Performing scalable L2 wholesale services in computer networks

An intermediate network device positioned between an aggregation network device and a service provider network device and within a core network that provides layer two (L2) wholesale connectivity between customers and a plurality of service providers, the intermediate network device comprising:

• a plurality of interfaces;
• and
• a control unit that stores data defining at least one L2 learning table, wherein the at least one L2 learning table includes entries that are each associated with a service tag that identifies a service virtual local area network (SVLAN) and define an association between the plurality of interfaces and the corresponding service tag without storing an association between a L2 address and the plurality of interfaces,
• wherein one of the plurality of interfaces receives a packet from the aggregation network device, wherein the packet includes an L2 address and a service tag identifying an SVLAN,
• wherein each of the plurality of interfaces is associated with one or more L2 learning modules executing on the intermediate network device,
• wherein one of the one or more L2 learning modules associated with the one of the plurality of interfaces that received the packet from the aggregation network device accesses the at least one L2 learning table using the service tag included within the received packet to determine whether any one of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table is associated with the service tag included within the received packet without having any association with the L2 address included within the received packet and, based on the determination that none of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table are associated with the service tag included within the received packet, updating the at least one L2 learning table to create a new entry that is associated with the service tag included within the received packet and define an association between the one of the plurality of interfaces of the intermediate network device that received the packet and the service tag included within the received packet without storing an association between a L2 address included within the received packet and the interfaces of the intermediate network device.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instruction that cause one or more processors to:

• store data defining at least one layer two (L2) learning table with an intermediate network device positioned between an aggregation network device and a service provider network device and within a core network that provides L2 wholesale connectivity between customers and a plurality of service providers, wherein the at least one L2 learning table includes entries that are each associated with a service tag that identifies a service virtual local area network (SVLAN) and define an association between interfaces of the intermediate network device and the corresponding service tag without storing an association between a L2 address and the interfaces of the intermediate network device;
• receive a packet from the aggregation network device with one of the interfaces of the intermediate network device, wherein the packet includes a L2 address and a service tag identifying an SVLAN;
• access the at least one L2 learning table using the service tag included within the received packet to determine whether any one of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table is associated with the service tag included within the received packet without having any association with the L2 address included within the received packet;
• and
• based on the determination that none of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table are associated with the service tag included within the received packet, updates the at least one L2 learning table to create a new entry that is associated with the service tag included within the received packet and define an association between the one of the interfaces of the intermediate network device that received the packet and the service tag included within the received packet without storing an association between a L2 address included within the received packet and the interfaces of the intermediate network device.

A method comprising:

• storing data defining at least one layer two (L2) learning table with an intermediate aggregation network device positioned between an access network device and a layer three (L3) network device and within a core network that provides wholesale L2 connectivity between customers and a plurality of service providers, wherein the at least one L2 learning table includes entries that are each associated with a service tag that identifies a service virtual local area network (SVLAN) and define an association between interfaces of the intermediate aggregation network device and the corresponding service tag without storing an association between a L2 address and the interfaces of the intermediate aggregation network device;
• receiving a packet from the access network device network device with one of the interfaces of the intermediate aggregation network device, wherein the packet includes an L2 address and both the service tag identifying an SVLAN and a customer tag identifying a customer virtual local area network (CVLAN);
• accessing the at least one L2 learning table using both the service tag and the customer tag to determine whether any one of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table is associated with the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet without having any association with the L2 address included within the received packet;
• and
• based on the determination that none of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table are associated with both the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet, updating the at least one L2 learning table to create a new entry that is associated with the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet and define an association between the one of the interfaces of the intermediate aggregation network device that received the packet and the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet without storing an association between a L2 address included within the received packet and the interfaces of the intermediate network device.

An intermediate aggregation network device positioned between an access network device and a layer three (L3) network device and within a core network that provides wholesale layer two (L2) connectivity between customers and a plurality of service providers, the intermediate aggregation network device comprising:

• a plurality of interfaces;
• and
• a control unit that stores data defining at least one L2 learning table, wherein the at least one L2 learning table includes entries that are each associated with a service tag that identifies a service virtual local area network (SVLAN) and define an association between the plurality of interfaces and the corresponding service tag without storing an association between a L2 address and the plurality of interfaces,
• wherein one of the plurality of interfaces receives a packet from the access network device, wherein the packet includes an L2 address and both the service tag identifying an SVLAN and a customer tag identifying a customer virtual local area network (CVLAN),
• wherein each of the interfaces is associated with one or more L2 learning module executed by the intermediate aggregation network device, and
• wherein one of the L2 learning modules associated with the one of the plurality of interfaces that received the packet from the access network device accesses the at least one L2 learning table using the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet to determine whether any one of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table is associated with the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet without having any association with the L2 address included within the received packet and, based on the determination that none of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table are associated with the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet, updating the at least one L2 learning table to create a new entry that is associated with the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet and define an association between the one of the interfaces of the intermediate aggregation network device that received the packet and the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet without storing an association between a L2 address included within the received packet and the interfaces of the intermediate network device.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause one or more processors to:

