Multiple label based processing of frames

• US 8,559,431 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lam, Richard Shing-Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASEFA, DEBEBE A
• Application Number:
  US12/975,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20120163381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 370254-430
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]

Abstract

A method associated with particular embodiments comprises establishing a connection between a first node and a network composed of a plurality of nodes supporting a plurality of services. Each of the services is supported by at least one of the nodes. The method further includes receiving at a first node a frame from a second node of the plurality of nodes. The frame comprises at least two labels attached to the frame by the second node. The method also includes extracting a first label value and a second label value from the two labels. The method further includes determining that the frame was sent by the second node based on an extracted first label value and that the frame is associated with a first service based on the extracted second label value. The method additionally includes processing the frame based on both of the determinations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a connection between a first node and a network comprising a plurality of nodes supporting a plurality of services, each service supported by at least one node of the plurality of nodes;

receiving at the first node a frame from a second node of the plurality of nodes, the frame comprising at least two labels attached to the frame by the second node;

extracting at the first node a first label value from a first label of the frame;

determining at the first node that the frame was sent by the second node of the plurality of nodes based on the extracted first label value from the first label;

extracting at the first node a second label value from a second label of the frame;

determining at the first node that the frame is associated with a first service of the plurality of services based on the extracted second label value from the second label; and

processing the frame at the first node based on both the determination that the frame was sent by the second node and the determination that the frame is associated with the first service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the first node at least one configuration message comprising at least one parameter associated with the first service.

3. The method of claim 1:

further comprising receiving at the first node an update to a routing table, the update providing an IP address associated with the second node; and

wherein determining that the frame was sent by the second node of the plurality of nodes based on the extracted first label value from the first label comprises determining a node identifier associated with the second node based on the IP address associated with the second node and comparing the extracted first label value to the node identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the frame comprises forwarding the frame to a third node based on both the determination that the frame was sent by the second node and the determination that the frame is associated with the first service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node receives the frame from the second node without the first node negotiating with the second node on a specific value to be used for the first service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

establishing a connection between a first node and network comprises establishing a connection between the first node and a data center virtual local area network comprising a plurality of nodes supporting a plurality of services, each service supported by at least one node of the plurality of nodes; and

receiving at the first node a frame from a second node of the plurality of nodes, the frame comprising at least two labels attached to the frame by the second node comprises receiving at the first node a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) frame from a second node of the plurality of nodes, the MPLS frame comprising at least two MPLS labels attached to the frame by the second node.

7. Logic embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code that when executed by a processor is configured to:

establish a connection between a first node and a network comprising a plurality of nodes supporting a plurality of services, each service supported by at least one node of the plurality of nodes;

receive at the first node a frame from a second node of the plurality of nodes, the frame comprising at least two labels attached to the frame by the second node;

extract at the first node a first label value from a first label of the frame;

determine at the first node that the frame was sent by the second node of the plurality of nodes based on the extracted first label value from the first label;

extract at the first node a second label value from a second label of the frame;

determine at the first node that the frame is associated with a first service of the plurality of services based on the extracted second label value from the second label; and

process the frame at the first node based on both the determination that the frame was sent by the second node and the determination that the frame is associated with the first service.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the logic is further configured to receive at the first node at least one configuration message comprising at least one parameter associated with the first service.

9. The medium of claim 7:

wherein the logic is further configured to receive at the first node an update to a routing table, the update providing an IP address associated with the second node; and

wherein the logic configured to determine that the frame was sent by the second node comprises logic further configured to determine a node identifier associated with the second node based on the IP address associated with the second node and to compare the extracted first label value to the node identifier.

10. The medium of claim 7, wherein the logic configured to process the frame comprises logic configured to forward the frame to a third node based on both the determination that the frame was sent by the second node and the determination that the frame is associated with the first service.

11. The medium of claim 7, wherein the first node receives the frame from the second node without the first node negotiating with the second node on a specific value to be used for the first service.

12. The medium of claim 7, wherein:

the logic configured to establish a connection between a first node and network comprises logic configured to establish a connection between the first node and a data center virtual local area network comprising a plurality of nodes supporting a plurality of services, each service supported by at least one node of the plurality of nodes; and

the logic configured to receive at the first node a frame from a second node of the plurality of nodes, the frame comprising at least two labels attached to the frame by the second node comprises logic configured to receive at the first node a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) frame from a second node of the plurality of nodes, the MPLS frame comprising at least two MPLS labels attached to the frame by the second node.

13. An apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to;

establish a connection between a first node and a network comprising a plurality of nodes supporting a plurality of services, each service supported by at least one node of the plurality of nodes; and

receive at the first node a frame from a second node of the plurality of nodes, the frame comprising at least two labels attached to the frame by the second node; and

a processor coupled to the interface and configured to;

extract at the first node a first label value from a first label of the frame;

determine at the first node that the frame was sent by the second node of the plurality of nodes based on the extracted first label value from the first label;

extract at the first node a second label value from a second label of the frame;

determine at the first node that the frame is associated with a first service of the plurality of services based on the extracted second label value from the second label; and

process the frame at the first node based on both the determination that the frame was sent by the second node and the determination that the frame is associated with the first service.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the interface is further configured to receive at the first node at least one configuration message comprising at least one parameter associated with the first service.

15. The apparatus of claim 13:

wherein the interface is further configured to receive at the first node an update to a routing table, the update providing an IP address associated with the second node; and

wherein the processor configured to determine that the frame was sent by the second node is further configured to determine a node identifier associated with the second node based on the IP address associated with the second node and comparing the extracted first label value to the node identifier.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor configured to process the frame is further configured to forward the frame to a third node based on both the determination that the frame was sent by the second node and the determination that the frame is associated with the first service.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first node receives the frame from the second node without the first node negotiating with the second node on a specific value to be used for the first service.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the interface configured to:

establish a connection between a first node and network comprises an interface configured to establish a connection between the first node and a data center virtual local area network comprising a plurality of nodes supporting a plurality of services, each service supported by at least one node of the plurality of nodes; and

receive at the first node a frame from a second node of the plurality of nodes, the frame comprising at least two labels attached to the frame by the second node comprises an interface configured to receive at the first node a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) frame from a second node of the plurality of nodes, the MPLS frame comprising at least two MPLS labels attached to the frame by the second node.