Fast path content delivery over metro access networks

A system comprising:

• a metro transport network positioned between a set of subscriber devices and at least one Internet service provider network that authenticates the subscriber devices and allocates the subscriber devices respective layer three (L3) addresses from a respective Internet Protocol (IP) network address prefix assigned to the Internet service provider network,
• wherein the metro transport network provides layer two (L2) packet switching for transporting network packets between the Internet service provider network and the subscriber devices,
• wherein the metro transport network comprises at least one access router that is connected to the subscriber devices by one or more access links and at least one peering router of the metro transport network;
• wherein the access router and the peering router establish an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) within the metro transport network,
• wherein the access router outputs, within the EVPN and to the peering router, an EVPN route advertisement that advertises network address reachability information of the subscriber devices on behalf of the Internet service provider network,
• wherein the EVPN route advertisement specifies the network address reachability information of the subscriber devices and indicates that the subscriber devices are reachable through the access router,
• wherein the peering router of the metro transport network is configured to output a routing protocol route advertisement that advertises the network address reachability information to a border router of a content data network and receives, directly from the content data network bypassing the Internet service provider network, packets addressed to one or more of the subscriber devices,
• wherein the peering router of the metro transport network is configured to encapsulate packets and tunnel the packets through the EVPN-enabled metro transport network from peering router to the access router;
• and
• wherein the access router is configured de-encapsulate the packets from the metro transport network and forward the packets to the one or more subscriber devices.

An access router of a metro transport network positioned between at least one Internet service provider network and a set of subscriber devices for which the Internet service provider has authenticated and allocated respective Internet Protocol (IP) network addresses from an IP network address prefix assigned to the Internet service, the access router comprising:

• a control unit having at least one processor coupled to a memory,
• wherein the control unit executes software configured to establish an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) with a peering router within the metro transport network,
• wherein the control unit is configured to receive data specifying network address reachability information of the subscriber devices of the Internet service provider network and output, within the EVPN and to the peering router, an EVPN route advertisement that advertises the network address reachability information of the subscriber devices on behalf of the Internet service provider network,
• wherein the EVPN route advertisement specifies the network address reachability information of the subscriber devices and indicates that the subscriber devices of the Internet service provider network are reachable through the access router, and
• wherein the access router receives, from the peering router, packets tunneled through the EVPN-enabled metro transport network from the peering router to the access router, and
• wherein the access router, de-encapsulates the packets from the metro transport network and forwards the packets to the one or more subscriber devices.