Setting up a virtual private network using virtual lan identifiers

A method for setting up and operating a Virtual Private Network (VPN) without using MPLS functionality in a backbone network in which provider network routers are connected with Ethernet interfaces, the network having a plurality of Provider Edge (PE) routers for controlling the transfer of IP traffic to and from Customer Edge (CE) routers in satellite networks and a plurality of Provider (P) routers between the PE routers for forwarding data within the backbone network, the method comprising:

• in a PE router, configuring a Virtual Routing and Forwarding VRF Table for the VPN and populating the VRF table with local routes for the VPN;
• assigning a Virtual LAN (VLAN) identifier for the VPN;
• advertising it local route with a VPN Route Distinguisher (RD) and the VLAN identifier to other PE routers in the backbone network;
• encapsulating IP packets relating to the VPN;
• adding an encapsulation header and an Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) header to each IP packet the encapsulation header including the address of an egress PE router as a destination address and the Ethernet MAC header including a VLAN tag including the VLAN identifier;
• and
• forwarding each encapsulated packet through the backbone network.

A Provider Edge (PE) router for controlling the transfer of IP traffic between a backbone network, in which provider network routers are connected with Ethernet interfaces, and Customer Edge (CE) routers in satellite networks, the PE router comprising:

• a processor arranged to configure a Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) Table for a Virtual Private Network (VPN), populate the VRF table with local routes for the VPN and determine a Virtual LAN (VLAN) “VLAN” identifier for the VPN from a VPN Route Distinguisher (RD) using a predetermined mapping algorithm;
• a storage medium for storing the VRF table;
• and
• a transmitter arranged to advertise a local route with the VPN RD and an implicit NULL label to other PE routers in the backbone network,

A Provider Edge (PE) router for controlling the transfer of IP traffic between a backbone network, inside which provider (P) network routers are connected with Ethernet interfaces, and Customer EdgeCE routers in satellite networks, without the use of MPLS functionality, the PE router comprising:

• a processor arranged to configure a Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) Table for a Virtual Private Network (VPN), populate the VRF table with local routes for the VPN and assign a Virtual LAN (VLAN) identifier for the VPN;
• a storage medium for storing the VRF table:
• and
• a transmitter arranged to advertise a local route with a VPN Route Distinguisher (RD) and the VLAN identifier to other PE routers in the backbone network;
• wherein the processor is configured to encapsulate IP packets relating to the VPN and add an encapsulation header and an Ethernet Media Access Control “MAC” header to each IP packet, the encapsulation header including the address of an egress PE router and the Ethernet MAC header including a VLAN tag containing the VLAN identifier;
• and the transmitter is configured to forward the encapsulated packets through the backbone network.

A Provider Edge (PE) router for controlling the transfer of IP traffic between a backbone network, in which provider network routers are connected with Ethernet interfaces and Customer Edge (CE) routers in satellite networks, the PE router comprising:

• a receiver arranged to receive, from another PE router in the backbone network, an advertisement including a local route for a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a VPN Route Distinguishes (RD) and an implicit NULL label;
• a processor arranged to determine a Virtual LAN (VLAN) identifier for the VPN from the VPN RD using a predetermined mapping algorithm and populate a Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) Table for the VPN with the local route;
• and
• a storage medium for storing the VRF table,

A Provider Edge (PE) router for controlling the transfer of IP traffic between a backbone network, inside which provider network routers are connected with Ethernet interfaces, and Customer Edge (CE) routers in satellite networks, without the use of MPLS functionality, the PE router comprising:

• a receiver arranged to receive, from another PE router in the backbone network, an advertisement including a local route for a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a VPN Route Distinguisher (RD) and a Virtual LAN (VLAN) identifier;
• a processor arranged to populate a Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) Table for the VPN with the local route;
• and
• a storage medium for storing the VRF table:
• wherein:
• the receiver is configured to receive an encapsulated IP packet relating to the VPN, the encapsulated IP packet including an Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) header including a VLAN tag containing the VLAN identifier;
• the processor is configured to:
• extract the VLAN Identifier from the VLAN tag included in the Ethernet MAC header and locally save the VLAN identifier in a local variable;
• decapsulate the packet;
• and
• identify the VRF from the locally saved VLAN identifier and identify a next-hop Customer address from the VRF table;
• and the PE router further comprises a transmitter configured to forward the packet to the Customer address.

A network for supporting a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the network comprising:

• a backbone network comprising a plurality of provider network routers connected with Ethernet interfaces, the network comprising a plurality of Provider Edge (PE) routers;
• a plurality of satellite networks, each having at least one Customer Edge (CE) router operatively connected to a PE router in the backbone network;
• wherein:
• an ingress PE router maintains a Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) Table for the VPN, the VRF table being populated with local routes for the VPN;
• a Virtual LAN (VLAN) identifier for the VPN is determined from a VPN Route Distinguisher (RD) using a predetermined mapping algorithm;
• and
• a local route with the VPN RD and an implicit NULL label is advertised to other PE routers in the backbone network.

A network for supporting a Virtual Private Network (VPN) without the use of MPLS functionality, the network comprising:

• a backbone network comprising a plurality of provider (P) network routers connected with Ethernet interfaces, the network further comprising a plurality of Provider Edge (PE) routers;
• a plurality of satellite networks, each having at feast one Customer Edge (CE) router operatively connected to a PE router in the backbone network, wherein:
• an ingress PE router maintains a Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) Table for the VPN, the VRF table being populated with local routes for the VPN;
• a Virtual LAN (VLAN) identifier is assigned for the VPN;
• a local route with a VPN Route Distinguisher (RD) and the VLAN identifier is advertised to other PE routers in the backbone network;
• and
• the ingress PE router is configured to encapsulate IP packets relating to the VPN and add an encapsulation header and an Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) header to each IP packet before forwarding the encapsulated packets through the backbone network, the encapsulation header including the address of an egress PE router as a destination address and the Ethernet MAC header including a VLAN tag including the VLAN identifier.