Differential forwarding in address-based carrier networks
First Claim
1. A carrier Ethernet network configured for providing a Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS), the carrier Ethernet network comprising:
- a first node configured;
to receive a frame from a customer, the frame having a first customer MAC address as a customer source MAC address and a second customer MAC address as a customer destination MAC address;
to encapsulate the frame for transport across the carrier Ethernet network with a VLAN identifier, an encapsulating source MAC address and an encapsulating destination MAC address, the encapsulating source MAC address being a MAC address of the first node; and
to forward the encapsulated frame across the carrier Ethernet network based on the combination of the VLAN identifier and the encapsulating destination MAC address; and
a second node configured;
to receive the encapsulated frame;
to configure a mapping between the customer source MAC address of the frame and the MAC address of the first node, the MAC address of the first node being learned from the encapsulating source MAC address of the frame; and
to forward the frame to the customer based on the customer destination MAC address.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to enabling differential forwarding in address-based carrier networks such as Ethernet networks. There is described a method of and connection controller for establishing connections (76, 77) in a frame-based communications network comprising nodes (71-75 and 78) such as Ethernet switches. The connections are established by configuring, in various of the nodes, mappings for forwarding data frames, such as Ethernet frames. The mappings are from a combination of a) a destination (or source) address corresponding to a destination (or source) node (73) of the connection and b) an identifier, such as a VLAN tag. The mappings are to selected output ports of the various nodes. By using the combination of destination (or source) address AND identifier, the mappings enable data frames belonging to different connections (76, 77) to be forwarded differentially (ie forwarded on different output ports) at a node (75) despite the different connections having the same destination node. This enables flexibility in routing connections and the ability to perform traffic engineering.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A carrier Ethernet network configured for providing a Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS), the carrier Ethernet network comprising:
-
a first node configured; to receive a frame from a customer, the frame having a first customer MAC address as a customer source MAC address and a second customer MAC address as a customer destination MAC address; to encapsulate the frame for transport across the carrier Ethernet network with a VLAN identifier, an encapsulating source MAC address and an encapsulating destination MAC address, the encapsulating source MAC address being a MAC address of the first node; and to forward the encapsulated frame across the carrier Ethernet network based on the combination of the VLAN identifier and the encapsulating destination MAC address; and a second node configured; to receive the encapsulated frame; to configure a mapping between the customer source MAC address of the frame and the MAC address of the first node, the MAC address of the first node being learned from the encapsulating source MAC address of the frame; and to forward the frame to the customer based on the customer destination MAC address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A carrier Ethernet network configured for forwarding customer data frames, the network comprising:
-
at least one connection controller configured to establish a connection through the carrier Ethernet network by, without Ethernet unknown destination address forwarding and source address learning; determining a path for the connection through the Ethernet carrier network; selecting a VLAN for association with the connection, the VLAN having a VLAN identifier; selecting an Ethernet MAC address for association with the connection; and forwarding packets associated with the selected VLAN and the selected Ethernet MAC address at nodes on the path based on the combination of the VLAN identifier and the Ethernet MAC address without changing the VLAN identifier; and a node identified by the Ethernet MAC address selected for a particular connection configured; to receive a customer data frame over the particular connection, the customer data frame having a particular customer source address; in response to receipt of the customer data frame, to configure a mapping between the particular customer source address and a source Ethernet MAC address of the received frame; to receive further customer data frames at the node, the further customer data frames having a customer destination address equal to the particular customer source address; and to forward the further customer data frames over a connection associated with the Ethernet MAC address to which the customer destination address is mapped by the mapping. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification