Intra-domain and inter-domain bridging over MPLS using MAC distribution via border gateway protocol

• US 8,531,941 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sajassi, Ali, Patel, Keyur, Appanna, Chandrashekhar, Previdi, Stefano
• Primary Examiner(s): O CONNOR, BRIAN T
• Application Number:
  US11/827,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20090016365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: 370/255, 370/256, 370/392, 370/401, 370/219, 370/235, 370/389
• US Class Current: 370/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/033 by updating distance vector protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a first autonomous system border router (ASBR) of a first autonomous system (AS), a first plurality of provider-provisioned media access control (B-MAC) addresses via Interior Border Gateway Protocol (I-BGP). Each of first plurality of B-MAC addresses is associated with a provider edge (PE) device of the first AS. The first ASBR sends the first plurality of B-MAC addresses to a second ASBR of a second AS using Exterior Border Gateway Protocol (E-BGP). The first ASBR also receives via E-BGP a second plurality of B-MAC addresses each of which is associated with a PE device of the second AS. The first ASBR then distributes the second plurality of B-MAC addresses to each of the PE devices of the first AS using I-BGP.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

learning, by a first provider edge (PE) device of an autonomous system (AS), media access control (MAC) addresses of a plurality of other PE devices of the AS, the learning being performed as a control plane function with the MAC addresses being stored in a table, the control plane function being performed via Bridge Gateway Protocol (BGP); and

receiving, by the first PE device from a first customer edge (CE) device, a packet data unit (PDU) encapsulated in a first frame, the first frame including a first MAC destination address associated with a second CE device;

encapsulating, by the first PE device, the first frame in a second frame, the second frame including a second MAC destination address associated with a second PE device;

performing a lookup, by the first PE device, in the table to determine a port associated with the second MAC destination address; and

forwarding the PDU, by the first PE device, to one of the other PE devices over a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) tunnel connected to the port without using a pseudowire.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first frame further includes a service instance identifier (I-SID).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the PDU is received from the first customer edge (CE) device and the first CE device is connected to the PE device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first frame further includes a first MAC source address associated with a second CE device, the method further comprising associating, in the table, the first MAC source address with a second MAC source address associated with the first PE device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding the PDU to one of the other PE devices over a MPLS tunnel includes forwarding the PDU to the second PE device based on the second MAC destination address.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the first plurality of B-MAC addresses is received by the first ASBR over a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first autonomous system border router (ASBR) of a first autonomous system (AS), a first plurality of provider-provisioned media access control (B-MAC) addresses via Interior Border Gateway Protocol (I-BGP), each of first plurality of B-MAC addresses being associated with a provider edge (PE) device of the first AS, the first plurality of B-MAC addresses being sent to each PE device of the first AS during control plane learning with the first plurality of B-MAC addresses being stored in a table at each PE device of the first AS;

sending, by the first ASBR, the first plurality of B-MAC addresses to a second ASBR of a second AS using Exterior Border Gateway Protocol (E-BGP);

receiving, by the first ASBR, a second plurality of B-MAC addresses each of which is associated with a PE device of the second AS, the second plurality of B-MAC addresses being received from the second ASBR via E-BGP, the second plurality of B-MAC addresses being sent to each PE device of the second AS during control plane learning with the second plurality of B-MAC addresses being stored in a table at each PE device of the second AS; and

distributing, by the first ASBR, the second plurality of B-MAC addresses to each of the PE devices of the first AS using I-BGP.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first ASBR and the second ASBR each have a routing information base (RIB), the sending of the first plurality of B-MAC addresses populating the RIB of the second ASBR, and the receiving of the second plurality of B-MAC addresses populating the RIB of the first ASBR.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising updating the RIB of the first ASBR using I-BGP to reflect new B-MAC address information of the first AS.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the first plurality of B-MAC addresses is received over a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising updating the RIB of the second ASBR using E-BGP to reflect the new B-MAC address information of the first AS.

12. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory comprising one or more instructions executable at the processors, the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions, to;

exchange media access control (MAC) address information with provider edge (PE) devices in an autonomous system (AS) as a control plane function using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) with the MAC address information being stored in a table; and

receive, from a first customer edge (CE) device, a packet data unit (PDU) encapsulated in a first frame, the first frame including a first MAC destination address associated with a second CE device;

encapsulate the first frame in a second frame, the second frame including a second MAC destination address associated with a PE device connected to the second CE device; and

forward the PDU to one of the PE devices via a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) tunnel without using a pseudowire.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the one or more processors is further configured, when executing the instructions, to perform a lookup in a table using a destination address of the frame, the lookup resulting in a port that connects with the one of the other PE devices via the MPLS tunnel.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the frame includes a service instance identifier (I-SID).

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the first frame further includes a first MAC source address associated with a second CE device, and wherein the one or more processors is further configured, when executing the instructions, to associate, in the table, the first MAC source address with a second MAC source address associated with the first PE device.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein forwarding the PDU to one of the other PE devices over a MPLS tunnel includes forwarding the PDU to the second PE device based on the second MAC destination address.

17. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory comprising one or more instructions executable at the processors, the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions, to;

share, via Interior Border Gateway Protocol (I-BGP), a first routing information base (RIB) with a first plurality of provider edge (PE) devices of a first autonomous system (AS);

share, via Exterior Border Gateway Protocol (E-BGP), provider-provisioned media access control (B-MAC) addresses contained in the first RIB with an autonomous system border router (ASBR) associated with a second AS that includes a second plurality of PE devices with the B-MAC addresses being stored in a table at each PE device; and

pass B-MAC updates from the first AS to the ASBR of the second AS using an extended community attribute of BGP.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the one or more processors are further configured, when executing the instructions, to receive a second RIB of the ASBR via E-BGP.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the first and second RIBs each contain provider-provisioned media access control (B-MAC) addresses.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the one or more processors are further configured, when executing the instructions, to receive B-MAC updates from the ASBR of the second AS using an extended community attribute of BGP.