Automatic packet protection forwarding to an MPLS network bya dual-homed Ethernet bridge

Abstract

A method and a system for forwarding Ethernet packets by an Ethernet bridge (EB1) in an Ethernet Layer 2 VPN network; said method being characterized in that it comprises the steps of: by the L2VPN module (Vx1) of the ingress LER (ML1), notifying the first Ethernet bridge (EB1) about the primary internal port (4) associated to the receiving MAC-address (MACb) and to the given VLAN identification; by the L2VPN module (Vx1) of the ingress LER (ML1), notifying the first Ethernet bridge (EB1) about the backup internal port (5) directly associated to the backup MPLS port (5m) which is acting as a backup MPLS port in an event of failure of the primary MPLS port (4m); by the first Ethernet bridge (EB1), adding to the internal filtering database the backup internal port (5) to be used in the event of failure of the primary MPLS port (4m) so as to create a combined filtering database; by the ingress MPLS LER (ML1), notifying the first Ethernet bridge (EB1) about MPLS ports status; by the at least one transmitting CE device (CEa), transmitting Ethernet packets of a given VLAN identification to the receiving MAC-address (MACb) of the at least one receiving CE device (CEb); by the first Ethernet bridge (EB1), before forwarding the transmitted Ethernet packets, checking, when, in the combined filtering database, the receiving MAC-address (MACb) of the given VLAN is associated to a backup ingress internal port (5), if the corresponding primary MPLS port (4m) directly associated to said primary ingress internal port (4) is failed or not; if the corresponding primary MPLS port (4m) is failed, forwarding Ethernet packets to the backup egress port (5) of the receiving MAC-address (MACb) having the given VLAN identification.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 and a system according to the preamble of claim 7 . Background technique [0002] As defined in document RFC4026 [1], a virtual private network (VPN) generally refers to the use of a public or private network to generate users who are separate from other network users and communicate between them as if they were communicating on a private network Group. [0003] Ethernet is the most widely used frame-based computer networking technology for LANs, and it is used to provide point-to-point or multipoint-to-multipoint communication between co-located users. [0004] In recent years, service providers provide Ethernet Layer 2VPN (L2VPN) through packet-switching networks, which enables enterprise customers with branches in different locations to connect their different branches through this Ethernet L2VPN. Examples of Ethernet L2VPNs are Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) and Ethernet V...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0037] The main disadvantage of the known prior art methods of sending Ethernet packets in Ethernet VPWS and VPLS services is that in the event of MPLS port failure, the protection switching cannot be fast enough to guarantee traffic with minimal packet loss, where traffic has high priority traffic The same is true for the level

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