Dynamic building of VLAN interfaces based on subscriber information strings

• US 7,492,766 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Lemaire, Thomas, Cabeca, Linda M., Ruben, Karen, Kokot, Mathias, Vinokour, Vitali, Moisand, Jerome P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scheibel; Robert C
• Application Number:
  US11/402,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20070195780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/389
• 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 12/4675 Dynamic sharing of VLAN information amongst network nodes configuration of the network or of network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/52 Multiprotocol routers

Abstract

Techniques are described that allow a network device, such as a router, to dynamically build VLAN interfaces based on subscriber information strings included within packets. In particular, the network device comprises an interface controller and a forwarding controller, where the forwarding controller receives the packet over an Ethernet port and forwards the received packet to the interface controller. The packet includes both Ethernet tagging information and a subscriber information string. The interface controller comprises an Ethernet module that dynamically builds a primary virtual local area network (VLAN) sub-interface (PVS) based on the Ethernet tagging information. The Ethernet module also dynamically builds a subscriber VLAN sub-interface (SVS) based on the subscriber information string. The SVS allows the network device to distinguish between subscribers residing on the same VLAN, and, therefore, to provide subscriber specific services.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a packet on an Ethernet port of a network device, wherein the packet includes Ethernet tagging information and a subscriber information string;

dynamically building within the network device a primary virtual local area network (VLAN) sub-interface (PVS) based on the Ethernet tagging information;

dynamically building within the network device a subscriber VLAN sub-interface (SVS) based on the subscriber information string;

determining that the packet conforms with the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP);

dynamically building a first Internet Protocol (IP) interface over the PVS within the network device based on the determination that the packet conforms with the DHCP; and

dynamically building a second IP interface over the SVS within the network device based on the determination that the packet conforms with the DHCP.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a packet comprises receiving a protocol signaling packet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a protocol signaling packet comprises receiving a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) discovery packet.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising statically building a VLAN major interface over the Ethernet port on the network device, wherein dynamically building the PVS and the SVS comprises dynamically building the PVS and the SVS over the VLAN major interface based on the respective Ethernet tagging information and subscriber information string.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising configuring the VLAN major interface by assigning a profile to the VLAN major interface that enables the dynamic building of the PVS and the SVS.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically building within the network device the SVS comprises:

retrieving the subscriber information string from the packet;

determining from a mapping maintained by the network device whether the SVS exists based on the subscriber information string; and

dynamically building within the network device the SVS upon a determination that the SVS does not exist within the mapping to handle the subscriber information string.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising forwarding the packet over the SVS upon a determination that the SVS does exist within the mapping to handle the subscriber information string.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically building the second IP interface over the SVS comprises dynamically building within the network device the second IP interface over the SVS based on a profile assigned to the VLAN major interface.

4. A method comprising:

receiving a packet on an Ethernet port of a network device, wherein the packet includes Ethernet tagging information and a subscriber information string;

dynamically building within the network device a primary virtual local area network (VLAN) sub-interface (PVS) based on the Ethernet tagging information;

dynamically building within the network device a subscriber VLAN sub-interface (SVS) based on the subscriber information string;

determining that the packet conforms with the Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE); and

dynamically building a PPPoE major interface over the SVS within the network device based on the determination that the packet conforms with the PPPoE.

19. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving a packet comprises receiving one of a Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) PADI packet, and a PPPoE PADR packet.

10. A network device comprising:

an interface element that includes an interface controller and an Ethernet port;

a forwarding controller configured to receive a packet from the Ethernet port and forwards the received packet to the interface controller, wherein the packet includes Ethernet tagging information and a subscriber information string;

an Ethernet module in the interface controller configured to dynamically builds within the network device a primary virtual local area network (VLAN) sub-interface (PVS) based on the Ethernet tagging information and a subscriber VLAN sub-interface (SVS) based on the subscriber information string;

a Dynamic Configuration Manager (DCM); and

an Inet manager registered for building interface layers of interface stacks,

wherein the Ethernet module is configured to determine that the packet conforms with the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP),

wherein the Ethernet module is configured to, via the DCM, request the met manager to dynamically build a first Internet Protocol (IP) interface over the PVS based on the determination that the packet conforms with the DHCP, and

wherein the Ethernet module is configured to, via the DCM, request the met manager to dynamically build a second IP interface over the SVS based on the determination that the packet conforms with the DHCP.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein the packet comprises a protocol signaling packet.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the protocol signaling packet comprises a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) discovery packet.

14. The network device of claim 10,

wherein the network device is configured to receive commands from a system administrator that configure the network device to statically builds a VLAN major interface over the Ethernet port on the network device, and

wherein the Ethernet module is configured to dynamically builds the PVS and the SVS over the VLAN major interface based on the respective Ethernet tagging information and the subscriber information string.

15. The network device of claim 14, wherein the network device is configured to receive commands from the system administrator that configures the VLAN major interface by assigning a profile to the VLAN major interface that enables the dynamic building of the PVS and the SVS over the VLAN major interface.

16. The network device of claim 10, further comprising a VLAN subscriber manager (VSM) that:

maintains a mapping between subscriber information strings and SVSs;

retrieves the subscriber information string from the packet;

using the subscriber information string as a key, determines from the mapping whether the SVS exists to handle the subscriber information string; and

via the DCM, requests the Ethernet module to dynamically build within the network device the SVS upon a determination that the SVS does not exist within the mapping to handle the subscriber information string.

17. The network device of claim 16, wherein the forwarding controller forwards the packet over the SVS upon a determination that the SVS does exist within the mapping to handle the subscriber information string.

18. The network device of claim 10, wherein the Inet manager dynamically builds the second IP interface over the SVS based on a profile assigned to the VLAN major interface.

13. A network device comprising:

an interface clement that includes an interface controller and an Ethernet port;

a forwarding controller configured to receive a packet from the Ethernet port and forward the received racket to the interface controller, wherein the packet includes Ethernet tagging information and a subscriber information string;

an Ethernet module in the interface controller configured to dynamically build within the network device a primary virtual local area network (VLAN) sub-interface (PVS) based on the Ethernet tagging information and a subscriber VLAN sub-interface (SVS) based on the subscriber information string; and

a Dynamic Configuration Manager (DCM),

wherein the Ethernet module is configured to determines that the packet conforms with the Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) and, via the DCM, requests a PPPoE module to dynamically build a PPPoE major interface based on the determination that the packet conforms with the PPPoE; and

wherein the PPPoE module is configured to dynamically builds a PPPoE sub-interface, a PPP interface, and an Internet Protocol (IP) interface to establish a PPPoE session.

20. The network device of claim 13, wherein the packet comprises one of a Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) PADI packet, and a PPPoE PADR packet.