Individual virtual private local area network service conversion to a different virtual private network service

#The present disclosure relates generally to packet switching network communications, including, but not limited to, provider virtual private network bridging services and technology.

#The communications industry is rapidly changing to adjust to emerging technologies and ever increasing customer demand. This customer demand for new applications and increased performance of existing applications is driving communications network and system providers to employ networks and systems having greater speed and capacity (e.g., greater bandwidth). In trying to achieve these goals, a common approach taken by many communications providers is to use packet switching technology in packet switching networks of various topologies.

#A Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) is typically built with a full-mesh of Ethernet pseudowires among Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Provider Edge (PE) routers that are part of a given layer-2 broadcast domain. A VPLS PE emulates an Ethernet bridge by performing data-plane MAC learning against traffic arriving over the pseudowires and local interfaces. Provider Backbone Bridging (e.g., IEEE 802.1ah) defines a hierarchy of bridging devices that includes provisions to scale up the number of services that can be multiplexed into a single Backbone VLAN.

#The appended claims set forth the features of one or more embodiments with particularity. The embodiment(s), together with its advantages, may be understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

#FIG. 1A illustrates a network operating according to one embodiment;

#FIG. 1B illustrates a network operating according to one embodiment;

#Disclosed are, inter alia, methods, apparatus, computer-storage media, mechanisms, and means associated with individual Virtual Private Local Area Network Service (VPLS) conversion to a different Virtual Private Network Service (VPLS).

#One embodiment includes a method comprising: operating a plurality of virtual private local area network services (VPLSs) among a plurality of packet switching devices, with the plurality of VPLSs including a first VPLS and a different second VPLS; and in response to a conversion declaration including a particular Service Instance VLAN ID (I-SID) while said operating the plurality of VPLSs, converting the first VPLS corresponding to the particular I-SID to a different type of virtual private network (VPN) service and operating the different type of VPN service related to the particular I-SID, while continuing to operate the different second VPLS which is not related to the particular I-SID.

#In one embodiment, the different type of VPN service is Provider Backbone Bridging Ethernet VPN (PBB-EVPN). In one embodiment, the conversion declaration is a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Network Layer Reachability Information (NLRI) of Route Type 3 Inclusive Multicast Ethernet Tag (IMET) route. One embodiment performs PBB-EVPN seamless integration with VPLS using service containment.