Methods and apparatus for minimizing duplicate traffic during point to multipoint tree switching in a network
First Claim
1. A method for minimizing duplicate traffic during point to multipoint (P2MP) tree switching in a network including a P2MP tree with a source node, the method comprising:
- receiving multicast data traffic transmitted from a first router over a primary network path to a second router, wherein the primary network path supports multicast label switching of multicast data traffic; and
in response to detecting a failure in the network, receiving the multicast data traffic over a backup label switched path on a secondary network path between the first router and the second router in lieu of receiving the multicast data traffic over the primary network path and minimizing duplicate traffic by initiating a multicast rerouting procedure, the multicast rerouting procedure comprising;
transmitting a new multicast switching label via the secondary network path to an upstream router, the secondary network path including the upstream router between the first router and the second router;
and, upon receiving an acknowledgement notification from the upstream router indicating that the upstream router is a merge point in the P2MP tree, configuring the second router to receive multicast data traffic addressed to the new multicast switching label and transmitted from the upstream router over the secondary network path in lieu of receiving multicast data traffic from the backup label switched path prior to the PSMP tree reaching a convergent state after the failure.
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Abstract
A method, apparatus and computer program product for minimizing or preventing duplicate traffic during point to multipoint tree switching in a network. In its operation, embodiments disclosed herein utilize control plane trigger mechanisms to handle the receipt of duplicate traffic by network entities after the occurrence of a network failure event. Generally, the control plane trigger mechanism prevents a network entity from processing multicast traffic from both old and new upstream data paths resulting from typical network convergence procedures. The methods and apparatus describe herein apply to standard rerouting procedures as well as fast rerouting procedures for multicast traffic in a network.
43 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for minimizing duplicate traffic during point to multipoint (P2MP) tree switching in a network including a P2MP tree with a source node, the method comprising:
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receiving multicast data traffic transmitted from a first router over a primary network path to a second router, wherein the primary network path supports multicast label switching of multicast data traffic; and in response to detecting a failure in the network, receiving the multicast data traffic over a backup label switched path on a secondary network path between the first router and the second router in lieu of receiving the multicast data traffic over the primary network path and minimizing duplicate traffic by initiating a multicast rerouting procedure, the multicast rerouting procedure comprising; transmitting a new multicast switching label via the secondary network path to an upstream router, the secondary network path including the upstream router between the first router and the second router; and, upon receiving an acknowledgement notification from the upstream router indicating that the upstream router is a merge point in the P2MP tree, configuring the second router to receive multicast data traffic addressed to the new multicast switching label and transmitted from the upstream router over the secondary network path in lieu of receiving multicast data traffic from the backup label switched path prior to the PSMP tree reaching a convergent state after the failure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A tangible computer readable medium having computer readable code thereon for providing a method for minimizing duplicate traffic during point to multipoint (P2MP) tree switching in a network including a P2MP tree with a source node, the tangible computer readable medium comprising:
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instructions operable on a processor to receive multicast data traffic transmitted from a first router over a primary network path to a second router, wherein the primary network path supports multicast label switching of multicast data traffic; instructions operable on the processor to, in response to a detection of a failure in the network, receive the multicast data traffic over a backup label switched path on a secondary network path between the first router and the second router in lieu of receiving the multicast data traffic over the primary network path and minimize duplicate traffic via an initiation of a multicast rerouting procedure, wherein the instructions to minimize duplicate traffic via the initiation of the multicast rerouting procedure comprise; instructions operable on the processor to transmit a new multicast switching label via the secondary network path to an upstream router, the secondary network path including the upstream router between the first router and the second router; and instructions operable on the processor to configure the second router, upon receipt of an acknowledgement notification from the upstream router via the secondary network path indicating that the upstream router is a merge point in the P2MP tree, to receive multicast data traffic addressed to the new multicast switching label from the upstream router prior to the PSMP tree being in a convergent state after the failure instead of to receive multicast data traffic from the backup label switched path. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A network device comprising:
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a memory; a processor; a communications interface; an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface; and wherein the memory is encoded with a network manager application that when performed on the processor duplicate traffic during point to multipoint (P2MP) tree switching in a network including a P2MP tree with a source node by performing the operations of; receiving multicast data traffic transmitted from a first router over a primary network path to a second router, wherein the network path supports multicast label switching of multicast data traffic; in response to detecting a failure in the network, receiving the multicast data traffic over a backup label switched path on a secondary network path between the first router and the second router in lieu of receiving the multicast data traffic over the primary network path and minimizing duplicate traffic by initiating a multicast rerouting procedure, the multicast rerouting procedure comprising; transmitting a new multicast switching label via the secondary network path to an upstream router, the secondary network path including the upstream router between the first router and the second router; and upon receiving an acknowledgement notification from the upstream router indicating that the upstream router is a merge point in the P2MP tree, configuring the second router to receive multicast data traffic addressed to the new multicast switching label from the upstream router over the secondary network path prior to the PSMP tree being in a convergent state after the failure and in lieu of receiving multicast data traffic over the backup label switched path. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification