing/forwarding instance) route or converged VRF route to the UPE, with labels carried;

connecting said UPE and SPE via one interface or sub-interface, between which messages are forwarded with labels;

said HoPE further comprising several middle-level PEs (MPEs) between the UPE and SPE, said MPEs maintaining all routes in the VPN where the sites are connected via the UPE, issuing a default VRF (VPN routing/forwarding instance) route or converged route to the UPE, and replacing the labels carried by the default VRF route issued from SPE, and issuing them to the UPE;

if an MPE has generated the default route for the VRF, an ILM being generated on the MPE.

3. The method of claim 2, characterized in that a MP-BGP (Multi Protocol-Border Gateway Protocol) being used to exchange messages among said SPE, MPEs, and the UPE connected with each other.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

if a same operator manages said SPE, MPEs and UPE, said MP-BGP being a MP-IBGP (Multi Protocol-Internal Border Gateway Protocol);

if different operators manage said SPE, MPEs and UPE, said MP-BGP being a MP-EBGP (Multi Protocol-External Border Gateway Protocol).

5. The method of claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein:

in the HoPE, the SPE generating a global import route-target list to filter routes from other PEs connected to the SPE according to the collection of import route-target list of all VRF of the UPE.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising steps:

dynamically generating said global import route-target list according to the information exchanged between the SPE and UPE, and the generating step further comprising;

the UPE issuing an ORF (Outbound Route Filter) message to the SPE connected thereto through a route refresh message for the BGP, the ORF containing an expanded group list, which is the collection of the import route-target list of all VRFs of the UPE;

said SPE converging the extended group list of the UPE connected to the SPE to generate a global list.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

in the HoPE, if the UPE is connected with several SPEs, all the SPEs issuing default VRF routes to said UPE, and the UPE selecting one from them as a preferred route or select several routes to implement load sharing;

when issuing VPN routes to the several SPEs, the UPE issuing all VPN routes to all SPE or part of VPN routes to each SPE for sharing load.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

in the HoPE, when two UPEs are connected directly, one of said two UPEs issuing all its VPN routes to the other to enable sites connected by said two UPES to communicate directly.