Multicast VPN support for IP-VPN lite
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for multicast data communication, the computer-implemented method comprising:
- examining control information of a multicast data packet received at a first data switching device, the multicast data packet including control information and a payload, the multicast data packet received as part of a virtual private network (VPN);
identifying remotely attached data switching devices to which to forward the multicast data packet based on the control information, the remotely attached data switching devices being logically connected to the first data switching device via a service provider network, wherein identifying remotely attached data switching devices to which to forward the multicast data packet based on the control information includes identifying remotely attached virtual route forwarders;
replicating the multicast data packet for each identified remotely attached data switching device;
encapsulating each replicated multicast data packet with outer header information, the outer header information identifying each replicated multicast data packet as a unicast data packet;
forwarding each encapsulated and replicated multicast data packet to a corresponding remotely attached data switching device via a logical unicast tunnel of the service provider network;
exchanging VPN routing information with remotely attached switching devices using Multi-Protocol extensions to Border Gateway Protocol (MP-BGP), each data switching device having one or more virtual route forwarders; and
enabling a multicast routing protocol in each virtual route forwarder.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for providing multicast Virtual Private Network (VPN) support for IP VPN networks, including IP VPN-lite networks. Such techniques provide multicast VPN capability over an IP unicast core network by creating a multicast service VLAN and IP interface, which is used for multicast control traffic exchange between VPN instances. Multicast VPN data traffic is then carried over unicast IP-in-IP tunnels. A given ingress Provide Edge (PE) replicates the multicast traffic for all receiving egress PEs, and adds control information so that the multicast traffic appears as unicast traffic to the Core network. With such a technique, a given Core network only needs to run an IP unicast that is free of VPN unicast or multicast route or tree information.
40 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for multicast data communication, the computer-implemented method comprising:
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examining control information of a multicast data packet received at a first data switching device, the multicast data packet including control information and a payload, the multicast data packet received as part of a virtual private network (VPN); identifying remotely attached data switching devices to which to forward the multicast data packet based on the control information, the remotely attached data switching devices being logically connected to the first data switching device via a service provider network, wherein identifying remotely attached data switching devices to which to forward the multicast data packet based on the control information includes identifying remotely attached virtual route forwarders; replicating the multicast data packet for each identified remotely attached data switching device; encapsulating each replicated multicast data packet with outer header information, the outer header information identifying each replicated multicast data packet as a unicast data packet; forwarding each encapsulated and replicated multicast data packet to a corresponding remotely attached data switching device via a logical unicast tunnel of the service provider network; exchanging VPN routing information with remotely attached switching devices using Multi-Protocol extensions to Border Gateway Protocol (MP-BGP), each data switching device having one or more virtual route forwarders; and enabling a multicast routing protocol in each virtual route forwarder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A computer system for multicast data communication, the computer system comprising:
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a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform the operations of; examining control information of a multicast data packet received at a first data switching device, the multicast data packet including control information and a payload, the multicast data packet received as part of a virtual private network (VPN); identifying remotely attached data switching devices to which to forward the multicast data packet based on the control information, the remotely attached data switching devices being logically connected to the first data switching device via a service provider network, wherein identifying remotely attached data switching devices to which to forward the multicast data packet based on the control information includes identifying remotely attached virtual route forwarders; replicating the multicast data packet for each identified remotely attached data switching device; encapsulating each replicated multicast data packet with outer header information, the outer header information identifying each replicated multicast data packet as a unicast data packet; forwarding each encapsulated and replicated multicast data packet to a corresponding remotely attached data switching device via a logical unicast tunnel of the service provider network; exchanging VPN routing information with remotely attached switching devices using Multi-Protocol extensions to Border Gateway Protocol (MP-BGP), each data switching device having one or more virtual route forwarders; and enabling a multicast routing protocol in each virtual route forwarder. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer program product including a non-transitory computer-storage medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform the operations of:
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examining control information of a multicast data packet received at a first data switching device, the multicast data packet including control information and a payload, the multicast data packet received as part of a virtual private network (VPN); identifying remotely attached data switching devices to which to forward the multicast data packet based on the control information, the remotely attached data switching devices being logically connected to the first data switching device via a service provider network, wherein identifying remotely attached data switching devices to which to forward the multicast data packet based on the control information includes identifying remotely attached virtual route forwarders; replicating the multicast data packet for each identified remotely attached data switching device; encapsulating each replicated multicast data packet with outer header information, the outer header information identifying each replicated multicast data packet as a unicast data packet; forwarding each encapsulated and replicated multicast data packet to a corresponding remotely attached data switching device via a logical unicast tunnel of the service provider network; exchanging VPN routing information with remotely attached switching devices using Multi-Protocol extensions to Border Gateway Protocol (MP-BGP), each data switching device having one or more virtual route forwarders; and enabling a multicast routing protocol in each virtual route forwarder. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification