Creating multipoint-to-multipoint MPLS trees in an inter-domain environment

• US 8,355,347 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boers, Arjen, Wijnands, IJsbrand
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): RANDHAWA, MANDISH K
• Application Number:
  US11/960,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20090161583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,854 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/392, 370254-256, 370/390, 370/401, 709/228
• US Class Current: 370/256
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/484 using multiple routing trees
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/507 Label distribution

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method is provided. A first root node of a first Multipoint-to-Multipoint (MP2MP) Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) tree, advertises to a second root node of a second MP2MP MPLS tree a first label for the second root node to use to send multicast traffic to the first MP2MP MPLS tree. The first root node receives a second label from the second root node for the first root node to use to send multicast traffic to the second MP2MP MPLS tree. Communications are carried out between the first MP2MP MPLS tree and the second MP2MP MPLS tree using the first label and the second label. In another embodiment, apparatus are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a first root node of a first Multipoint-to-Multipoint (MP2MP) Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) tree, advertising to a second root node of a second MP2MP MPLS tree a first label for the second root node to use to send multicast traffic to the first MP2MP MPLS tree, the first root node being distinct from the second root node and the first MP2MP MPLS tree being distinct from the second MP2MP MPLS tree;

at the first root node, receiving a second label from the second root node for the first root node to use to send multicast traffic to the second MP2MP MPLS tree; and

carrying out communications between the first MP2MP MPLS tree and the second MP2MP MPLS tree using the first label and the second label, wherein carrying out communications includes;

at the first root node, receiving a communications packet from a child node of the first MP2MP MPLS tree for multicast distribution to a stitched MP2MP MPLS tree, the stitched MP2MP MPLS tree including the first MP2MP MPLS tree and the second MP2MP MPLS tree, the packet having a third label; and

at the first root node, replicating the communications packet and forwarding the replicated communications packet with the second label to the second root node for multicast distribution to the second MP2MP MPLS tree;

wherein the method further comprises establishing a directed Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) session between the first root node and the second root node over a first Point-to-Point (P2P) Label Switched Path (LSP) and a second P2P LSP;

wherein advertising to the second root node the first label includes sending the first label over the directed LDP session via the first P2P LSP; and

wherein receiving the second label from the second root node includes receiving the second label over the directed LDP session via the second P2P LSP;

wherein the first MP2MP MPLS tree is under control of a first service provider;

wherein the second MP2MP MPLS tree is under control of a second service provider, the first service provider and the second service provider being distinct; and

wherein establishing the directed LDP session between the first root node and the second root node over the first P2P LSP and the second P2P LSP includes establishing the directed LDP session as an inter-domain session between the first service provider and the second service provider.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

at the first root node, advertising a forwarding equivalency class to the second root node with which to identify the stitched MP2MP MPLS tree.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein carrying out communications further includes:

receiving, at the first root node from the second root node over the directed Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) session between the first root node and the second root node, a packet having the first label;

replicating the packet and sending the replicated packet with a fourth label to the child node of the first MP2MP MPLS tree.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein:

the first label identifies the first MP2MP MPLS tree; and

carrying out communications further comprises looking up the first label in a Forwarding Information Base to obtain the third label.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein:

the second label identifies the second MP2MP MPLS tree; and

carrying out communications further comprises looking up the third MPLS label in a Forwarding Information Base to obtain the second label.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein carrying out communications further includes:

at the first root node, receiving another communications packet from the second root node, the other communications packet having the first label;

at the first root node, replicating the communications packet and multicasting the other communications packet to all child nodes of the first MP2MP MPLS tree.

7. A method as in claim 1 wherein carrying out communications further includes:

at the first root node, receiving another communications packet from the child node of the first MP2MP MPLS tree for multicast distribution to another stitched MP2MP MPLS tree, the other stitched MP2MP MPLS tree including the first MP2MP MPLS tree and a third MP2MP MPLS tree distinct from the first and second MP2MP MPLS trees, the packet having a fourth label distinct from the third label;

at the first root node, replicating the communications packet and forwarding the replicated communications packet with a fifth label to the third MP2MP MPLS tree for multicast distribution to the third MP2MP MPLS tree, the fifth label being distinct from the second label.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein advertising the first label to the second root node of the second MP2MP MPLS tree and carrying out communications between the first MP2MP MPLS tree and the second MP2MP MPLS tree using the first label and the second label are both performed over a same network connection of the first root node.

9. A method as in claim 1 wherein the method further includes:

receiving from the second root node a fourth MPLS label identifying a third MP2MP MPLS tree, the second root node serving as a root node for the third MP2MP MPLS tree, the third MP2MP MPLS tree being distinct from the first MP2MP MPLS tree and the second MP2MP MPLS tree;

receiving another communications packet from the child node having a fifth MPLS label; and

replicating the other communications packet and sending the replicated other communications packet to the second root node with the fourth MPLS label;

wherein the fourth MPLS label and the fifth MPLS label are both distinct from the first, second, and third MPLS labels.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a first network interface, the first network interface connecting to a child node;

a second network interface, the second network interface connecting to a peer node over a directed Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) session;

memory, the memory including a Forwarding Information Base; and

a controller, the controller being configured to perform a method as in claim 1.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a first network interface, the first network interface connecting to a child node;

a second network interface, the second network interface connecting to a peer node over a directed LDP session;

memory, the memory including a Forwarding Information Base; and

means for performing a method as in claim 1.