Systems and methods for an extranet multicast virtual private network in a virtual routing and forwarding based customer edge device

• US 9,197,426 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Venkataswami, Balaji Venkat, Bhikkaji, Bhargav
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, JUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/797,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20140269700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1863 comprising mechanisms for improved reliability, e.g. status reports arrangements for detecting or preventing errors by carrying supervisory signal the return channel H04L1/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/354 for supporting virtual local area networks [VLAN]

Abstract

An information handling system is provided. The information handling system includes a customer edge device coupled to a provider edge device. The customer edge device provides a default virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instance that receives a multicast stream from the provider edge device. The information handling system also includes a plurality of host devices and a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs). Each of the VLANs includes at least one of the host devices and is assigned to a subscribing VRF instance, with each of the subscribing VRF instances subscribing to the default VRF instance in order to receive a copy of the multicast stream from the provider edge device. The single copy of the multicast stream is transmitted over the PE-CE link regardless of the number of subscribing VRFs.

Claims

1. A network device operating as a customer edge device, the network device comprising:

one or more processors that are in communication with a plurality of host device interfaces that are each configured to couple to at least one host device, a provider edge device interface that is configured to couple to a provider edge device, and a memory; and

a plurality of forwarding tables stored in the memory;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to provide a plurality of virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instances that are each of associated with a respective one of the plurality of forwarding tables and that include a respective subscribing VRF instances associated with each of the plurality of host device interfaces and a default VRF instance associated with the provider edge device interface, wherein the default VRF instance is configured to receive a single multicast stream from a provider device through the provider edge device interface, replicated the single multicast stream to provide a plurality of replicated multicast streams, and transmit one of the plurality of replicated multicast streams to each respective subscribing VRF instances to provide that replicated multicast stream to the at least one host device coupled to the host device interface associated with that respective subscribing VRF instance.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the default VRF instance is configured to sends a protocol independent multicast (PIM) join request to a provider edge device through the provider edge device interface to cause the single multicast stream to be received at the default VRF instance.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein each respective subscribing VRF instance is configured to sends a PIM join request to cause the one of the plurality of replicated multicast streams to be provided from the default VRF instance to that respective subscribing VRF instance.

4. The network device of claim 3, wherein each of the PIM join requests from the respective subscribing VRF instances are internal PIM join requests that are generated, sent, and received within the network device.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein each respective subscribing VRF instances is associated with one or more links between its associated host device interface and at least one host device coupled to that host device interface.

6. The network device of claim 1, further comprising:

an outgoing interface list that is stored in the memory and that includes a set of links associated with the respective subscribing VRF instances.

7. An information handling system comprising:

a customer edge device that is coupled to a provider edge device and that provides a default virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instance that is configured to receive a single multicast stream from the provider edge device and replicate that single multicast stream to provide a plurality of replicated multicast streams;

a plurality of host devices coupled to the customer edge device; and

a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs) that each includes at least one of the plurality of host devices and that are each assigned to a respective subscribing VRF instance, wherein each respective subscribing VRF instance is configured to subscribe to the default VRF instance to receive one of the plurality of replicated multicast streams and provide that replicated multicast stream to the at least one host devices included in the VLAN assigned to that respective subscribing VRF instance.

8. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the single multicast stream is a high frequency trading multicast stream.

9. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the default VRF instance is configured to sends a protocol independent multicast (PIM) join request to the provider edge device to cause the single multicast stream to be received by the default VRF instance.

10. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein each subscribing VRF instances is configured to send a PIM join request to cause the one of the plurality of replicated multicast streams to be provided from the default VRF instance to that respective subscribing VRF instance.

11. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein each of the PIM join requests from the respective subscribing VRF instances are internal PIM join requests that are generated, sent, and received within the customer edge device.

12. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein an outgoing interface list is stored in the customer edge device and includes a set of VRF links for the respective subscribing VRF instances.

13. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the provider edge device is located at an edge of a multiprotocol label switching network.

14. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of VLANs is assigned to a respective customer.

15. A method for providing a multicast stream transmitted from a provider edge device to a plurality of host devices using a customer edge device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a customer edge device, a single multicast stream transmitted by a provider edge device;

replicating, by a default virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instance that is included in the customer edge device, the single multicast stream to provide a plurality of replicated multicast streams; and

sending, by the default VRF instance, a respective one of the plurality of replicated multicast streams to each of a plurality of subscribing VRF instances; and

providing, by each of the plurality of VRF instances, the respective one of the plurality of multicast streams to at least one host device that is associated with that VRF instance.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of subscribing VRF instances is associated with the at least one host device based on an assignment to respective virtual local area networks (VLANs).

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sending, by the default VRF instance, a protocol independent multicast (PIM) join request to the provider edge device that requests the single multicast stream.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the default VRF instance, a PIM join requests from each of the plurality of subscribing VRF instances that requests the respective one of the plurality of replicated multicast streams.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the customer edge device is part of an extranet multicast virtual private network (VPN).

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing, by the customer edge device, an outgoing interface list that includes a set of VRF instance links associated with the plurality of subscribing VRF instances.