Border Gateway Protocol for Communication Among Software Defined Network Controllers

A first network element configured to control a first domain, the first network element comprising:

• a memory comprising instructions executable by a processor;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions, wherein executing the instructions causes the processor to:
• transmit, to a second network element during a border gateway protocol (BGP) communication session, a communication capabilities message indicating capabilities of the first network element;
• transmit an advertisement message to the second network element, wherein the advertisement message indicates connections and accesses of the first domain;
• receive a first request message that instructs the first network element to compute path segments for use in creating an end-to-end (E2E) tunnel, wherein each path segment connects one edge node of the first domain to another edge node of the first domain;
• compute the path segments according to the first request message;
• receive a second request message that instructs the first network element to create a first tunnel segment through the first domain for use in the E2E tunnel, wherein the second request message indicates at least a start node and an end node for the tunnel segment;
• and
• create the first tunnel segment according to the second request message.

A network element implemented method of communication among software defined network (SDN) controllers communicating according to a border gateway protocol (BGP), comprising:

• declaring capabilities of the network element in a SDN according to a communications among SDN controllers (CSC) capability triplet included in an Open Message;
• computing a path segment in the SDN for use in creating an end-to-end (E2E) tunnel;
• and
• creating a first tunnel segment corresponding to the path segment in the SDN, wherein the first tunnel segment forms a portion of the E2E tunnel.