# US 2010/0165831 A1 · Load balancing and fault protection in aggregation networks

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- Number: US 2010/0165831 A1
- Document ID: US20100165831A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/317,891
- Filed: 2008-12-30
- Published: 2010-07-01
- Earliest claimed: 2008-12-30
- Assignees: Alcatel Lucent
- Inventors: David Elie-Dit-Cosaque; Atiya Suhail; Kamakshi Sridhar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100165831A1

## CPC

- H04L 12/4625: {Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge}
- H04L 12/40006: {Architecture of a communication node (current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90)}
- H04L 12/433: with asynchronous transmission, e.g. token ring, register insertion
- 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)}
- H04L 12/4645: {Details on frame tagging (routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354)}
- H04L 12/467: {Arrangements for supporting untagged frames, e.g. port-based VLANs}
- H04W 92/04: Interfaces between hierarchically different network devices
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A system, device, and method for aggregating traffic in a network, such as for wireless backhaul traffic in a cellular communication system. UE device traffic is sent to and from an access bridge, which is one node in an access network formed into a ring topology, and from the access bridge to a core bridge in communication with a core network of the communication system. According to a preferred embodiment, the access bridge and the core bridge each have a LAG component configured according to IEEE 802.1D and IEEE 802.3-2005, and a ring component configured according to IEEE 802.1Q or 802.1AD. In operation, this LAG component load balances communication traffic coming into the bridge node onto one of two VLANs formed of portions of the access network ring. In the event of a fault condition affecting one of the two VLANs, the fault VLAN is removed from the aggregation scheme until the fault condition is alleviated.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A network node for use in an Ethernet ring network, the network node comprising:
a LAG (link aggregation) component configured according to IEEE 802.1D and IEEE 802.3-2005 and comprising a first port for receiving communications from non-ring entities, and further comprising a second port and a third port for forwarding the received communications as untagged frames; and
a ring component configured according to IEEE 802.1Q or IEEE 802.1AD and comprising a first port and a second port for sending tagged frames on, respectively, a first VLAN and a second VLAN (virtual local area network) formed in the Ethernet ring network, and further comprising a third port and a fourth port for receiving untagged frames from, respectively, the second port and the third port of the LAG component.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The network node of claim 1, wherein the ring component is arranged so that untagged frames received at the third port of the ring component are forwarded as tagged frames on the first VLAN, and wherein the untagged frames received at the fourth port of the ring component are forwarded as tagged frames on the second VLAN.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The network node of claim 1, wherein the LAG component is arranged to load balance the untagged frames forwarded to the ring node.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The network node of claim 3, wherein the LAG component is further arranged to, upon receiving a notification that a fault affecting one of the first VLAN and the second VLAN has occurred, forwards all of the received communications on the one of the second or third ports that is not associated with the affected VLAN.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The network node of claim 4, wherein the LAG component is further arranged to, upon receiving a notification that the fault has been alleviated, resume load balancing the untagged frames forwarded to the ring node.

### Claim 6

A method of aggregating traffic to a core network via an access network comprising a plurality of network nodes, the method comprising:
forming a ring topology comprising the plurality of network nodes;
selecting a core bridge from among the plurality of nodes, the core bridge in communication with the core network and comprising a ring component and a LAG component;
establishing an access bridge comprising a ring component and a LAG component;
enabling LAG protocol traffic forwarding from the access bridge;
configuring a first VLAN comprising a portion of the plurality of network nodes and extending from the access bridge to the core bridge;
configuring a second VLAN comprising the remainder of the plurality of network nodes and extending from the access bridge to the core bridge; and
load balancing traffic from the access bridge to the core via the first VLAN and the second VLAN.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the access network is an Ethernet network.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting whether STP (spanning tree protocol) is being used for determining network routing paths.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising disabling STP for the nodes of the access network.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the LAG component of the access bridge is configured to be operable according to IEEE 801D.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the ring component of the access bridge is configured to be operable according to IEEE 801Q.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
forwarding untagged frames from a first port of the access bridge LAG component to a first port of the access bridge ring component for aggregation to the core network via the first VLAN; and
forwarding untagged frames from a second port of the access bridge LAG component to a second port of the access bridge ring component for aggregation to the core network via the second VLAN.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, fuirther comprising:
forwarding tagged frames from a third port of the access bridge ring component to a neighbor node on the first VLAN; and
forwarding tagged frames from a fourth port of the access bridge ring component to a neighbor node on the second VLAN.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising performing a fault detection procedure.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the fault detection procedure comprises sending and mentoring the receipt of CCMs (connectivity check messages).

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting a fault condition affecting one of the VLANs and transmitting a notification to the access bridge LAG component.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising, upon receipt of notification of a fault condition affecting one of the VLANS, forwarding untagged frames from the access bridge LAG component only for the unaffected VLAN.

### Claim 18

A communication system comprising a plurality of access nodes configurable in a ring topology, wherein the plurality of access nodes comprises a first bridge node and at least a second bridge node, each bridge node comprising a ring component for establishing a first VLAN comprising a first subset of the plurality of access odes and a second VLAN comprising a second subset of the plurality of access nodes, and each bridge node further comprising a LAG component in communication with the ring component, the LAG component for communicating with an entity outside of the plurality of access nodes.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The communication system of claim 18, wherein the LAG component is configured according to IEEE 802.1D and IEEE 802.3-2005.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The communication system of claim 18, wherein the ring component is configured according to IEEE 802.1Q or IEEE 802.1AD.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The communication system of claim 18, wherein the communication system further comprises a core network, and wherein the first bridge node is a core bridge for communicating between the first and second VLANs and the core network.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The communication system of claim 21, wherein the communication system is a wireless network.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The communication system of claim 22, wherein the second bridge node is an access bridge for receiving communications from UE devices, and wherein the wherein the LAG component of the access bridge is arranged to load balance the untagged frames forwarded to the ring node by the ring component of the access bridge.