MAC-Address Virtual Route Aggregation for Legacy Router Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtual aggregation methods in packet networks require all routers to support Virtual Aggregation Points and MPLS or IP-in-IP encapsulation, making it complex and inefficient, especially when not all routers can participate, leading to increased FIB size and routing inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of MAC-address-based switching and tunneling methods, including MPLS and layer 2 switching, to simplify and expand virtual aggregation, allowing for the use of tunnels between all routers and external peers, and reducing the need for complete routing information storage in routers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If virtual aggregation is implemented using traditional MPLS LSP forwarding, then routing efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to requirement for Virtual Aggregation Points and complete routing information storage in all routers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the virtual aggregation function from traditional MPLS LSP forwarding by using MAC-address-based layer 2 switching. This allows routers to forward packets based on MAC addresses rather than requiring complete routing information storage, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining routing efficiency for virtual aggregated routes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces MAC-address-based switching as an intermediary mechanism between routing decisions and packet forwarding. Instead of requiring routers to store complete routing information and use complex MPLS LSPs, the system uses MAC address tables as a simpler intermediary to achieve efficient packet forwarding for virtual aggregated routes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If all routers must support Virtual Aggregation Points and MPLS encapsulation, then virtual aggregation functionality is achieved, but adaptability decreases due to incompatibility with legacy routers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the routing system universal by enabling it to work with both legacy routers and routers supporting virtual aggregation. MAC-address-based switching provides a common ground that legacy routers can understand, while still allowing virtual aggregation functionality to operate efficiently in networks with capable routers, thus improving adaptability without requiring all routers to support complex MPLS encapsulation.
3Measurement precision
If complete routing information is stored in all routers, then routing accuracy is maintained, but loss of substance increases due to increased memory usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential forwarding information from complete routing tables by using MAC-address-based switching. Routers only need to store MAC address tables rather than complete routing information, significantly reducing memory usage while maintaining sufficient accuracy for packet forwarding decisions in virtual aggregated networks.
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous system includes at least some packet network devices that are capable of operating in a virtual route aggregation environment and some packet network devices that are not capable of operating in a virtual route aggregation environment. The autonomous system includes at least one egress border router, at least one aggregation router and at least one intermediate router. The egress border router uses an interior border gateway protocol to distribute a label message to the other routers in the autonomous system, the label message including a next hop MAC address associated with either an external router or the egress border router. The egress border router and the intermediate router using information included in the label message to contrast layer 2 table entries and the aggregation router using information included in the label message to construct a layer 3 table entry. The aggregation router receives a packet with a virtual prefix that corresponds to a virtual prefix in a list of virtual prefixes stored by the aggregation router, and routes the packet over a virtual path corresponding to one of the virtual prefixes.