Mobility label-based networks

• US 8,081,611 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Berzin, Oleg L., Malis, Andrew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Chuong T
• Application Number:
  US11/863,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20090022115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/466, 370/342, 370/343, 370/389
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/507 Label distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update

Abstract

A device may receive a discovery signal from a mobile node, register the mobile node in response to receiving the discovery signal from the mobile node, assign a mobility label to the mobile node after the registration, distribute messages describing the mobility label and the mobile node to edge routers in the network to create a label switched path, and route communication messages from a remote node to the mobile node along the label switched path in the network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobility support function (MSF) logic-enabled first edge router in a network including a plurality of label switch (LS) routers, a discovery signal from a first mobile node;

registering the first mobile node in response to receiving registration information related to the discovery signal, from the first mobile node, wherein the registration information includes first data including at least one networking parameter for the first mobile node;

assigning a mobility label to the first mobile node, including associating the first data with the mobility label;

distributing, in accordance with a multi-protocol border gateway protocol, messages describing the mobility label and the first data to a plurality of edge routers including an MSF logic-enabled second edge router, in the network to create a label switched path; and

routing communication messages to be exchanged between the first mobile node and a second mobile node, along the label switched path in the network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a unicast address to the first mobile node in response to the discovery signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the discovery signal includes:

receiving the discovery signal from the first mobile node indirectly through a communication path that includes a layer 3 device not within the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the first mobile node includes one of:

registering a mobile router;

or

registering a mobile host.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing messages includes:

distributing the messages to the plurality of edge routers in accordance with an inter-domain signaling protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

distributing the mobility label in accordance with a label distribution protocol;

or

distributing the mobility label in accordance with a resource reservation protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, where wherein distributing messages includes:

creating messages that include network level reachability information; and

sending the messages that include the network level reachability information to the plurality of edge routers.

8. The method of claim 1, where wherein distributing messages includes:

sending the messages from a customer edge router at which the first mobile node is registered and is not in the network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning a first mobility label includes:

associating a multi-protocol label switching label with the first mobile node.

10. A device comprising:

a mobility support function (MSF) module to;

exchange a plurality of messages with a first mobile node responsive to receiving a discovery signal from the first mobile node,

register the first mobile node in response to receiving registration information included in at least one message of the plurality of messages, wherein the registration information includes first data related to at least one networking parameter for the first mobile node, and

link the first mobile node to the device via a communication path; and

a routing module to;

propagate a mobility label, associated with the first data, from the device to a plurality of edge routers including an MSF logic-enabled edge router, in a network, in accordance with an inter-domain signaling protocol that includes a multi-protocol border gateway protocol, and

distribute the mobility label to routers that are within a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network portion of the network, in accordance with a distribution protocol.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the communication path includes:

an indirect link through a layer 3 device to the first mobile node via a radio access network.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the layer 3 device comprises a customer edge router.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of messages include at least one of:

a solicitation message from the first mobile node;

or

a registration message from the first mobile node.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the first mobile node includes one of:

a mobile host;

or

a mobile router.

15. The device of claim 10, where the distribution protocol includes at least one of:

a label distribution protocol;

or

a resource reservation protocol.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one networking parameter includes:

an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the first mobile node.

17. The device of claim 10, further comprising:

a forwarding module to;

route communication messages from a second mobile node via the MPLS network, to the first mobile node, based on a label switched path that is established by the propagation of the mobility label and the distribution of the mobility label.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobility support function (MSF) logic-enabled first edge router in a network including a plurality of label switch (LS) routers, a discovery signal from a first mobile node;

registering, at the first edge router, the first mobile node, including storing first data identifying the first mobile node;

assigning, by the first edge router, a first mobility label to the first mobile node after the registration, wherein the first mobility label identifies the first mobile node;

distributing, in a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network portion within the network and in accordance with a multi-protocol border gateway protocol, messages describing the first mobility label and the first data, to a plurality of edge routers including an MSF logic-enabled second edge router, in the network, to create a first label switched path (LSP); and

routing communication messages from a remote to be exchanged between the first mobile node and a second mobile node attached to the second edge router, along the first LSP in the MPLS network.