Efficient control packet replication in data plane
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
InventorsAlok Gulati, Kunal Shah
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for replicating a control packet in a forwarding plane of a network element, the control packet being destined for a plurality of subscriber end stations. The forwarding plane receives the control packet from a control plane and detects a replication indicator associated with the control packet. The forwarding plane determines the plurality of subscriber end stations as each of the plurality of subscriber end stations is associated with the control packet. The forwarding plane then replicates the control packet for each of the plurality of subscriber end stations and distributes the replicated control packets to the plurality of subscriber end stations.
Claims17
A method for replicating a control packet in a forwarding plane of a network element, the control packet being destined for a plurality of subscriber end stations, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- receiving the control packet from a control plane, wherein the control plane generated the control packet;
- detecting a replication indicator associated with the control packet;
- determining the plurality of subscriber end stations, each of the plurality of subscriber end stations being associated with the control packet;
- replicating the control packet for each of the plurality of subscriber end stations;
- and
- distributing the replicated control packets to the plurality of subscriber end stations.
A network element, to be coupled with a plurality of subscriber end stations through an access network, configured to replicate a control packet meant for the plurality of subscriber end stations, wherein the plurality of subscriber end stations are to be bound to a multibind interface of the network element, the network element comprising:
- a control plane comprising:
- a packet generation module configured to:
- generate the control packet, wherein the control packet is to be replicated and distributed at the forwarding plane, and
- generate a set of metadata in association with the control packet that includes a replication indicator and a control message route identification information, and
- a communication module configured to distribute the control packet and set of metadata to the forwarding plane;
- and
- a forwarding plane, coupled with the control plane, comprising a replication module, wherein the replication module is configured to:
- receive the control packet and set of metadata from the control plane,
- detect the replication indicator,
- in response to detecting the replication indicator, determine a list of plurality of subscriber end stations identifiers based on the control message route identification information,
- replicate the control packet for each of the plurality of subscriber end stations identifiers, and
- distribute the replicated control packets to the plurality of subscriber end stations using the list of plurality of subscriber end stations identifiers.
A tangible non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions for at least one microprocessor of a forwarding plane, which, when executed by the microprocessor, cause the microprocessor to perform operations comprising:
- receiving a control packet from a control plane, wherein the control plane generated the control packet;
- detecting a replication indicator associated with the control packet;
- determining a plurality of subscriber end stations, each of the plurality of subscriber end stations being associated with the control packet;
- replicating the control packet for each of the plurality of subscriber end stations;
- and
- distributing the replicated control packets to the plurality of subscriber end stations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.