Multi-link routing

• US 9,356,880 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Ofelt, David J., Turner, Stephen W., Ferguson, Dennis C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crutchfield, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US13/937,006
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/624 Altering the ordering of packets in an individual queue
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6275 based on priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

The invention is directed to techniques for supporting multi-link protocols within a computer network. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a set of data blocks from a plurality of links in one or more interface cards according to a multi-link protocol and sending the data blocks to a multi-link service card for sequencing. The data blocks may then be sent to the one or more interface cards for communication to a destination device over a computer network. Implementing a multi-link service card may allow a network device, such as a router, to support multi-link protocols.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data packets from a plurality of links in one or more interface cards of a network device;

performing, by the network device, a first routing operation to forward the data packets from the one or more interface cards to a service card of the network device in accordance with routing information that reflects a topology of a computer network, wherein the routing information identifies the service card as a destination for the data packets;

prioritizing the data packets with the service card of the network device; and

performing, by the network device, a second routing operation in accordance with the routing information to forward the prioritized data packets to the interface cards of the network device for communication over the computer network in an order based at least in part on the prioritization.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein prioritizing the data packets comprises performing Quality of Service (QoS) prioritization.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the QoS prioritization is performed based on header information associated with the data packets.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the service card, queuing header information associated with the data packets in a plurality of priority queues, wherein each of the priority queues is associated with a different priority level.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

by the service card, forwarding header information queued in a highest priority queue of the plurality of priority queues to the interface cards prior to forwarding header in formation queued in a lower priority queue of the plurality of priority queues.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining, by the service card, an order in which to forward the queued header information based on a priority level of the respective priority queue of the queued header information and based on a time at which the header information was queued by the service card.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the header information associated with the data packets includes a field identifying a priority level of the data packets.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of links comprises a logical link bundle that includes a plurality of physical links, further comprising:

by the service card, maintaining a plurality of queues for the bundle, wherein each of the plurality of priority queues is associated with a different priority level; and

by the service card, queuing data packets received on the bundle in different priority queues of the plurality of priority queues for the bundle based on a priority level indicated by the data packets.

9. A network device comprising:

one or more interface cards for receiving data packets from a plurality of links;

a service card comprising a Quality of Service (QoS) handler module having a memory to maintain a plurality of priority queues; and

a routing control unit comprising circuitry that performs a first routing operation to forward the data packets from the one or more interface cards to the service card in accordance with routing information that reflects a topology of a computer network, wherein the routing information identifies the service card as a destination for the data packets,

wherein the QoS handler module of the service card prioritizes the data packets using the plurality of priority queues, and

wherein the routing control unit performs a second routing operation in accordance with the routing information to forward the prioritized data packets to the interface cards of the network device for communication over the computer network in an order based at least in part on the prioritization.

10. The network device of claim 9,

wherein each of the plurality of priority queues is associated with a different priority level, and

wherein the QoS handler module prioritizes the data packets by queuing header information associated with the data packets in different ones of the plurality of priority queues.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein the service card queues header information in the plurality of priority queues according to a priority level indicated in the header information.

12. The network device of claim 10, wherein the QoS handler module forwards header information queued in a highest priority queue of the plurality of priority queues to the routing control unit for forwarding to the interface cards prior to forwarding header in formation queued in a lower priority queue of the plurality of priority queues.

13. The network device of claim 10, wherein the service card determines an order in which the routing control unit forwards the queued header information based on a priority level of the respective priority queue of the queued header information and based on a time at which the header information was queued by the service card.

14. The network device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of links comprises a logical link bundle that includes a plurality of physical links, and wherein the service card maintains a plurality of queues for the bundle, wherein each of the plurality of priority queues is associated with a different priority level.

15. The network device of claim 9, wherein the network device comprises a router.

16. The network device of claim 9, wherein the service card comprises a removable service card.