EVPN BGP Traffic Suppression for Bandwidth and Load Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing EVPN technologies face issues with bandwidth wastage and high device processing pressure due to ineffective management of traffic, leading to congestion and discarding of important traffic.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a message sending and receiving method that uses a new BGP extended community attribute, the traffic suppression attribute, to manage EVPN traffic by limiting rates through CIR and PIR, thereby reducing bandwidth occupancy and processing pressure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traffic is not limited in EVPN network, then traffic forwarding is simple and reliable, but bandwidth is wasted and congestion occurs leading to important traffic being discarded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraffic forwarding reliabilityVSAvoidbandwidth waste
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having PE devices advertise traffic suppression attributes in BGP updates before traffic actually flows. This allows remote PE devices to know in advance the traffic rate limits (CIR/PIR) and apply them locally, preventing bandwidth waste before it occurs rather than reacting after congestion happens

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback through the traffic suppression attribute mechanism where each PE device advertises its traffic suppression requirements to remote PE devices via BGP updates. This creates a feedback loop where traffic constraints are communicated and enforced end-to-end, allowing the network to adapt to bandwidth limitations proactively

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of energy

If PE traffic is limited according to PE local policy, then local bandwidth is controlled, but EVPN traffic cannot be effectively managed and processing pressure increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth controlVSAvoidtraffic management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by making the traffic suppression attribute a standard part of BGP EVPN updates, allowing the same mechanism to handle all EVPN traffic types (known unicast, BUM, multicast) uniformly. This multi-functional approach consolidates traffic management into a single protocol extension rather than requiring separate policies for different traffic types

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements self-service by enabling PE devices to autonomously advertise their traffic suppression requirements through BGP updates without needing centralized controller intervention. Each PE device independently manages its own traffic constraints by processing the suppression attributes received in BGP updates, reducing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If traffic suppression attribute is added to BGP message, then EVPN traffic management is improved, but message format becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraffic management efficiencyVSAvoidmessage format complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the nested doll principle by placing the traffic suppression attribute within the existing BGP update message structure as an extended community attribute. The suppression attribute is nested inside the standard BGP message format, utilizing existing message fields and structures rather than creating a completely new message type, thereby minimizing impact on existing protocol complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP3806401B1Method for sending and receiving message, apparatus, and system
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3806401B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3806401B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3806401B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

This application requests to protect an information sending and receiving method. The method includes: A first network device sends a BGP message to a second network device. The BGP message includes Ethernet virtual private network network layer reachability information EVPN NLRI and first information. The first information indicates a first maximum rate at which the second network device sends traffic to the first network device based on the EVPN NLRI. When the second network device sends the traffic to the first network device based on the EVPN NLRI, a first-type rate is less than or equal to the first maximum rate. According to the method in this application, less public network bandwidth is occupied, and overheads of the network device can be reduced.