151 results about "Multiprotocol Label Switching" patented technology

A Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) method, a MPLS network element, and a MPLS network include receiving a packet destined for a destination node at a source node in an MPLS network; pushing an identifier in an MPLS label on an MPLS label stack associated with the packet, wherein the identifier denotes the source node as the source of the packet and is pushed prior to any other MPLS labels on the MPLS stack; pushing one or more labels on the MPLS stack indicative of a route of the packet to the destination node; and transmitting the packet from the source node into the MPLS network. The identifier is located at the bottom of the MPLS stack thereby being a last item popped in the MPLS stack at the destination node, and the identifier can be used for updating OAM data efficiently without requiring deep packet inspection.

The invention includes a method and apparatus for distributing flooding labels within a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) infrastructure supporting Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Media Access Control (MAC) Virtual Private Networking (VPN).

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for Boarder Gateway Protocol (BGP) signaling in virtual private network (VPN) communications. For example, a first network element may encode Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) information in a Network Layer Reachability Information (NLRI) label field that is longer than 24 bits, and transmit a BGP update message comprising a BGP attribute to a second network element. The BGP attribute comprises the NLRI and a specific Subsequent Address Family Identifier (SAFI) value. The specific SAFI value signals to the second network element, upon reception of the BGP update message by the second network element, that the NLRI label field is more than 24 bits long.

A packet forwarding method and apparatus performs multiprotocol routing (for IP and IPX protocols) and switching. Incoming data packets are examined and the flow (i.e., source and destination addresses and source and destination socket numbers) with which they are associated is determined. A flow table contains forwarding information that can be applied to the flow. If an entry is not present in the table for the particular flow, the packet is forwarded to the CPU to be processed. The CPU can then update the table with new forwarding information to be applied to all future packets belonging to the same flow. When the forwarding information is already present in the table, packets can thus be forwarded at wire speed. A dedicated ASIC is preferably employed to contain the table, as well as the engine for examining the packets and forwarding them according to the stored information. Decision-making tasks are thus more efficiently partitioned between the switch and the CPU so as to minimize processing overhead.

Multicast systems and methods for Segment Routing include receiving, at a node, a multicast packet including an outer label comprising a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) source node identifier defining a source-rooted broadcast tree and an inner label including a service identifier defining a service specific multicast tree; responsive to the node including a branch point on the source-rooted broadcast tree, popping the outer label, analyzing the inner label to identify active egress ports, pushing back the outer label, and forwarding the multicast packet to the active egress ports; and responsive to the node including point-to-point transit for the source-rooted broadcast tree, forwarding the multicast packet on the source-rooted broadcast tree.

A device and method for handling Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) label stacks. An incoming label mapping (ILM) table is stored in a first memory. A received packet's label stack is accessed, and an entry corresponding to a top label of the stack is read from the ILM table. A number of other entries are also read from the ILM table, and these other entries are cached in a second memory.

By defining a static path through a communications network for a call placed by an IP-based telephonic device, stream of packets representing the call are rendered available for wiretapping on a communications network that includes a first and a second switching/routing element. The static path is defined using Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP). The first switching/routing element responds to a call initiation request received from the telephonic device by sending an RSVP PATH message to the second switching/routing element. The first switching/routing element marks packets sent by the telephonic device with an identical MPLS Forwarding Equivalence Class (FEC) label, so that the plurality of packets will traverse a predesignated IP address in the communications path, and so as to allow law enforcement officials to monitor packets originating from an IP-based telephonic device using a monitoring mechanism situated at the predesignated IP address.

A first and a second switching node establish a tunnel to transport a packet through a multiprotocol label-switching (MPLS) network. The tunnel is associated with a unique tunnel key. One or more virtual ciruit (VC) labels are automatically generated using the tunnel key.

The invention discloses a method for realizing multicast protection. The method comprises the following steps: a main link and a backup link are configured for a PW (pseudo wire) between uplink PE (provider edge) and downlink PE; the downlink PE and the uplink PE establish a T-MPLS (transmission-multiprotocol label switching) multicast forwarding table respectively; the uplink PE sends an acquired multicast data message to the downlink PE through the master/slave links simultaneously; the downlink PE forwards the multicast data message received from the main link to corresponding CE (customer edge) according to the T-MPLS multicast forwarding table, and discards the multicast data message received from the backup link; and when the main link fails, the main link is switched to the backup link, and the downlink PE forwards the multicast data message received from the backup link to the CE. The invention also provides a system for realizing multicast protection. Through the technical scheme of the invention, normal transmission of multicast services can be guaranteed when a link in the T-MPLS network fails.

In one aspect, a method of using a general purpose computer 8 as an MPLS-enabled label switched router includes executing software on the general purpose computer 8 that allows it to communicate with other label switched routers using label distribution protocol. The general purpose computer 8 includes a central processor 10, a memory 12, network interface cards 30 and 32 and also typically includes local I/O such as a keyboard 22, a mouse 24 and a display device 20 for communicating with a local user.

A system, device, and method for traffic and subscriber service differentiation using multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) creates different service tiers, where each service tier is associated with a unique combination of resource class (color) and hold priority. Enhanced MPLS devices separate traffic into separate queues based upon service tier. Standard MPLS devices are typically configured to separate traffic for different service tiers under normal operating conditions. Enhanced MPLS devices signal service tier using a predetermined signaling protocol such as RSVP-TE or CR-LDP.

A method and apparatus to provide hop-by-hop tracking for a communication network is described. In one embodiment, a router verifies that a next downstream router supports tracking and in response, adds a tracking indicator and a timestamp to the data packet. An end router provides a compilation of all the timestamps back to the originating router.

