Apparatus and system for packet routing and forwarding in an interior network

A network component comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive service reachability information from an internal network, wherein the internal network comprises a plurality of internal devices, wherein the internal devices comprise a router, an ingress node, and either an edge node or a forwarding node, wherein the service reachability information comprises information sufficient to allow load balancing and migration between the internal devices, wherein the internal devices are coupled to a plurality of edge devices or forwarding devices, or both, and wherein the service reachability information indicates a plurality of packet flows designated to the internal network;
• a logic unit configured to maintain the service reachability information in an interior Forwarding Information Base (iFIB) and process the plurality of packet flows for forwarding to the internal network based on the iFIB;
• and
• a transmitter configured to send the plurality of packet flows to the individual internal networks according to the service reachability information in the iFIB, wherein the transmitter sends a packet flow to the internal device when the packet flow comprises an individual address for the internal device, and wherein the transmitter sends the packet flow to the internal device following a lookup action in the iFIB to identify a corresponding address when the received packet flow identifies a public address designating the individual internal network and does not identify the internal device,
• wherein the iFIB comprises record key information that indicates a mandatory flow for service reachability and an ingress interface for the corresponding flow, and
• wherein the mandatory flow corresponds to one of an Ethernet flow, an Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 (IPv4) flow at Layer 3, and an IP version 6 (IPv6) flow at Layer 3.

A network apparatus implemented method comprising:

• receiving service reachability information from an internal network, wherein the internal devices comprise a router, an ingress node, and either an edge node or a forwarding node, and wherein the service reachability information comprises information sufficient to allow load balancing and migration between the internal devices;
• maintaining the service reachability information in an interior Forwarding Information Base (iFIB);
• receiving a packet with a public destination address associated with the internal network;
• and
• forwarding the packet to appropriate locations in the internal network using the service reachability information in the iFIB, wherein the network node forwards the packet to the at least one internal node when the packet comprises an individual address for the at least one internal node, and the network node forwards the packet to the at least one internal node when the received packet does not identify the individual address for the at least one internal node after performing a lookup action in the iFIB using a public address designating the internal network or a cluster of routers or servers,
• wherein the iFIB comprises record key information that indicates a mandatory flow for service reachability and an ingress interface for the corresponding flow, and
• wherein the mandatory flow corresponds to one of an Ethernet flow, an Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 (IPv4) flow at Layer 3, and an IP version 6 (IPv6) flow at Layer 3.

A computer program product for use by a network node coupled to an internal network, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by a processor cause the network node to:

• forward a packet designated to the internal network based on service reachability information that indicates that the packet is to be forwarded to at least one of a plurality of internal nodes positioned in the internal network,
• wherein the packet does not identify an individual address for the at least one internal node,
• wherein the packet is forwarded to the at least one internal node using a public address based on information returned subsequent to a query of an internal logic unit,
• wherein the public address designates the internal network or a cluster of routers or servers,
• wherein the internal logic unit is configured to maintain the service reachability information in an interior Forwarding Information Base (iFIB),
• wherein the service reachability information comprises information sufficient to allow load balancing and migration between the internal nodes in the internal network,
• wherein the iFIB comprises record key information that indicates a mandatory flow for service reachability and an ingress interface for the corresponding flow, and
• wherein the mandatory service flow corresponds to one of an Ethernet flow, an Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 (IPv4) flow at Layer 3, and an IP version 6 (IPv6) flow at Layer 3.

A computer program product for use by a network component, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by a processor cause the network component to:

• receive service reachability information from an internal network, wherein the internal network comprises a plurality of internal devices, wherein the internal devices comprise a router, an ingress node, and either an edge node or a forwarding node, wherein the service reachability information comprises information sufficient to allow load balancing and migration between the internal devices, wherein the internal devices are coupled to a plurality of edge devices, forwarding devices, or both, and wherein the service reachability information indicates a plurality of packet flows designated to the internal network;
• maintain the service reachability information in an interior Forwarding Information Base (iFIB);
• process the plurality of packet flows for forwarding to the internal network based on the iFIB;
• and
• send the plurality of packet flows to the internal devices according to the service reachability information in the iFIB,
• wherein the received packet flow identifies a public address designating the individual internal network and does not identify the internal device, and
• wherein sending the plurality of packet flows follows a lookup action in the iFIB to identify corresponding addresses,
• wherein the iFIB comprises record key information that indicates a mandatory flow for service reachability and an ingress interface for the corresponding flow, and
• wherein the mandatory flow corresponds to one of an Ethernet flow, an Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 (IPv4) flow at Layer 3, and an IP version 6 (IPv6) flow at Layer 3.