Providing VPLS-like service over native ATM networks

A method of emulating Virtual Provide Local Area Network Service (VPLS) in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network, comprising:

• configuring, at a plurality of provider edge devices (PEs), arranged in a Private Network-Network Interface (PNNI) hierarchy, a VPLS having a VPLS Identifier (ID);
• associating an ATM address with the VPLS ID;
• at each PE, generating a Private Network-Network Interface (PNNI) Augmented Routing (PAR) Service IG including the VPLS ID, an ATM address associated with the VPLS, and a traffic characteristic associated with both the VPLS ID and the ATM address;
• advertising the association between the VPLS ID and the ATM address to other nodes within the ATM network;
• flooding each PAR Service IG throughout the ATM network;
• establishing a mesh of virtual circuits in the ATM network to emulate VPLS by attaching virtual circuits to pairs of PEs, each of the pairs of PEs in the mesh comprising a first PE and a second PE, wherein establishing each virtual circuit between the first PE and the second PE comprises:
• selecting the first PE and the second PE for the virtual circuit when the first PE determines that the second PE supports the VPLS ID;
• determining whether the first PE or the second PE should initiate the virtual circuit;
• determining other ATM addresses within the ATM network which are associated with the VPLS;
• for each such other ATM address, determining whether the first PE or the second PE is to set up a virtual circuit with the ATM address;
• automatically establishing the virtual circuit between the first PE and the second PE using the respective ATM address of the first PE and the second PE as endpoints of the virtual circuit, wherein the virtual circuit comprises a traffic characteristic equal to the minimum traffic characteristic of the first PE and the second PE.

A method of emulating a Virtual Private Local Area Network Service (VPLS) at a Provider Edge device (PE) within an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network, comprising:

• configuring, at the PE, a VPLS Identifier (ID) associated with the VPLS, including associating an ATM address with the VPLS ID;
• advertising the association between the VPLS ID and the ATM address to other nodes within the ATM network, including advertising at least one traffic characteristic to be associated with the VPLS ID and the ATM address;
• determining other ATM addresses within the ATM network which are associated with the VPLS;
• generating a PNNI Topology State Element (PTSE) including a VPLS information group (IG), the VPLS IG indicating the VPLS ID and the ATM address associated with the VPLS;
• flooding the PTSE throughout the peer group of the node;
• generating a Private Network-Network Interface (PNNI) Augmented Routing (PAR) Service information group (IG) including the VPLS ID and the ATM address;
• flooding the PAR Service IG throughout the ATM network;
• and
• establishing a mesh of virtual circuits in the ATM network to emulate VPLS by attaching virtual circuits to pairs of PEs, each of the pairs of PEs in the mesh comprising a first PE and a second PE, wherein establishing each virtual circuit between the first PE and the second PE comprises:
• for each such other ATM address, determining whether the first PE or the second PE is to set up the virtual circuit with the ATM address;
• selecting the first PE and the second PE for the virtual circuit when the first PE determines that the second PE supports the VFLS ID;
• determining whether the first PE or the second PE should initiate the virtual circuit;
• and
• automatically establishing the virtual circuit between the first PE and the second PE using the respective ATM address of the first PE and the second PE as endpoints of the virtual circuit, wherein the virtual circuit comprises a traffic characteristic equal to a minimum of the at least one traffic characteristic and a second traffic characteristic associated with the other ATM address.

A node within an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network, wherein the node is part of a Private Network-Network Interface (PNNI) hierarchy, comprising:

• means for receiving a Virtual Private Local Area Network Service (VPLS) identifier (ID);
• and
• a VPLS controller comprising a computer-readable medium encoded with instructions, the computer-readable medium comprising:
• instructions for receiving a service identifier (ID) identifying a service;
• instructions for generating a PNNI Topology State Element (PTSE) including a service information group (IG), the service IG indicating the service ID and an ATM address to be associated with the service;
• instructions for flooding the service IG throughout the PNNI hierarchy by generating at least one message, each message containing at least two PTSEs;
• instructions for determining other ATM addresses within the ATM network which are associated with the VIPLS ID;
• instructions for, for each such other ATM address, determining whether the node is to set up a virtual circuit with the other ATM address, the instructions for guaranteeing that only one virtual circuit is set up between the node and the other ATM address;
• instructions for establishing a mesh of virtual circuits to emulate VPLS by attaching virtual circuits to pairs of PEs, each of the pairs of PEs in the mesh comprising a first PE and a second PE, wherein the instructions for establishing each virtual circuit between the first PE and the second PE further comprise:
• instructions for selecting the first PE and the second PE for the virtual circuit when the first PE determines that the second PE supports the VPLS ID;
• instructions for determining whether the first PE or the second PE should initiate the virtual circuit;
• and
• instructions for automatically establishing the virtual circuit between the first PE and the second PE using the respective ATM address of the first PE and the second PE as endpoints of the virtual circuit.