IP multicast service leave process for MPLS-based virtual private cloud networking

• US 8,953,618 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Mishra, Ramesh, Green, Howard, Baucke, Stephan, Kempf, James, Tatipamula, Mallik
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOO, JUVENA W
• Application Number:
  US13/649,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20140098815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 370350-430
• US Class Current: 370/395.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/021 Ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers

Abstract

A multicast cloud controller (“MCC”) in a cloud system implements a process to manage multicast traffic in a cloud network. The MCC is coupled to at least one virtualized server for hosting one or more virtual machines (“VM”), wherein the virtualized server comprises at least one virtual switch (“VS”) that supports multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and the virtual switch is coupled to a top of rack switch (“TORS”) that supports MPLS. MPLS is utilized to support multicast data traffic in the cloud system such that the system and method reduces state and is scalable.

Claims

1. A method performed by a multicast cloud controller (“

MCC”

) in a cloud system to manage multicast traffic in a cloud network, the MCC coupled to at least one virtualized server for hosting one or more virtual machines (“

VM”

), wherein the virtualized server comprises at least one virtual switch (“

VS”

) that supports multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and the virtual switch is coupled to a top of rack switch (“

TORS”

) that supports MPLS, the method comprising the steps of;

receiving a leave group message at the MCC from a VM identifying a multicast group, where the VM is from a set of VMs of a tenant that are subscribed to the multicast group;

deleting a flow table entry and output group at a VS of the VM, the flow table entry for forwarding outbound multicast traffic from the VM for the multicast group;

deleting an action in an input group at the VS to forward incoming packets to the VM; and

deleting a rule to drop loop back traffic from a TORS for the VM.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

deleting a rule at the VS to forward incoming packets to the VM and associated input group.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

deleting actions in an input group and output group at the TORS for forwarding of multicast group traffic to the VS.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the VM is a last VM in a rack subscribing to the multicast group, the method comprising the step of:

deleting rules managing multicast group at the TORS including an input group and output group.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

configuring the VS to forward incoming multicast traffic for the VM to a cloud network manager to buffer during VM movement.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

forwarding buffered traffic to the VM after movement of VM completes;

modifying VS and TORS records for the VM at the MCC;

executing a join operation for new VS and new TORS of the VM for each multicast group subscribed to by the VM; and

executing a leave operation for the VS and TORS of the VM for each multicast group subscribed to by the VM.

7. A method performed by a multicast cloud controller (“

MCC”

) in a cloud system to manage multicast traffic in a cloud network, the MCC coupled to at least one virtualized server for hosting one or more virtual machines (“

VM”

), wherein the virtualized server comprises at least one virtual switch (“

VS”

) that supports multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and the virtual switch is coupled to a top of rack switch (“

TORS”

) that supports MPLS, the method comprising the steps of;

receiving a leave group message at the MCC from a VM;

deleting a flow table entry and output group at a VS of the VM, the flow table entry for forwarding outbound multicast traffic from the VM for the multicast group identified by the leave group message;

deleting an action in an input group at the VS to forward incoming packets to the VM;

deleting a rule to drop loop back traffic from a TORS for the VM;

checking whether the VM is the last VM subscribed to the multicast group at the VS;

deleting a rule forwarding incoming packets for VM along with associated input group;

deleting actions for forwarding of multicast group packets to the VS of the VM at a flow table of the TORS in an input group and an output group;

checking whether the VM is the last VM subscribing to the multicast group on a rack; and

deleting rules managing the multicast group in the flow table of the TORS including input group and output group.

8. A multicast cloud controller (“

MCC”

) implemented in a cloud system, the MCC coupled to at least one virtualized server for hosting one or more virtual machines (“

VM”

), wherein the virtualized server comprises at least one virtual switch (“

VS”

) that supports multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and the virtual switch is coupled to a top of rack switch (“

TORS”

) that supports MPLS, the MCC comprising;

a processor to execute a leave group module and a VM movement module, each module in communication with the other module,

the leave group module is configured to receive a leave group message at the MCC from the VM identifying a multicast group, delete a flow table entry and output group at the VS for forwarding outbound multicast traffic from the VM for the multicast group, delete an action in an input group at the VS to forward incoming packets to the VM, and delete a rule to drop loop back traffic from the TORS for the VM.

9. The MCC of claim 8, wherein the leave group module is further configured to delete a rule at the VS to forward incoming packets to the VM and associated input group.

10. The MCC of claim 8, wherein the leave group module is further configured to deleting actions in an input group and output group at the TORS for forwarding of multicast group traffic to the VS.

11. The MCC of claim 8, wherein the VM is a last VM in a rack subscribing to the multicast group and the leave group module is configured to delete rules managing multicast group at the TORS including an input group and output group.

12. The MCC of claim 11, wherein the leave group module is further configured at the VS to forward incoming multicast traffic for the VM to a cloud network manager to buffer during VM movement.

13. The MCC of claim 8, wherein the multicast VM movement module is further configured to forward buffered traffic to the VM after movement of VM completes, to modify VS and TORS records for the VM at the MCC, to execute a join operation for new VS and new TORS of the VM for each multicast group subscribed to by the VM, and to execute a leave operation for the VS and TORS of the VM for each multicast group subscribed to by the VM.

14. A multicast cloud controller (“

MCC”

) is implemented in a cloud system to manage multicast traffic in a cloud network, the MCC coupled to at least one virtualized server for hosting one or more virtual machines (“

VM”

), wherein the virtualized server comprises at least one virtual switch (“

VS”

) that supports multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and the virtual switch is coupled to a top of rack switch (“

TORS”

) that supports MPLS, MCC comprises;

a processor to execute a leave group module,

the leave group module to receive a leave group message at the MCC from a VM, delete a flow table entry and output group at a VS of the VM, the flow table entry for forwarding outbound multicast traffic from the VM for the multicast group identified by the leave group message, delete an action in an input group at the VS to forward incoming packets to the VM, and delete a rule to drop loop back traffic from a TORS for the VM, check whether the VM is the last VM subscribed to the multicast group at the VS, delete a rule forwarding incoming packets for VM along with associated input group, delete actions for forwarding of multicast group packets to the VS of the VM at a flow table of the TORS in an input group and an output group, check whether the VM is the last VM subscribing to the multicast group on a rack, and delete rules managing the multicast group in the flow table of the TORS including input group and output group.