Forward packet with edge device

#The present application is a 371 application of International Application No. PCT/CN2013/082551 filed on Aug. 29, 2013 and entitled “Forward Packet with Edge Device,” which claims benefit of Chinese Patent App. No. CN 201210315857.3 filed on Aug. 30, 2012.

#An Ethernet Virtualization Interconnection (EVI) network may connect multiple network sites deployed in different locations. The EVI network is a system that may implement a Layer 2 interconnection among the network sites with virtual links. The EVI network may implement Layer 2 Virtual Private Network (L2VPN) based on an Internet Protocol (IP) Core Network (CN). As used herein, an EVI network may include not only an Ethernet Virtual Interconnection network, but also other appropriate types of network for connecting geographically disperse data centers.

#Features of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not limited in the following figures, in which like numerals indicate like elements, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating structure of a fully connected EVI network.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating structure of a hierarchical EVI network, in accordance with a first example of the present disclosure.

#For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the present disclosure is described by referring mainly to an example thereof. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be readily apparent however, that the present disclosure may be practiced without limitation to these specific details. In other instances, some methods and structures have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present disclosure. As used throughout the present disclosure, the term “includes” means includes but not limited to, the term “including” means including but not limited to. The term “based on” means based at least in part on. In addition, the terms “a” and “an” are intended to denote at least one of a particular element.

#In the present disclosure, a method for forwarding a packet with an Edge Device (ED) and a corresponding ED are provided. EDs may be divided into two categories: User ED (UED) and Network ED (NED). A user of UED may access a hierarchical EVI network through UED and NED. A UED may store Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of a local site. A NED may store all MAC addresses within an EVI instance. Subsequently, since a UED is to store MAC addresses of a local site, requirements for UED specifications may be reduced to facilitate promotion of the EVI networks.

#FIG. 1 shows that a fully connected EVI network is formed by a Core Network (CN), an overlapped network, and several network sites, and so on.