Method and system for traffic engineered MPLS ethernet switch
AssigneeCiena Corporation
InventorsGerard Leo Swinkels, Nigel Lawrence Bragg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to implementing a router Media Access Control (MAC) Ethernet switch in a network. An embodiment receives, from a first Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) router, at least one data packet with a router MAC address identifying a second MPLS router; automatically learns the router MAC address identifying the second MPLS router; accesses information to determine the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the second MPLS router based on the learned router MAC address; and transmits the at least one data packet to the second MPLS router.
Claims17
A method implemented by a Media Access Control (MAC) Ethernet switch in a network, the method comprising:
- receiving, from a first Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) router, a packet with a first IP address and a first MAC address identifying the first MPLS router as a source of the packet, and a second IP address and a second MAC address identifying a destination;
- upon resolving a destination MAC address, forwarding the packet directly to a second MPLS router by a data path determined by the MAC address of the second router;
- upon failing to resolve the destination MAC address, forwarding the packet to a plurality of Ethernet switches in the network using an out-of-band control associated with the Ethernet network, wherein each of the plurality of Ethernet switches transmits the packet to connectively coupled MPLS routers;
- receiving, from a second MPLS router connectively coupled to a second Ethernet switch, a second packet containing a second IP address and a previously unresolved MAC address identifying the second MPLS router as a source of the second packet;
- and
- forwarding, by the second Ethernet switch, the second packet to the plurality of Ethernet switches using the out-of-band control, wherein each of the plurality of Ethernet switches transmits the packet to connectively coupled MPLS routers.
A system for implementing a Media Access Control (MAC) Ethernet switch in a network, the system comprising:
- a switch configured to
- receive, from a first Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) router, a packet with a first IP address and a first MAC address identifying the first MPLS router as a source of the packet, and a second IP address and a second MAC address identifying a destination,
- forward the packet directly to a second MPLS router by a data path determined by a destination MAC address of the second router upon resolving the MAC address,
- forward the packet to a plurality of Ethernet switches in the network using an out-of-band control associated with the Ethernet network upon failing to resolve the destination MAC address, wherein each of the plurality of Ethernet switches transmit the packet to connectively coupled MPLS routers, and
- receive, from a second MPLS router connectively coupled to a second Ethernet switch, a second packet containing a second IP address and a previously unresolved MAC address identifying the second MPLS router as a source of the second packet, wherein the second Ethernet switch is configured to forward the second packet to the plurality of Ethernet switches using the out-of-band control, wherein each of the plurality of Ethernet switches transmit the packet to connectively coupled MPLS routers.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium with stored instructions for implementing a Media Access Control (MAC) Ethernet switch in a network wherein execution of the program logic is executed by one or more processors of a computer system, the medium comprising:
- logic configured to receive, from a first Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) router, a packet with a first IP address and a first MAC address identifying the first MPLS router as a source of the packet, and a second IP address and a second MAC address identifying a destination;
- logic configured to resolve the at least one destination MAC address;
- and logic configured to forward the packet directly to a second MPLS router by a data path determined by the MAC address of the second router upon resolving a destination MAC address;
- logic configured to forward the packet to a plurality of Ethernet switches in the network using an out-of-band control associated with the Ethernet network upon failing to resolve the destination MAC address, wherein each of the plurality of Ethernet switches transmit the packet to connectively coupled MPLS routers;
- logic configured to receive, from a second MPLS router connectively coupled to a second Ethernet switch, a second packet containing a second IP address and a previously unresolved MAC address identifying the second MPLS router as a source of the second packet;
- and
- logic configured to forward, by the second Ethernet switch, the second packet to the plurality of Ethernet switches using the out-of-band control, wherein each of the plurality of Ethernet switches transmits the packet to connectively coupled MPLS routers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.