# US 8,570,871 B2 · Signaling extension for a label switched path over a composite link > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,570,871 B2 - Document ID: US8570871B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/416,650 - Filed: 2012-03-09 - Published: 2012-09-13 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-09 - Assignees: Futurewei Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Lucy Yong; Zhenbin Li - Inventors: Lucy Yong; Zhenbin Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8570871B2 ## CPC - H04L 45/245: {Link aggregation, e.g. trunking} - H04L 45/124: {using a combination of metrics} - H04L 45/507: {Label distribution} - Y02D 30/50: in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract An apparatus comprising an end point coupled to a peer end point via a composite link comprising a plurality of component links and configured to signal the peer end point to indicate an aggregated label switched path (LSP) established on the composite link and one of a plurality of data flow identifiers for the aggregated LSP, wherein the aggregated LSP and a data flow identifier field are signaled from the end point using a signaling protocol. Also disclosed is a method implemented by a network component comprising receiving using a receiver a message comprising a Type-Length-Value (TLV) that indicates that a LSP established on a composite link with a peer end point is an aggregated LSP, and receiving in the TLV a plurality of inner labels that correspond to a plurality of data flows of the aggregated LSP. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A network component comprising: a receiver unit configured to receive a signal indicating an aggregated label switched path (LSP) associated with a composite link that comprises a plurality of component links, and a plurality of identifiers for a plurality of data flows of the aggregated LSP that are associated with the component links; a logic unit configured to map each of the identifiers to one corresponding link of the component links; and a transmitter unit configured to forward the data flows on the corresponding component links and send the corresponding identifiers in a plurality of inner labels below a top LSP label in the data flow's packets, wherein the receiver unit is further configured to receive a second signal indicating a bidirectional LSP on one of the component links, and wherein the transmitter is further configured to indicate in a return message a plurality of candidate links from the component links for the bidirectional LSP, and wherein the identifiers identify the data flows to which a plurality of data packets within the aggregated LSP belong. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The network component of claim 1, wherein the second signal is received in a PATH message using Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP), and wherein the candidate links are indicated in a plurality of Type-Length-Values (TLVs) in a return PATH message. ### Claim 3 A network component comprising: a receiver unit configured to receive a signal indicating an aggregated label switched path (LSP) associated with a composite link that comprises a plurality of component links, and a plurality of identifiers for a plurality of data flows of the aggregated LSP that are associated with the component links; a logic unit configured to map each of the identifiers to one corresponding link of the component links; and a transmitter unit configured to forward the data flows on the corresponding component links and send the corresponding identifiers in a plurality of inner labels below a top LSP label in the data flow's packets, wherein the transmitter is further configured to send a second signal indicating a plurality of candidate links from the component links for a bidirectional LSP, and wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a return message indicating a selected link from the candidate links, and wherein the identifiers identify the data flows to which a plurality of data packets within the aggregated LSP belong. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The network component of claim 3, wherein the second signal is sent in a label mapping message using Distribution Protocol (LDP), wherein the candidate links are indicated in a plurality of Type-Length-Values (TLVs) in the label mapping message, and wherein the return message is a return label message. ### Claim 5 A network component comprising: a receiver unit configured to receive a signal indicating an aggregated label switched path (LSP) associated with a composite link that comprises a plurality of component links, and a plurality of identifiers for a plurality of data flows of the aggregated LSP that are associated with the component links; a logic unit configured to map each of the identifiers to one corresponding link of the component links; and a transmitter unit configured to forward the data flows on the corresponding component links and send the corresponding identifiers in a plurality of inner labels below a top LSP label in the data flow's packets, wherein the receiver unit is further configured to receive a second signal indicating a plurality of LSP performance metrics for the component links, and wherein the identifiers identify the data flows to which a plurality of data packets within the aggregated LSP belong. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The network component of claim 5, wherein the LSP performance metrics correspond to a plurality of non-homogeneous component links. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The network component of claim 5, wherein the LSP performance metrics correspond to a plurality of component links that are grouped based on cost. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The network component of claim 7, wherein the LSP performance metrics for each group of component links are indicated using a plurality of parameters that include a cost of the corresponding group, a total available bandwidth of the corresponding group, and a largest LSP bandwidth of the component links in the corresponding group. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The network component of claim 5, wherein the second signal is sent using a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP). ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The network component of claim 5, wherein the second signal is sent using a Label Distribution Protocol (LDP). ### Claim 11 A method implemented by a network component comprising: receiving using a receiver message comprising a Type-Length-Value (TLV) that indicates that a label switched path (LSP) established on a composite link with a peer end point is an aggregated LSP; receiving in the TLV a plurality of inner labels that correspond to a plurality of data flows of the aggregated LSP; removing the TLV from the message if the message is received on a non-composite link; and treating the aggregated LSP as a non-aggregated LSP. ### Claim 12 A method implemented by a network component comprising: receiving using a receiver message comprising a Type-Length-Value (TLV) that indicates that a label switched path (LSP) established on a composite link with a peer end point is an aggregated LSP; receiving in the TLV a plurality of inner labels that correspond to a plurality of data flows of the aggregated LSP; receiving a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) PATH message comprising one or more TLVs that indicate a plurality of candidate component links of the composite link for establishing a bidirectional LSP; maintaining a list of the indicated candidate component links; removing the TLVs from the RSVP PATH message; and forwarding the RSVP PATH to a next hop. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method implemented by the network component of claim 12, wherein the RSVP PATH message comprises a LSP optional attributes object that comprises at least one attribute TLV comprising an aggregated LSP (A) bit that is set to indicate an aggregated LSP or a single LSP, a bidirectional LSP (B) bit that is set to indicate a bidirectional LSP or a unidirectional LSP, and a zero padded field. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method implemented by the network component of claim 12, wherein the RSVP PATH message comprises a recorded route object that has a class equal to about 21 and a class type of about two and that comprises at least one sub-object comprising a link (L) bit, a Type field, a Length field, and a sub-object content field, wherein the L bit is set to indicate a corresponding candidate component link, and wherein the Type field is set to about one if the sub-object content field comprises Internet Protocol (IP) version four (IPv4) traffic that is carried on the corresponding candidate component link or is set to about two if the sub-object content field comprises IP version six (IPv6) traffic that is carried on the corresponding candidate component link. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method implemented by the network component of claim 12, wherein the RSVP PATH message comprises an explicit route object that has a class equal to about 20 and a class type of about three and that comprises at least one sub-object comprising a Type field, a Length field, and a sub-object content field, and wherein the Type field is set to about one if the sub-object content field comprises a cost metric is set to about two if the sub-object content field comprises a delay parameter. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method implemented by the network component of claim 12 further comprises: receiving a RSVP RESV message for the bidirectional LSP; selecting one of the candidate component links maintained in the list; adding a TLV that indicates the selected candidate component link in the RSVP RESV message; and returning the RSVP RESV message. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method implemented by the network component of claim 16, wherein the RSVP RESV message comprises a recorded route object that has a class equal to about 21 and a class type of about two and that comprises at least one sub-object comprising a link (L) bit, a Type field, a Length field, and a sub-object content field, wherein the L bit is set to indicate a corresponding candidate component link, and wherein the Type field is set to about one if the sub-object content field comprises Internet Protocol (IP) version four (IPv4) traffic that is carried on the corresponding candidate component link or is set to about two if the sub-object content field comprises IP version six (IPv6) traffic that is carried on the corresponding candidate component link. ### Claim 18 A method implemented by a network component comprising: receiving using a receiver message comprising a Type-Length-Value (TLV) that indicates that a label switched path (LSP) established on a composite link with a peer end point is an aggregated LSP; receiving in the TLV a plurality of inner labels that correspond to a plurality of data flows of the aggregated LSP; receiving a Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) label mapping message comprising one or more TLVs that indicate a plurality of candidate component links of the composite link for establishing a bidirectional LSP; selecting one of the candidate component links; adding a TLV that indicates the selected candidate component link in a second LDP label mapping message; and returning the second LDP label mapping message. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The network component of claim 1, wherein traffic from the data flows of the aggregated LSP are distributed over more than one of the component links. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The network component of claim 19, wherein some of the identifiers are mapped to different component links. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The network component of claim 1, wherein the identifiers are inner labels within the signal. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The network component of claim 1, wherein some of the component links within the composite links have different bandwidth. ### Claim 23 (depends on 11) The method implemented by the network component of claim 11, wherein the inner labels identify data traffic for each data flow transported within the aggregated LSP. ### Claim 24 (depends on 11) The method implemented by the network component of claim 11, wherein the composite link comprises a plurality of component links for the aggregated LSP to distribute a plurality of data packets that correspond to the data flows amongst the component links. ### Claim 25 (depends on 11) The method implemented by the network component of claim 11, wherein treating the aggregated LSP as the non-aggregated LSP occurs when the message is received on the non-composite link. ### Claim 26 (depends on 11) The method implemented by the network component of claim 11, wherein the component links differ from each other in at least one of the following characteristics: capacity, bandwidth, transport latency, and jitter.