Redundant ethernet automatic protection switching access to virtual private LAN services

A method for providing redundant connectivity between an Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching (EAPS) access network and a Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) network, the method comprising:

• providing first and second VPLS nodes from a plurality of VPLS nodes, which are linked with each other by pseudowire links, wherein the first and second VPLS nodes are linked with each other by an EAPS shared-link;
• establishing an EAPS ring coupling the first VPLS node with the second VPLS node and a plurality of EAPS nodes;
• detecting a dual network failure including a failed EAPS shared-link between the first and second VPLS nodes, and the first and second VPLS nodes missing a copy of traffic on the EAPS access network;
• maintaining, in response to detecting the dual network failure, all pseudowire links associated with the first VPLS node;
• detecting a network failure of only the EAPS shared-link between the first and second VPLS nodes;
• disabling, in response to detecting the network failure of only the EAPS shared-link, all pseudowire links associated with the first VPLS node when any of the plurality of EAPS nodes has a path to both the first and second VPLS nodes;
• blocking a secondary port of a master node during normal operation;
• and
• unblocking the secondary port of a master node in response to detecting the network failure.

A method for providing redundant connectivity between an Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching (EAPS) access network and a Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) network, the method comprising:

• providing first and second VPLS nodes from a plurality of VPLS nodes, which are linked with each other by pseudowire links, wherein the first and second VPLS nodes are linked with each other by an EAPS shared-link;
• establishing multiple parallel EAPS rings coupling the first VPLS node with the second VPLS node and a plurality of EAPS nodes, wherein the shared-link is shared among the multiple parallel EAPS rings;
• disabling all pseudowire links associated with the first node when the shared-link fails and when any of the multiple parallel EAPS rings is complete;
• maintaining all existing pseudowire when all the multiple parallel EAPS rings fail;
• blocking a secondary port of a master node during normal operation;
• and
• unblocking the secondary port of a master node in response to detecting the network failure.

A first routing device comprising:

• a first forwarding logic component to direct traffic on a Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) network including a plurality of VPLS nodes;
• a second forwarding logic component to direct traffic on an Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching (EAPS) ring including a plurality of EAPS nodes;
• an EAPS control module to operate the first routing device having a controller state machine to track whether each of the plurality of EAPS nodes has access to the first routing device and a second routing device in the VPLS network;
• ports to connect the first routing device to the second routing device, the second routing device also having forwarding logic to direct traffic on the VPLS network and the EAPS ring, wherein the connection between the first routing device and the second routing device includes a pseudowire link and an EAPS shared-link;
• and
• a pseudowire forwarding logic component to:
• disable all pseudowire links associated with the first routing device, in response to detecting the network failure at the EAPS shared-link, when any of the plurality of EAPS nodes on the EAPS ring has access to both the first and the second routing devices as determined by the controller state machine,
• maintain existing pseudowire links associated with the first and second routing devices in the VPLS network regardless of whether any network failure is detected in the EAPS ring at the EAPS shared-link,
• block a secondary port of a master node during normal operation, and
• unblock the secondary port of a master node in response to detecting the network failure.

A first routing device comprising:

• a first forwarding logic component to direct traffic on a Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) network including a plurality of VPLS nodes;
• a second forwarding logic component to direct traffic on an Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching (EAPS) ring including a plurality of EAPS nodes;
• an EAPS control module to operate the first routing device having a controller state machine to track whether each of the plurality of EAPS nodes has access to the first routing device and a second routing device in the VPLS network;
• ports to connect the first routing device to the second routing device, the second routing device also having forwarding logic to direct traffic on the VPLS network and the EAPS ring, wherein the connection between the first routing device and the second routing device includes a pseudowire link and an EAPS shared-link;
• and
• a pseudowire forwarding logic component to:
• maintain all pseudowire links associated with the first routing device, in response to detecting a dual network failure including a failed EAPS shared-link between the first and second routing devices, and the first and second routing devices missing a copy of traffic on the EAPS access network,
• disable, in response to detecting a failure of only the EAPS shared-link between the first and second routing devices, all pseudowire links associated with the first VPLS node when any of the plurality of EAPS nodes has a path to both the first and second routing devices,
• block a secondary port of a master node during normal operation, and
• unblock the secondary port of a master node in response to detecting the network failure.