Dynamic virtual local area network (VLAN) interface configuration

• US 7,983,258 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Sullivan, Brian M., Ruben, Karen, Kokot, Mathias, Moisand, Jerome P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton; Dang T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morlan; Robert M
• Application Number:
  US12/494,949
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 370/392, 370/389, 370/400, 370/395
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2859 Point-to-point connection between the data network and the subscribers encapsulation H04L12/4633; virtual LANs H04L12/4641; routing of packets H04L45/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4654 wherein a VLAN tag represents a customer VLAN, e.g. C-Tag
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4658 wherein a VLAN tag represents a service provider backbone VLAN, e.g. B-Tag, S-Tag

Abstract

Techniques are described for dynamically building an Ethernet virtual local area network (VLAN) interface in a network device. The techniques allow dynamic building of a second VLAN interface over a first VLAN interface statically built over an Ethernet port configured to support dynamic VLANs in a network device. A network device may receive a plurality of Ethernet packets from subscriber devices and dynamically build a second VLAN interface over the first VLAN interface for each of the subscribers. Once the second VLAN interface is built, the network device dynamically builds interface columns over the second VLAN interface for each protocol associated with the Ethernet packets. The network device may then authenticate a user associated with the plurality of Ethernet packets. Once the user has logged out of the network device, the network device may tear down the interface columns while persistently maintaining the corresponding second VLAN interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving with a network device a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) packets on a layer two (L2) interface of the network device, wherein the plurality of IP packets are received from a subscriber device;

in response to receiving the plurality of IP packets, dynamically building within the network device a VLAN Ethernet interface for the subscriber device;

after dynamically building the VLAN Ethernet interface, dynamically building within the network device an IP interface column over the dynamic VLAN Ethernet interface for processing the plurality of IP packets;

after dynamically building the IP interface column, authenticating a user associated with the plurality of IP packets based on login information associated with the IP packets; and

automatically tearing down the IP interface column when the user logs out of the network device while persistently maintaining the VLAN Ethernet interface over the L2 interface for the subscriber device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically building the IP interface column comprises:

receiving an IP interface layer creation request with a first Inet manager included in an interface card of the network device;

forwarding the IP interface layer creation request to a second Inet manager included in a system controller of the network device;

creating the requested IP interface layer with an IP subscriber manager coupled to the second Inet manager based on information from the first Inet manager; and

dynamically building the requested layer in an interface stack of the interface card with the first Inet manager based on communication with the IP subscriber manager.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically building the IP interface layer comprises building the IP interface layer without creating subscriber interfaces.

4. The method of claim 1,

statically building the L2 interface as a first VLAN interface over an Ethernet port;

and

dynamically building the VLAN Ethernet interface as a second VLAN interface over the first.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

configuring the first VLAN interface to enable automatic sensing of VLAN encapsulated packets; and

assigning a profile to the first VLAN interface to enable dynamic configuration of second VLAN interfaces.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, prior to dynamically building the second VLAN interface, automatically determining the subscriber device associated with the plurality of packets based on a VLAN identification (VID) within each of the plurality of packets.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a router.

9. The network device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first virtual local area network (VLAN) interface statically built over the Ethernet port, and

wherein the interface controller dynamically builds the VLAN interface as a second VLAN interface over the static first VLAN interface upon determining the subscriber device.

8. A network device comprising:

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

a forwarding controller that receives a plurality of packets from the Ethernet port and forwards the received packets to the interface controller;

an auto-sense module included in the interface controller that automatically determines a subscribers device associated with the plurality of packets; and

wherein the interface controller dynamically builds within the network device a VLAN interface for the subscriber device and builds an Internet Protocol (IP) interface column on the VLAN interface when the auto-sense module senses an IP protocol,

wherein the interface controller authenticates a user associated based on login information in the packets after dynamically building the interface column, and

wherein the interface controller automatically tears down the IP interface column when the user logs out of the network device while persistently maintaining the VLAN interface for the subscriber device.