Multicast active source discovery and management for layer-2 interconnect solutions

• US 9,736,054 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bacthu, Nataraj, Grover, Hasmit, Sivaramu, Raghava, Farinacci, Dino, Chippa, Ashok
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Esmaeilian, Majid
• Application Number:
  US13/253,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20130089093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• Field of Search: 370324, 370329, 370390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• 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 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer

Abstract

Methods and systems may be provided for installing a route entry associated with multicast traffic to a memory. Client devices may be notified of the route entry for advertisement by an active source device. The delivery group and delivery source may be retrieved from the information for the route entry. Multicast data trees may maintain delivery group and delivery source information for access.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

installing a virtual local area network (VLAN) route entry into a first routing information database associated with a forwarding engine of a service provider network comprising a first overlay transport virtualization (OTV) site, wherein installing the VLAN route entry comprises installing the VLAN route entry configured to cause the forwarding engine to;

drop a first multicast data packet hitting the VLAN route entry, and

punt the first multicast data packet hitting the VLAN route entry to a processor associated with the service provider network;

receiving, when the first multicast data packet hits the VLAN route entry, the punted first multicast data packet at the processor;

learning, from the punted first multicast data packet associated route information comprising a first VLAN address, a first source address, and a first group address; and

updating the VLAN route entry to include the associated route information, wherein updating the VLAN route entry comprises appending delivery information comprising a destination source address at the first OTV site and a destination group address at the first OTV site to the updated VLAN route entry, wherein updating the VLAN route entry further comprises updating the VLAN route entry being configured to cause the forwarding engine to one of the following;

drop, when no remote receivers exist, any multicast data packet hitting the updated VLAN route entry, and

encapsulate, when one or more remote receivers exist, any multicast data packet hitting the updated VLAN route entry with a provider data delivery group information and send the encapsulated multicast data packet to the service provider network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

informing the first OTV site the updated VLAN route entry; and

storing the updated VLAN route entry to the first routing information database.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying an Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS) about a first source associated with the first source address;

updating a second routing information database about the first source; and

performing a lookup to obtain sites local interest for a first group associated with the first group address.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining if any obtained sites have Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) oifs;

sending a second multicast packet from a second source address to devices interested in the first group;

discovering a router port at the first source; and

snooping router port updates to discover a new oiflist.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

if the new oiflist is not null, notifying the first OTV site and an Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS) about the updated VLAN route entry; and

sending an IGMP join message for sites with interest in the first group.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

storing the updated VLAN route entry to a multicast routing information database.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising storing the updated VLAN route entry to a distribution memory.

8. A method comprising:

installing a drop and punt route to entry cover a multicast range at a forwarding engine of a first local network, wherein installing the drop and punt route entry comprises installing the drop and punt route entry for the forwarding engine to;

drop a first multicast data packet hitting the drop and punt route entry, and

copy the first multicast data packet hitting the drop and punt route entry to a processor associated with the first local network;

receiving, when a first multicast data packet hits the drop and punt route entry, the punted first multicast data packet at the processor;

learning virtual local area network (VLAN) route information from the punted first multicast packet, wherein learning the VLAN route information comprises leaning, from the punted first multicast data packet, a first VLAN information, a first source information, and a first group information;

installing, based on the learned VLAN route information, a learned VLAN route on the forwarding engine located on the first local network through an overlay control plane of the first local network, wherein installing the learned VLAN route further comprises appending delivery information comprising a destination source information at the first local network and a destination group information at the local network to the learned VLAN route, wherein installing the learned VLAN route further comprises installing the learned VLAN route being configured to cause the forwarding engine to one of the following;

drop, when no remote receivers exit, any multicast data packet hitting the learned VLAN route, and

encapsulate, when one or more remote receivers exist, any multicast data packet hitting the learned VLAN route with a provider data delivery group information and send the encapsulated multicast data packet to the first local network; and

distributing the learned VLAN route information to a plurality of remote layer-3 (L3) network on an independently operating client control plane.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a second multicast data packet at an edge device, wherein the second multicast data packet hits the learned VLAN route; and

copying the second multicast data packet to memory associate with the edge device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

processing the copied second multicast data packet with a control plane component.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

sending the VLAN route information from the copied second multicast data packet to the forwarding engine;

dropping the copied second multicast data packet if no remote interested receivers exist; and

sending the copied second multicast data packet if remote interested receivers exist.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

distributing the VLAN route information, using an overlay transport virtualization (OTV) to the remote interested receivers.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

tracking the liveness of VLAN streams by periodically learning an incoming traffic rate.

14. A network device comprising:

a memory storage;

a processor coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processor is operative to;

install a route entry associated with multicast traffic to into a first routing information database associated with a forwarding engine of a service provider network, wherein the installed route entry causes the forwarding engine to;

drop a first multicast data packet hitting the route entry, and

punt the first multicast data packet hitting the route entry to a first processor associated with the service provider network;

notify client devices of the route entry for advertisement by an active source device over an overlay control plane;

wherein, when the multicast data packet hits the route entry, the first multicast data packet is punted at the first processor, wherein the first processor is configured to learn virtual local area network (VLAN) route information from the punted first multicast packet, wherein the VLAN route information comprises a punt flag that indicated to punt the punted multicast data packet to the first processor from a plurality of remote layer 3 (L3) network on an independently operating client control plane, and wherein the first processor is further configured to learn, from the punted first multicast data packet, a first VLAN address, a first source address, and a first group address;

install a learned VLAN route entry based on the learned VLAN route information, wherein the learned VLAN route entry is updated to append delivery information comprising a destination source address at a first remote L3 network and a destination group address at the first remote L3 network to the VLAN route entry, wherein the learned VLAN route being configured to cause the forwarding engine to one of the following;

drop, when no remote receivers exit, any multicast data packet hitting a learned VLAN route, and

encapsulate, when one or more remote receivers exist, any multicast data packet hitting the learned VLAN route with a provider data delivery group information and send the encapsulated multicast data packet to the plurality of remote L3 network;

distribute the learned VLAN route entry;

retrieve delivery group and delivery source information for the learned VLAN route entry; and

maintain the delivery group and delivery source information in multicast data trees.

15. The network device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine interested local receivers by referring to a routing information database; and

handle join requests to the multicast data trees.

16. The network device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

advertise the learned VLAN route entry via an intermediate system-to-intermediate system (IS-IS).

17. The network device of claim 14, wherein the network device is an overlay transport virtualization (OTV) network edge device.

18. The network device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to snoop via an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).