US 12,537,762 B2Granted

In-band control plane

AssigneeNokia Solutions and Networks Oy

InventorPranjal Kumar Dutta

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

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Abstract

Various example embodiments for supporting an in-band control plane are presented. Various example embodiments for supporting an in-band control plane may be configured to support an in-band control plane in a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network. Various example embodiments for supporting an in-band control plane in an MPLS network may be configured to support an in-band control plane in an MPLS network by supporting exchange of control protocol packets of control protocols as MPLS packets, such that the control protocol messaging is in-band along the MPLS data plane itself. Various example embodiments for supporting an in-band control plane in an MPLS network may be configured to support an in-band control plane in an MPLS network by supporting communication of MPLS packets that encapsulate control protocol messages of control protocols with an MPLS label which indicates that the payloads of the MPLS packets carry the control protocol messages of the control protocols.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;
and
at least one memory including instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
support communication of a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) packet in an MPLS network;
wherein the MPLS packet includes a control message of a network control protocol, wherein the network control protocol is configured to support a control operation of the MPLS network, wherein the control message of the network control protocol includes a protocol message of the network control protocol and an indication of the network control protocol;
wherein the MPLS packet includes a control message label encapsulating the control message of the network control protocol, wherein the control message label is indicative that the MPLS packet includes the control message of the network control protocol;
wherein the MPLS packet includes a router alert label encapsulating the control message label and the control message of the network control protocol;
wherein, to support communication of the MPLS packet, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
receive, by a node, the MPLS packet;
determine, by the node based on the router alert label, to provide the control message label and the control message of the network control protocol to a local module of the node for processing;
determine, by the node based on the control message label, that the control message label encapsulates the control message of the network control protocol;
and
process, by the node, the control message of the network control protocol.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/460,536Filed 30 Aug 2021
Published: US 2023/0063395 A12 Mar 2023
Granted: 27 Jan 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04L 45/50
Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks: using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
H04L 45/507
Using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]: label distribution
H04L 41/12
Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks: discovery or management…
H04L 45/021
Topology update or discovery: ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers