Back to results
US 7,430,210 B2Granted
Application of an Ethernet/MPLS “half bridge” to provide emulated Ethernet LAN functions in SONET networks
AssigneeFujitsu Limited
InventorsPaul F. Havala, Samuel Y. Lisle, Biaodong Cai, Floyd D. Ferguson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for providing emulated Ethernet LAN functions in a SONET network are provided. In one embodiment, a virtual private network includes a core network. The core network includes a shared label switching over SONET network. A plurality of Virtual Local Access Networks (VLANs) are each coupled to a Multiservice Provision Platform (MSPP) of the SONET network. Each VLANs communicates traffic with a corresponding MSPP utilizing Ethernet. The MSPPs interface the VLANs with the SONET network.
Claims16
A virtual private network (VPN), comprising:
- a core network, the core network comprising Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network over SONET;
- a plurality of Virtual Local Access Networks (VLANs), each coupled to a Multiservice Provision Platform (MSPP) of the SONET network, the VLANs each communicating traffic with a corresponding MSPP utilizing Ethernet;
- and
- the MSPPs interfacing the VLANs with the SONET network, the MSPPs each operable to:
- convert an ingress VLAN packet received from a VLAN and associated with a VPN to an MPLS packet and send the MPLS packet to the SONET network over one or more SONET paths, wherein converting an ingress VLAN packet to an MPLS packet comprises identifying a VPN label that corresponds to a VLAN identifier (VID) of the ingress VLAN packet and generating an MPLS packet having the VPN label;
- and
- convert an MPLS packet received from the SONET network to an egress VLAN packet and send the egress packet to a VLAN associated with the VPN, wherein converting an MPLS packet to an egress VLAN packet comprises identifying a VID that corresponds to a VPN label contained in the received MPLS packet and generating a VLAN packet having the VID.
4 more elements
An A Multiservice Provisioning Platform (MSPP) of a shared label switching over SONET network, comprising:
- an Ethernet line card operable to receive from a Virtual Local Access Network (VLAN) a VLAN packet and to send the VLAN packet received to a corresponding Ethernet interface;
- one or more VPN units coupled to the Ethernet interface and operable to identify a VPN for the VLAN packet and to send the VLAN packet to a corresponding VPN subrouter based on the VPN;
- each VPN subrouter operable to convert the VLAN packet to a label switching packet and to send the label switching packet to a corresponding label switching over SONET line card, wherein converting a VLAN packet to a label switching packet comprises identifying a VPN label that corresponds to a VLAN identifier (VID) of the VLAN packet and generating a label switching packet having the VPN label and a forwarding label;
- and
- a label switching over SONET line card operable to receive the label switching packet and map the label switching packet into one or more SONET paths for transmission over the shared label switching over SONET network.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving ingress Ethernet packets associated with one or more Virtual Private Networks (VPNs);
- determining a VPN associated with each ingress Ethernet packet;
- converting each ingress Ethernet packet to a shared switching packet based on the associated VPN for transmission over a shared network, wherein converting an ingress Ethernet packet to a shared switching packet comprises identifying a VPN label that corresponds to a VLAN identifier (VID) of the ingress Ethernet packet and generating a shared switching packet having the VPN label and a forwarding label;
- determining an egress interface for the Ethernet packet;
- and
- converting the shared switching packet into one or more SONET paths based on the egress interface.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving an Ethernet packet associated with one or more Virtual Private Networks (VPNs);
- determining a VPN associated with the Ethernet packet;
- converting the Ethernet packet to an MPLS packet based on the associated VPN for transmission over a MPLS/SONET network, wherein converting an Ethernet packet to a MPLS packet comprises identifying a VPN label that corresponds to a VLAN identifier (VID) of the VLAN packet;
- determining a forwarding label, at least one SONET path, and outgoing interface for the Ethernet packet;
- forwarding the MPLS packet to a MPLS/SONET line card based on the outgoing interface;
- and
- converting the MPLS packet into a SONET frame based on the at least one SONET path.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.