# US 12,120,023 B2 · BIER OAM detection method, device, and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,023 B2 - Document ID: US12120023B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/067,232 - Filed: 2022-12-16 - Published: 2023-05-18 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-18 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jing Hu; Wei Yi; Jingrong Xie; Ju Wang; Ting Hua - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120023B2 ## CPC - H04L 43/10: Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route - H04L 12/4633: {Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling} - H04L 45/16: Multipoint routing - H04L 45/34: {Source routing} - H04L 45/566: {Routing instructions carried by the data packet, e.g. active networks} - H04L 45/741: Routing in networks with a plurality of addressing schemes, e.g. with both IPv4 and IPv6 - H04L 69/164: Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol - H04L 69/22: Parsing or analysis of headers - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A bit index explicit replication (BIER) operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) detection method includes a bit forwarding ingress router (BFIR) obtaining a detection request packet based on a first BIER OAM packet, and sending the detection request packet to at least one bit forwarding egress router BFER. The detection request packet includes a first packet and a first packet header. The first packet is a packet obtained by encapsulating the first BIER OAM packet. The first packet header includes a bit string, and the bit string indicates the at least one bit forwarding egress router BFER that is to be measured. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: obtaining, based on a first bit index explicit replication (BIER) operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) packet, a detection request packet, wherein the detection request packet comprises a first packet, a first packet header, and a second packet header, wherein the first packet is based on encapsulation of the first BIER OAM packet, wherein the first packet header comprises a bit string, wherein the bit string indicates a bit forwarding egress router (BFER) that is to be measured, wherein the first packet comprises a first destination address that is a valid address that can be identified by the BFER, wherein the second packet header comprises a second destination address that is a next hop for BIER forwarding, wherein the first destination address is configured to not be updated, and wherein the second destination address is configured to be continually updated; and sending the detection request packet to the BFER. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first packet header comprises a first identifier indicating that the first packet is encapsulated using Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulation, wherein the first packet comprises a first IP header and the first BIER OAM packet, and wherein the first IP header comprises the first destination address that can be identified by the BFER. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the IP encapsulation is IP version 6 (IPv6) encapsulation, and wherein the first IP header is an IPv6 header. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the IP encapsulation is IP version 4 (IPv4) encapsulation, and wherein the first IP header is an IPv4 header. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first packet header comprises a first identifier indicating that the first packet is encapsulated using Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulation, wherein the first packet comprises a first IP header, a first User Datagram Protocol (UDP) header, and the first BIER OAM packet, wherein the first IP header comprises the first destination address that can be identified by the BFER, and wherein a destination port comprised in the first UDP header indicates a listening port of the BFER for receiving the detection request packet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first packet header comprises an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) encapsulated BIER header, and wherein the IPv6 encapsulated BIER header comprises an IPv6 header and a first identifier indicating that the first packet is encapsulated using Internet Protocol encapsulation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a detection reply packet from the BFER, wherein the detection reply packet comprises a second packet, and wherein the second packet is from encapsulating a second BIER OAM packet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the second packet comprises a second IP header and the second BIER OAM packet, and wherein the second IP header comprises a source address that can be identified by the BFER. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the second packet comprises a second IP header, a second User Datagram Protocol (UDP) header, and the second BIER OAM packet, wherein the second IP header comprises a source address that can be identified by the BFER, and wherein a source port number comprised in the second UDP header indicates a listening port of the BFER for receiving the detection request packet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first packet header comprises a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) encapsulated BIER header, and wherein the MPLS encapsulated BIER header comprises an MPLS label and a first identifier indicating that the first packet is encapsulated using Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first packet header comprises an Ethernet encapsulated BIER header, and wherein the Ethernet encapsulated BIER header comprises a first identifier indicating that the first packet is encapsulated using Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulation. ### Claim 12 An apparatus, comprising: a memory configured to store instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to: obtain, based on a first bit index explicit replication (BIER) operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) packet, a detection request packet, wherein the detection request packet comprises a first packet, a first packet header, and a second packet header, wherein the first packet is based on encapsulation of the first BIER OAM packet, wherein the first packet header comprises a bit string, wherein the bit string indicates a bit forwarding egress router (BFER) that is to be measured, wherein the first packet comprises a first destination address that is a valid address that can be identified by the BFER, wherein the second packet header comprises a second destination address that is a next hop for BIER forwarding, wherein the first destination address is configured to not be updated, and wherein the second destination address is configured to be continually updated; and send the detection request packet to the BFER. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first packet header comprises a first identifier indicating that the first packet is encapsulated using Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulation, wherein the first packet comprises a first IP header and the first BIER OAM packet, and wherein the first IP header comprises the first destination address that can be identified by the BFER. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the IP encapsulation is IP version 6 (IPv6) encapsulation, and the first IP header is an IPv6 header, or wherein the IP encapsulation is IP version 4 (IPv4) encapsulation, and the first IP header is an IPv4 header. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first packet header comprises a first identifier indicating that the first packet is encapsulated using Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulation, wherein the first packet comprises a first IP header, a first User Datagram Protocol (UDP) header, and the first BIER OAM packet, wherein the first IP header comprises the first destination address that can be identified by the BFER, and wherein a destination port comprised in the first UDP header indicates a listening port of the BFER for receiving the detection request packet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first packet header comprises an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) encapsulated BIER header, and the IPv6 encapsulated BIER header comprises an IPv6 header and a first identifier indicating that the first packet is encapsulated using Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulation, wherein the first packet header comprises a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) encapsulated BIER header, and the MPLS encapsulated BIER header comprises an MPLS label and the first identifier, or wherein the first packet header comprises an Ethernet encapsulated BIER header, and the Ethernet encapsulated BIER header comprises the first identifier. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to receive a detection reply packet from the BFER, wherein the detection reply packet comprises a second packet, and wherein the second packet is from encapsulating a second BIER OAM packet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second packet comprises a second IP header and the second BIER OAM packet, and wherein the second IP header comprises a source address that can be identified by the BFER. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second packet comprises a second IP header, a second User Datagram Protocol (UDP) header, and the second BIER OAM packet, wherein the second IP header comprises a source address that can be identified by the BFER, and wherein a source port number comprised in the second UDP header indicates a listening port of the BFER for receiving the detection request packet. ### Claim 20 A computer program product comprising instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to: obtain, based on a first bit index explicit replication (BIER) operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) packet, a detection request packet, wherein the detection request packet comprises a first packet, a first packet header, and a second packet header, wherein the first packet is based on encapsulation of the first BIER OAM packet, wherein the first packet header comprises a bit string, wherein the bit string indicates a bit forwarding egress router (BFER) that is to be measured, wherein the first packet comprises a first destination address that is a valid address that can be identified by the BFER, wherein the second packet header comprises a second destination address that is a next hop for BIER forwarding, wherein the first destination address is configured to not be updated, and wherein the second destination address is configured to be continually updated; and send the detection request packet to the BFER.