EVPN Multicast Routing Tables for Reliable Multi-Homing Failover

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional multicasting in multi-home networks leads to traffic loss and extraneous bandwidth usage.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system that uses control plane flooding to distribute routing tables with preference values, allowing multicast receivers to efficiently determine the best route for data transmission, even when peer devices become inoperable.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional multicasting is used in multi-home networks, then data transmission is achieved, but traffic loss and extraneous bandwidth usage occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata delivery reliabilityVSAvoidbandwidth usage efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-distributing routing tables with preference values through control plane flooding before data transmission occurs. This allows receivers to have route information ready in advance, enabling them to select optimal paths and avoid traffic loss without requiring reactive retransmissions that waste bandwidth.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces routing tables with preference values as an intermediary mechanism between senders and receivers. These routing tables act as mediators that guide data flow through optimal paths, preventing traffic loss and reducing extraneous bandwidth usage by eliminating the need for receivers to attempt multiple unsuccessful transmission paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If control plane flooding is used to distribute routing tables, then efficient route determination is achieved, but network overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission efficiencyVSAvoidnetwork traffic volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by flooding routing tables selectively through the control plane rather than all network traffic. Only routing table updates are flooded, not every data packet, which provides efficient route determination information without overwhelming the network with excessive traffic volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If multiple routing tables are maintained for failover, then network reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork availabilityVSAvoidrouting table management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different preference values to different routes in the routing tables. This allows receivers to locally determine the best route based on preference values without complex global coordination, simplifying routing table management while maintaining reliability through preferential route selection and automatic failover.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12355653B2System and method for EVPN multicast optimization for source handling

Publication Date: 2025.07.08 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

A system and method for handling multicast traffic in Ethernet Virtual Private Network multi-homed networks includes receiving a first route table for a first route, determining that the first route table is associated with another peer device in the multi-home network, generating a second route table for a second route, determining a route to transmit data and the determined route is the first route or the second route based on the first preference value and the second preference value, and transmitting the data using the determined route.