• store data defining at least one layer two (L2) learning table with an intermediate aggregation network device positioned between an access network device and a layer three (L3) network device and within a core network that provides L2 wholesale connectivity between customers and a plurality of service providers, wherein the at least one L2 learning table includes entries that are each associated with a service tag that identifies a service virtual local area network (SVLAN) and define an association between interfaces of the intermediate aggregation network device and the corresponding service tag without storing an association between a L2 address and the interfaces of the intermediate aggregation network device;
• receive a packet from the access network device network device with one of the interfaces of the intermediate aggregation network device, wherein the packet includes an L2 address and both the service tag identifying an SVLAN and a customer tag identifying a customer virtual local area network (CVLAN);
• access the at least one L2 learning table using both the service tag and the customer tag to determine whether any one of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table is associated with the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet without having any association with the L2 address included within the received packet;
• and
• based on the determination that none of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table are associated with both the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet, update the at least one L2 learning table to create a new entry that is associated with the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet and define an association between the one of the interfaces of the intermediate aggregation network device that received the packet and the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet without storing an association between a L2 address included within the received packet and the interfaces of the intermediate network device.

A network system comprising:

• a customer virtual local area network (CVLAN) that includes at least one customer network device, wherein the CVLAN is identified by a customer tag;
• a service virtual local area network (SVLAN) that includes an access network device, wherein the SVLAN is identified by a service tag;
• a core network that that provides layer two (L2) wholesale connectivity between customers and a plurality of service providers and that includes:
• an aggregation router;
• and
• a router;
• and
• at least one service provider network that includes a service provider router,
• wherein the router is positioned intermediately between the service provider router and the aggregation router,
• wherein the router includes:
• a plurality of interfaces;
• and
• a control unit that stores data defining at least one layer two (L2) learning table, wherein the at least one L2 learning table includes entries that are each associated with a service tag that identifies an SVLAN and define an association between interfaces of the intermediate network device and the corresponding service tag without storing an association between a L2 address and the plurality of interfaces,
• wherein one of the plurality of interfaces receives a packet from the aggregation router, wherein the packet includes an L2 address and the service tag identifying the SVLAN,
• wherein each of the interfaces is associated with one or more L2 learning modules, and
• wherein one of the L2 learning modules associated with the one of the plurality of interfaces that received the packet from the aggregation router accesses the at least one L2 learning table using the service tag included within the received packet to determine whether any one of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table is associated with the service tag included within the received packet without having any association with the L2 address included within the received packet and, based on the determination that none of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table are associated with the service tag included within the received packet, updating the at least one L2 learning table to create a new entry that is associated with the service tag included within the received packet and define an association between the one of the interfaces of the router that received the packet and the service tag included within the received packet without storing an association between a L2 address included within the received packet and the interfaces of the intermediate network device.

A network system comprising:

• a customer virtual local area network (CVLAN) that includes at least one customer network device, wherein the CVLAN is identified by a customer tag;
• a service virtual local area network (SVLAN) that includes an access network device, wherein the SVLAN is identified by a service tag;
• a core network that provides layer two (L2) wholesale connectivity between customers and a plurality of service providers and that includes:
• an aggregation router;
• and
• a router;
• and
• at least one service provider network that includes a service provider router,
• wherein the aggregation router is intermediately positioned between the access network device and the router,
• wherein the aggregation router comprises:
• a plurality of interfaces;
• and
• a control unit that stores data defining at least one L2 learning table, wherein the at least one L2 learning table includes entries that are each associated with a service tag that identifies a SVLAN and a customer tag that identifies a CVLAN and define an association between the plurality of interfaces and the corresponding service tag without storing an association between a L2 address and the plurality of interfaces,
• wherein one of the plurality of interfaces receives a packet from the access network device, wherein the packet includes an L2 address and both the service tag identifying an SVLAN and a customer tag identifying a CVLAN,
• wherein each of the interfaces is associated with one or more L2 learning module executed by the intermediate aggregation network device, and
• wherein one of the L2 learning modules associated with the one of the plurality of interfaces that received the packet from the access network device accesses the at least one L2 learning table using the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet to determine whether any one of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table is associated with the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet without having any association with the L2 address included within the received packet and, based on the determination that none of the entries of the at least one L2 learning table are associated with the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet, updating the at least one L2 learning table to create a new entry that is associated with the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet and define an association between the one of the interfaces of the intermediate aggregation network device that received the packet and the service tag and the customer tag included within the received packet without storing an association between a L2 address included within the received packet and the interfaces of the intermediate network device.