Apparatus and method for layer-2 and layer-3 VPN discovery
AssigneeRockstar Consortium US LP
InventorHamid Ould-Brahim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and a method for layer-2 and layer-3 VPN discovery are disclosed. The apparatus is incorporated in a network, and the network includes a first carrier network. The first carrier network includes at least two layer-1 provider edge devices. Layer-1 VPN information is created within the first carrier network. BGP next hop information passes within the first carrier network. The BGP next hop information is for a selected one of the following: a layer-2 VPN-based provider edge device, a layer-3 VPN-based provider edge device, and a layer-2 and layer-3 VPN-based provider edge device. The network also includes a second carrier network within which the BGP next hop information is used for VPN discovery.
Claims16
A layer-1 Virtual Private Network (VPN) provider network comprising at least two layer-1 VPN provider edge devices, at least one of the at least two layer-1 VPN provider edge devices being configured:
- to receive Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) next hop information from a higher-layer customer network, the BGP next hop information comprising BGP next hop information for at least one of:
- a layer-2 VPN based provider edge device;
- a layer-3 VPN based provider edge device;
- and
- a layer-2 and layer-3 VPN based provider edge device;
- and
- to distribute the BGP next hop information, with layer-1 VPN information, to at least one other of the at least two layer-1 VPN provider edge devices over the layer-1 VPN provider network to enable the higher-layer customer network to use the BGP next hop information for VPN discovery.
A higher-layer carrier network comprising at least two higher-layer provider edge devices, each higher-layer provider edge device being one of:
- a layer-2 Virtual Private Network (VPN) based provider edge device;
- a layer-3 VPN based provider edge device;
- and
- a layer-2 and layer-3 based provider edge device;
- at least one of the higher-layer provider edge devices being configured:
- to advertise a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) next hop via a layer-1 VPN provider network connected between the at least two higher-layer provider edge devices;
- to pass BGP next hop information to another of the at least two higher-layer edge devices via the layer-1 VPN provider network;
- and
- the other of the at least two higher-layer provider edge devices being configured
- to use the BGP next hop information for VPN discovery.
A method of operating a layer-1 Virtual Private Network (VPN) provider network comprising at least two layer-1 provider edge devices, the method comprising operating at least one of the at least two layer-1 provider edge devices:
- to receive Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) next hop information from a higher-layer customer network, the BGP next hop information comprising BGP next hop information for at least one of:
- a layer-2 VPN based provider edge device;
- a layer-3 VPN based provider edge device;
- and
- a layer-2 and layer-3 VPN based provider edge device;
- and
- to distribute the BGP next hop information, with layer-1 VPN information, to at least one other of the at least two layer-1 VPN provider edge devices over the layer-1 VPN provider network to enable the higher-layer customer network to use the BGP next hop information for VPN discovery.
A method of operating a higher-layer carrier network comprising at least two higher-layer provider edge devices, each higher-layer provider edge device being one of a layer-2 Virtual Private Network (VPN) based provider edge device, a layer-3 VPN based provider edge device and a layer-2 and layer-3 based provider edge device, the method comprising:
- at one of the at least two higher-layer provider edge devices:
- configuring a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) next hop via a layer-1 carrier network connected between the at least two higher-layer provider edge devices;
- advertising BGP next hop information to another of the at least two higher-layer edge devices via the layer-1 VPN provider network;
- and
- at another of the at least two higher-layer provider edge devices
- using the BGP next hop information for VPN discovery.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.