EVPN Fast Re-Route Labels for Access Failure Convergence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current EVPN convergence systems rely on Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) control plane for route distribution, leading to slow hardware programming during failures, risking egress traffic drop, and are limited in scalability and resource availability, especially in private 5G networks requiring high availability.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an L2 FRR disposition path with pre-programmed FRR labels for multi-homed peers to bypass designated forwarder elections, allowing fast re-routing of in-flight traffic and extending FRR functionality to remote nodes for seamless convergence during access failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If BGP control plane is used for route distribution in EVPN convergence systems, then routing functionality is provided, but convergence speed is slow and hardware programming is delayed during failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-programs fast re-route (FRR) labels and backup paths in hardware forwarding planes before failures occur. When a failure is detected, the pre-computed backup paths are immediately activated without requiring slow control plane intervention, thus resolving the contradiction between providing routing functionality and achieving fast convergence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces FRR labels as an intermediary mechanism that enables fast path switching. These labels act as pre-configured shortcuts that bypass the slow BGP control plane during failures, allowing immediate traffic redirection while maintaining routing functionality through the label-based forwarding mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional EVPN convergence systems are used, then routing functionality is maintained, but scalability is limited and resource availability is constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex control plane routing logic from the data plane by implementing FRR labels in hardware forwarding planes. This separation allows the control plane to remain simple while the data plane gains advanced fast convergence capabilities, thereby improving scalability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified copies of routing information in the form of FRR labels that are distributed to edge devices. These labels contain essential forwarding information without the full complexity of BGP routes, enabling scalable deployment across multiple devices while maintaining routing functionality through the label-based forwarding mechanism.
3Speed
If fast re-routing is implemented, then traffic convergence speed is improved, but traffic loss during failures may occur without proper mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-establishes backup paths and programs FRR labels in hardware forwarding planes before failures occur. This beforehand preparation ensures that when a failure is detected, traffic can be immediately redirected along pre-validated backup paths without loss, thus achieving both fast convergence and high reliability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous traffic forwarding by maintaining both primary and backup paths ready for immediate switching. The FRR mechanism allows seamless transition from primary to backup paths during failures, ensuring uninterrupted traffic flow and preventing egress traffic drops while achieving fast convergence.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable media for forwarding data in response to a detected local area network failure. In one aspect, a method includes identifying one or more EVPN services in a local area network. In one aspect, the method includes allocating one or more FRR labels, each of the FRR labels corresponding to each of the EVPN services. In one aspect, the method includes broadcasting the FRR labels to a plurality of network appliances of the LAN. In one aspect, the method includes determining one or more EVI-EAD routes associated with the FRR labels. In one aspect, the method includes detecting a LAN failure of one of the plurality of the network appliances. In one aspect, the method includes forwarding incoming data to another one of the plurality of the network appliances in accordance with the determined EVI-EAD routes, in response to detecting the LAN failure.