Technique establishing a forwarding path in a network system

A method of determining a forwarding path for transmitting service based data for a given one of a plurality of services within a network system that comprises a first network and a second network being connected with each other by a network interconnect, the network interconnect comprising:

• a plurality of first network interconnect nodes provided in the first network,
• a plurality of second network interconnect nodes provided in the second network,
• a plurality of external links connecting the first network interconnect nodes with the second network interconnect nodes, one or more first internal links connecting the first network interconnect nodes and provided within the first network, and
• one or more second internal links connecting the second network interconnect nodes and provided within the second network, the method comprising:
• assigning interconnect node status information to the first network interconnect nodes and to the second network interconnect nodes, wherein a network interconnect node to which a passive status is assigned is only allowed to transmit service based data between an external link and another interconnect node of the network to which the network interconnect node having the passive status belongs, or between two other interconnect nodes of the network to which the network interconnect node having the passive status belongs, and wherein only a network interconnect node to which an active status is assigned is allowed to send or receive service based data to or from the network to which the network interconnect node having the active status belongs, wherein the assignment of the active status to each of the plurality of first and second network interconnect nodes is done a per service basis, such that for each of the plurality of services one of the plurality of first network interconnect nodes and one of the plurality of second network interconnect nodes is assigned the active status, and
• determining a forwarding path for the given service between an interconnect node having an active status and belonging to the first network and an interconnect node having an active status and belonging to the second network based on the respective status information assigned to the network interconnect nodes for the given service, wherein the forwarding path stretches between only two network interconnect nodes having an active status.

A network, comprising:

• a plurality of network interconnect nodes connectable to a plurality of external links towards another network,
• one or more internal links connecting the network interconnect nodes with each other, the network being configured to carry out the following processes:
• assigning interconnect node status information to the network interconnect nodes, wherein a network interconnect node to which a passive status is assigned is only allowed to transmit service based data between an external link and another interconnect node of the network, or between two other interconnect nodes of the network, and wherein only a network interconnect node to which an active status is assigned is allowed to send or receive service based data to or from the network, wherein the assignment of the active status to each of the plurality of network interconnect nodes is done a per service basis, such that for each of the plurality of services one of the plurality of network interconnect nodes is assigned the active status, and
• determining an interconnect node having an active status for establishing a forwarding path for a given one of a plurality of services, the forwarding path including an external link, wherein the determination is based on the respective status information assigned to the network interconnect nodes for the given service.

A network system comprising a first network and a second network being connected with each other by a network interconnect, the network interconnect comprising:

• a plurality of first network interconnect nodes provided in the first network,
• a plurality of second network interconnect nodes provided in the second network,
• a plurality of external links connecting the first network interconnect nodes with the second network interconnect nodes,
• one or more first internal links connecting the first network interconnect nodes and provided within the first network, and one or more second internal links connecting the second network interconnect nodes and provided within the second network, the network system comprising functionality to carry out the following processes:
• assigning interconnect node status information to the first network interconnect nodes and to the second network interconnect nodes, wherein a network interconnect node to which a passive status is assigned is only allowed to transmit service based data between an external link and another interconnect node of the network to which the network interconnect node having the passive status belongs, or between two other interconnect nodes of the network to which the network interconnect node having the passive status belongs, and wherein only a network interconnect node to which an active status is assigned is allowed to send or receive service based data to or from the network to which the network interconnect node having the active status belongs, wherein the assignment of the active status to each of the plurality of first and second network interconnect nodes is done a per service basis, such that for each of the plurality of services one of the plurality of first network interconnect nodes and one of the plurality of second network interconnect nodes is assigned the active status, and
• determining a forwarding path for a given one of a plurality of services between an interconnect node having an active status and belonging to the first network and an interconnect node having an active status and belonging to the second network based on the respective status information assigned to the network interconnect nodes for the given service, wherein the forwarding path stretches between only two network interconnect nodes having an active status.