A passive optical network system based on label exchanging protocol of universal multi-protocol is prepared as connecting optical line terminal OLT to multiple optical network unit ONU by wideband passive optical distribution network , using OLT and ONU as edge router and GMPLS domain of said exchanging protocol for being connected to the other GMPLS router in said multi-protocol by communication link , using OLT as intermediate router of integrated service in system individually for controlling all communication activities , using ONU as inlet router of integrated service in system for executing command of OLT .

Apparatus and methods for intelligent deployment and transition from a first network infrastructure to a second network infrastructure. Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to, among other things, methods and apparatus that leverage tunneling of Ethernet ring network technologies. In one exemplary embodiment, a modified implementation of the ITU-T G.8032 data link protocol is combined with Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) transport networks to provide Carrier Ethernet and Retail Ethernet services. Unlike existing network infrastructure, the exemplary MPLS network aggregates traffic between the base station (BS) and mobile switching center (MSC) within a logical ring network topology.

Provided are an apparatus and method of dividing virtual sites using policy properties in multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) networks. In this method, when multiple virtual sites are selected with respect to one interface, not only usually used source IP addresses and VLAN tags but also TOS fields and MPLS labels are used so that more various kinds of virtual sites can be selected. Also, since the TOS fields and MPLS labels can express additional QoS-related information, differentiated services can be provided by selecting a wider variety of kinds of virtual sites.

The invention provides a method for allocating transport-multiprotocol label switching and ring network protecting maintenance entity groups, which comprises the following steps: establishing a tunnel protecting group, and determining a working tunnel and a protecting tunnel of the tunnel protecting group, and an address of a next hop of the tunnel protecting group; and selecting a multiplex section protecting group to which the tunnel protecting group belongs, obtaining addresses of a next hop of a multiplex section of the multiplex section protecting group in two directions, comparing the addresses of the next hop of the multiplex section in the two directions and the address of the next hop of the tunnel protecting group, and if the address of the next hop of the multiplex section in one direction is the same as the address of the next hop of the tunnel protecting group, allocating maintenance entity groups corresponding to the multiplex section in the direction as working maintenance entity groups, and maintenance entity groups corresponding to the multiplex section in the other direction as protecting maintenance entity groups. The invention also provides a device for allocating transport-multiprotocol label switching and ring network protecting maintenance entity groups. When allocating the tunnel protecting group, the method and the device have simple input data and high allocation accuracy.

A method of handling datagrams in a network device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of receiving an incoming datagram at a port of the network device, determining a type for the incoming datagram based on fields in the incoming datagram and a destination address, adding a tag to the datagram to assist in routing the datagram, obtaining a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) label when the datagram is a MPLS datagram, processing the datagram based on the MPLS label and the destination address and discarding or forwarding the datagram based upon the processing step. The tag is stripped from the datagram before it is sent from an egress port of the network switch.

Embodiments of the present invention provides a method for measuring performance parameters of MultiProtocol Label Switching (MPLS) network, including: sending a performance parameter measurement packet carrying first information for measuring a performance parameter of the MPLS network to a second party; measuring the performance parameter of the MPLS network according to the first information in the performance parameter measurement packet. The embodiments of the invention also provide a system and a device for measuring performance parameters of the MPLS network.

A system may define a first region that includes a first colored link of a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network, and may define a second region that includes a second colored link of the MPLS network. The system may define a boundary between the first and second regions based on the first colored link and the second colored link.

A system and method for sharing access to an internet protocol (IP) network among multiple internet service providers (ISPs) uses multiprotocol label switching (MPLS). End-users are coupled to a broadband customer access network. Each end-user is also associated with at least one of the ISPs. An aggregation router interfaces the customer access network with a network backbone. The network backbone includes a border router for interfacing between the network backbone and the network of an ISP. When the border router is activated, it creates a forwarding equivalency class (FEC) corresponding to the ISP. The border router stores a label for the FEC and the interface for reaching the ISP in an FEC table. The border router advertises the label binding for the FEC to all upstream nodes. An intermediate node receiving the label binding creates its own FEC table, associates a new label with the FEC, and advertises the new label binding to its upstream nodes. The aggregation router receives and builds a FEC table containing the label bindings for all ISPs reachable over the network backbone. When the aggregation router receives a data packet from an end-user, the aggregation router determines the ISP associated with the end-user, labels the data packet with the label corresponding to the FEC for that ISP, and routes the packet on the network backbone. The packet eventually reaches the border router, which pops off the label and passes the packet to the ISP.

A new architecture provides network-based mobility in cellular networks that is built on Internet Protocol (IP)/Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) technologies, such as Virtual Private Local Area Network (LAN) Service (VPLS), the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and BGP MPLS Layer 3 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The architecture consists of several building blocks that provide functionality for different aspects of cellular network mobility. One building block is network-based macro mobility in IP/MPLS networks. The macro mobility techniques described herein are built on extensions to a routing protocol such as BGP. Another building block relates to transferring subscriber context between network devices while preserving the IP address of the subscriber. The techniques described herein provide a subscriber context transfer mechanism for mobile subscriber management that is built on extensions to a routing protocol such as BGP. Another building block of the mobility architecture is network-based micro mobility based on VPLS.

The invention discloses an access method and a device of multiprotocol label switching double-layer virtual private network. The method comprises the following steps: a user side and a network side respectively access respective message into operator route equipment; the access type mapping of the message is a virtual port, and each access is distributed with respective SVP port and DVP port; and the user side and the network side build a data forwarding path of a multiprotocol label switching double-layer virtual private network by building the connection of respective SVP port to opposite side DVP port. The invention maps various access modes into the virtual port in a unified mode, and accesses MPLS L2VPN in and forwards on the basis of VSI and VP. The invention enhances the expandability for user messages to access into L2VPN, lowers L2VPN access management complexity and system development difficulty and improves system reliability.