Techniques for using first sign of life at edge nodes for a virtual private network

• US 7,769,037 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkie, George, Luo, Wei, Townsley, William Mark, Booth, Earl Hardin III
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Chirag G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhou; Yong
• Application Number:
  US11/145,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,884 Days
• Field of Search: 370/217, 370/229, 370/239, 370/252, 370/254, 370/390, 370/392, 370/395.53, 370/400, 370/401, 370/419
• US Class Current: 370/419
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing a signal on an intermediate network node at an edge of a provider packet-switched network to support a link-layer virtual private network includes receiving a signal on a particular interface. The particular interface is for a direct communication link to a customer network node outside the provider network. It is determined whether the signal indicates that the particular interface is changing from an inactive state to an active state, whereby the signal is called first sign of life (FSOL). If it is determined that the signal is FSOL, then configuration data is determined for configuring the particular interface for the particular virtual private network. The signal is processed based on the configuration data. These techniques allow a dynamic response to new signals on a customer interface without human intervention by the provider.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a signal on a particular interface of a particular node at an edge of a provider network; and

determining whether the signal indicates that the particular interface is changing from an inactive state to an active state, wherein the signal is a first sign of life (FSOL) that directs the particular node to interface with a provisioning server, which provides configuration data to the particular node for provisioning a service involving the particular node and for creating a pseudowire coupled to the particular node, wherein if the signal is not a FSOL, a determination is made as to whether the signal is a control signal to tear down a circuit and if it is, then the circuit is torn down and the circuit is removed from a list of active circuits, wherein the configuration data identifies a virtual private local area network (LAN) service (VPLS), a quality of service parameter, and a plurality of virtual LANs (VLANS) each of which being identified by a VLAN tag in an Ethernet header, and wherein a determination is made whether the FSOL is consistent with the configuration data, the determination being related to a policy configured in the provisioning server, and wherein if the configuration data is consistent, then an attachment circuit is configured according to the configuration data without human intervention, and wherein the attachment circuit is added to a list for a corresponding physical port such that subsequent data packets for the attachment circuit are not considered indicative of a FSOL condition.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said step of using configuration data to configure the particular interface for the particular virtual private network further comprises the steps of

sending, to a first server on a first host computer of the provider network, interface identification data that uniquely indicates the particular interface, and

in response to sending the interface identification data, receiving configuration data from a second server on a second host computer of the provider network; and

the particular node is different from the first host and second host.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first server on the first host is the same as the second server on the second host.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising receiving data at the particular node that indicates an address on the provider network for the first server.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first server is a Remote Access Dial-In Service (RADIUS) Server and the second server is the RADIUS server.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, said using configuration data to configure the particular interface for a particular virtual private network over the provider network further comprising using configuration data to configure the particular interface for a particular virtual private network over the provider network without human intervention.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, said using configuration data to configure the particular interface for a particular virtual private network over the provider network further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the signal is consistent with the configuration data; and

if it is determined that the signal is not consistent with the configuration data, then causing a message to be sent to a customer associated with the customer network node that notifies the customer that a signal was attempted that is not consistent with subscribed service.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the particular interface is a virtual circuit of a plurality of virtual circuits on the same physical circuit.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the particular interface is a physical circuit.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, said step of determining whether the signal is a FSOL further comprising determining whether the signal is a control plane data packet sent to establish a switched virtual circuit.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, said step of determining whether the signal is a FSOL further comprising determining whether the signal is an initial data plane data packet sent over a permanent virtual circuit.

12. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a signal on a particular interface of a particular node at an edge of a provider network; and

means for determining whether the signal indicates that the particular interface is changing from an inactive state to an active state, wherein the signal is a first sign of life (FSOL) that directs the particular node to interface with a provisioning server, which provides configuration data to the particular node for provisioning a service involving the particular node and for creating a pseudowire coupled to the particular node, wherein if the signal is not a FSOL, a determination is made as to whether the signal is a control signal to tear down a circuit and if it is, then the circuit is torn down and the circuit is removed from a list of active circuits, wherein the configuration data identifies a virtual private local area network (LAN) service (VPLS), a quality of service parameter, and a plurality of virtual LANs (VLANS) each of which being identified by a VLAN tag in an Ethernet header, and wherein a determination is made whether the FSOL is consistent with the configuration data, the determination being related to a policy configured in the provisioning server, and wherein if the configuration data is consistent, then an attachment circuit is configured according to the configuration data without human intervention, and wherein the attachment circuit is added to a list for a corresponding physical port such that subsequent data packets for the attachment circuit are not considered indicative of a FSOL condition.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a provider network interface that is coupled to a provider network for communicating therewith a data packet;

a customer network interface that is coupled to customer premises equipment outside the provider network for communicating therewith a data packet;

one or more processors;

a memory; and

one or more sequences of instructions stored in the memory, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of;

receiving a signal on the customer network interface;

determining whether the signal indicates that a particular interface on the customer network interface is changing from an inactive state to an active state, wherein the signal is a first sign of life (FSOL) that directs a particular node to interface with a provisioning server, which provides configuration data to the particular node for provisioning a service involving the particular node and for creating a pseudowire coupled to the particular node, wherein if the signal is not a FSOL, a determination is made as to whether the signal is a control signal to tear down a circuit and if it is, then the circuit is torn down and the circuit is removed from a list of active circuits, wherein the configuration data identifies a virtual private local area network (LAN) service (VPLS), a quality of service parameter, and a plurality of virtual LANs (VLANS) each of which being identified by a VLAN tag in an Ethernet header, and wherein a determination is made whether the FSOL is consistent with the configuration data, the determination being related to a policy configured in the provisioning server, and wherein if the configuration data is consistent, then an attachment circuit is configured according to the configuration data without human intervention, and wherein the attachment circuit is added to a list for a corresponding physical port such that subsequent data packets for the attachment circuit are not considered indicative of a FSOL condition.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein:

said step of using configuration data to configure the particular interface for the particular virtual private network further comprises the steps of

sending, to a first server on a first host computer of the provider network, interface identification data that uniquely indicates the particular interface, and

in response to sending the interface identification data, receiving configuration data from a second server on a second host computer of the provider network; and

the particular node is different from the first host and the second host.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein the first server on the first host is the same as the second server on the second host.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of receiving data at the particular node that indicates an address on the provider network for the first server.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein the first server is a Remote Access Dial-In Service (RADIUS) Server and the second server is the RADIUS server.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, said using configuration data to configure the particular interface for a particular virtual private network over the provider network further comprising using configuration data to configure the particular interface for a particular virtual private network over the provider network without human intervention.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, said using configuration data to configure the particular interface for a particular virtual private network over the provider network further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the signal is consistent with the configuration data; and

if it is determined that the signal is not consistent with the configuration data, then causing a message to be sent to a customer associated with the customer network node that notifies the customer that a signal was attempted that is not consistent with subscribed service.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the particular interface is a virtual circuit of a plurality of virtual circuits on the same physical circuit.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the particular interface is a physical circuit.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, said step of determining whether the signal is a FSOL further comprising determining whether the signal is a control plane data packet sent to establish a switched virtual circuit.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, said step of determining whether the signal is a FSOL further comprising determining whether the signal is an initial data plane data packet sent over a permanent virtual circuit.