Layer 2 virtual private network traffic steering over optical transport networks

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code executable by one or more computer processors to perform an operation, the operation comprising:
• receiving, from a source device communicatively coupled to a first node in an optical communication network, client data for transmission over the optical communication network to a destination device communicatively coupled to a second node in the optical communication network;
• and
• transmitting the client data from the source device to the destination device using a layer 2 (L2) virtual network connection between the source device and the destination device implemented over an optical transport network (OTN) path, based on including an identifier relating to the L2 virtual network connection in an optical frame, comprising:
• transmitting the client data from the first node to the second node over the OTN path through the optical communication network using the optical frame, wherein the second node is configured to receive the optical frame and transmit the client data to the destination device based on the identifier in the optical frame, the transmitting the client data from the first node to the second node over the OTN path comprising:
• determining the OTN path based on a media access control (MAC) address table comprising one or more MAC addresses and one or more corresponding OTN path identifiers,
• wherein the identifier in the optical frame comprises a MAC address and the second node is configured to transmit the client data to the destination device based on a second MAC address table comprising a second one or more MAC addresses and one or more corresponding destination identifiers.

A system, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing a program, which, when executed on the processor, performs an operation, the operation comprising:
• receiving, from a source device communicatively coupled to a first node in an optical communication network, client data for transmission over the optical communication network to a destination device communicatively coupled to a second node in the optical communication network;
• and
• transmitting the client data from the source device to the destination device using a layer 2 (L2) virtual network connection between the source device and the destination device implemented over an optical transport network (OTN) path, based on including an identifier relating to the L2 virtual network connection in an optical frame, comprising:
• transmitting the client data from the first node to the second node over the OTN path through the optical communication network using the optical frame, wherein the second node is configured to receive the optical frame and transmit the client data to the destination device based on the identifier in the optical frame, the transmitting the client data from the first node to the second node over the OTN path comprising:
• determining the OTN path based on a media access control (MAC) address table comprising one or more MAC addresses and one or more corresponding OTN path identifiers,
• wherein the identifier in the optical frame comprises a MAC address and the second node is configured to transmit the client data to the destination device based on a second MAC address table comprising a second one or more MAC addresses and one or more corresponding destination identifiers.