E-tree using two pseudowires between edge routers with enhanced forwarding methods and systems

An edge network element in an e-tree service network, the edge network element comprising:

• a set of one or more processors;
• a memory, coupled with the set of processors, storing instructions that when executed by the set of processors, cause the set of processors to perform the following:
• receive a first packet with a first destination MAC address on a first logical port associated with a leaf access circuit that is to couple the edge network element with a local leaf network element in the e-tree service network;
• responsive to determining that the first destination MAC address corresponds to a first MAC address in a MAC address table stored in the edge network element, and that a first attribute associated with the first MAC address in the MAC address table indicates that the first MAC address was learned from a leaf pseudowire that is to couple the edge network element with another edge network element in the e-tree service network, drop the first packet;
• receive a second packet with a second destination MAC address on the first logical port associated with the leaf access circuit;
• responsive to determining that the second destination MAC address corresponds to a second MAC address in the MAC address table, and that an attribute associated with the second MAC address in the MAC address table indicates that the second MAC address was learned from a root pseudowire that is to couple the edge network element with the another edge network element in the e-tree service network, forward the second packet out the third logical port onto the leaf pseudowire regardless of which of the logical ports that the second MAC address is associated with in the MAC address table.

A network element in an e-tree service network, comprising:

• a learning module coupled to a Media Access Control (MAC) address table, wherein the MAC address table is configured to store a set of associations between logical ports of the network element and MAC addresses of the other network elements in the e-tree service network, wherein the set of associations include an attribute to indicate whether a particular MAC address was learned from a pseudowire and a type of that pseudowire including one of a root pseudowire and a leaf pseudowire, and wherein the learning module is configured to capture source MAC addresses of packets received at the network element, and to associate the source MAC addresses with the logical ports of the network element in the MAC address table;
• and
• a forwarding module coupled to the address table, the forwarding module configured to look up destination MAC addresses of the packets received at the network element in the MAC address table, to determine whether to forward or to discard each of the packets based on the set of associations stored in the MAC address table, and to:
• for each packet received on a first logical port that is associated with a leaf access circuit that couples the network element to a local leaf network element in the e-tree service:
• discard that packet if that packet's destination MAC address has a corresponding MAC address in the MAC address table and the attribute associated with that MAC address in the MAC address table indicates that the MAC address was learned from the leaf pseudowire, or
• forward that packet onto the leaf pseudowire if that packet's destination MAC address has a corresponding MAC address in the MAC address table and the attribute associated with that MAC address in the MAC address table indicates that the MAC address was learned from the root pseudowire.