Dynamic enforcement of MPLS-TE inter-domain policy and QoS

An apparatus for dynamically enforcing inter-domain policy and quality of service (QoS) for Traffic Engineering (TE) Label Switched Paths (LSPs) between a local domain and a remote domain in a computer network, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a path computation request at a Path Computation Element (PCE) of the local domain, the path computation request for an inter-domain TE-LSP from the remote domain to the local domain;
• means for sending a policy verification request from the PCE to a Policy Decision Point (PDP) of the local domain, the policy verification request including one or more constraints of the inter-domain TE-LSP to be checked against configured policy for the remote domain and previously established TE-LSPs from the remote domain;
• and
• means for determining at the PDP of the local domain whether the TE-LSP is allowed based on configured policy for the remote domain and previously established TE-LSPs from the remote domain.

A Path Computation Element (PCE) in a local domain for use with dynamically enforcing inter-domain policy and quality of service (QoS) for Traffic Engineering (TE) Label Switched Paths (LSPs) between the local domain and a remote domain in a computer network, the PCE comprising:

• a network interface adapted to receive a path computation request for an inter-domain TE-LSP from the remote domain to the local domain;
• a processor adapted to create a policy verification request for the TE-LSP, the policy verification request including one or more constraints of the TE-LSP to be checked against configured policy for the remote domain and previously established TE-LSPs from the remote domain;
• and
• a network interface adapted to send the policy verification request to a policy decision point (PDP) of the local domain and to receive an inter-domain policy-based response from the PDP;
• wherein the processor is further adapted to respond to the path computation request based on the inter-domain policy-based response received from the PDP.

A Policy Decision Point (PDP) in a local domain for use with dynamically enforcing inter-domain policy and quality of service (QoS) for Traffic Engineering (TE) Label Switched Paths (LSPs) between the local domain and a remote domain in a computer network, the PDP comprising:

• a memory adapted to store states of previously established inter-domain TE-LSPs from the remote domain;
• a network interface adapted to receive a policy verification request for a new inter-domain TE-LSP from a path computation element (PCE) of the local domain, the policy verification request including one or more constraints of the new inter-domain TE-LSP to be checked against configured policy for the remote domain and states of previously established inter-domain TE-LSPs from the remote domain;
• a processor adapted to determine whether the new inter-domain TE-LSP is allowed based on configured policy for the remote domain and states of previously established inter-domain TE-LSPs from the remote domain;
• and
• a network interface adapted to send a response to the policy verification request based on the determination.