Multi-Chassis Redundancy for PBB-EVPN CloudCO

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing EVPN solutions struggle to effectively integrate with emerging scenarios like the cloud central office (CloudCO), where CE devices are aggregated through access nodes (AN) to provider edge (PE) devices, requiring enhanced multihoming and redundancy mechanisms for PBB-EVPN services.

Innovation Solution

A multi-chassis redundancy access protection method for PBB-EVPN services is introduced, enabling CE devices to be multihomed to multiple AN devices via a multi-chassis link aggregation group (CE-LAG), with dual-homing to redundant PE devices, and utilizing a new EVPN MAC Address Type Extended Community to explicitly indicate traffic processing for even load distribution across PE-AN Ethernet links.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If CE devices are multihomed to multiple AN devices via multi-chassis link aggregation group, then redundancy and fault tolerance are improved, but device complexity and configuration difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveredundancyVSAvoidconfiguration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the network into distinct functional components: CE devices, AN devices, and PE devices. Each segment has specific roles and configurations. The multi-chassis link aggregation group is segmented into individual link aggregates between CE-AN and AN-PE, making each manageable independently while maintaining overall redundancy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The AN device acts as an intermediary between CE devices and PE devices. It receives traffic from CE devices via multi-chassis link aggregation and forwards it to PE devices, simplifying the configuration by abstracting the complexity of direct CE-PE multihoming through the intermediate AN layer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If traffic is distributed across multiple PE-AN Ethernet links, then load balancing is improved, but traffic management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload balancingVSAvoidtraffic management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple PE-AN Ethernet links into a logical aggregate group. Traffic management is simplified by treating the aggregate as a single logical entity while maintaining physical distribution across multiple links, enabling load balancing without managing each link individually.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates equipotential paths for traffic distribution by establishing symmetric link aggregates between AN-PE and PE-AN. This ensures equal traffic distribution across all available links, simplifying load balancing by making all paths equivalent in terms of configuration and management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #12Equipotentiality

3Reliability

If dual-homing to redundant PE devices is implemented, then fault tolerance is improved, but network configuration complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefault toleranceVSAvoidconfiguration ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The AN device is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple CE devices and multiple PE devices through standardized multi-chassis link aggregation interfaces. This universal configuration approach allows the same AN device to serve different purposes with consistent configuration methods, reducing overall network configuration complexity.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses parameter changes in the link aggregate configuration to enable or disable redundancy features. By adjusting configuration parameters such as aggregate identifiers, link membership, and operational states, the system can dynamically change between single-homed and dual-homed configurations without fundamental structural changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4297364A1Multi-chassis access protection method and apparatus for PBB-EVPN service
Publication Date: 2023.12.27 NOKIA SOLUTIONS (SHANGHAI) CO LTD
  • EP4297364A1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4297364A1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP4297364A1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a multi-chassis access protection method and device for a PBB-EVPN service. The method comprises: configuring a multi-chassis redundancy access mode for a PBB-EVPN service; wherein the multi-chassis redundancy access mode is applicable to a scenario where a CE device is multihomed to two or more access node (AN) devices of a cloud central office (CloudCO) via a multi-chassis link aggregation group (CE-LAG) and the two or more AN devices are respectively dualhomed to a same pair of redundant PE devices (a first PE). The embodiment of the present disclosure has the following advantages: providing a multihoming connection redundancy protection mode suitable for a PBB-EVPN service of the cloud central office; and providing a signaling mode and EVPN route encoding involved in a multihoming connection redundancy protection mode for supporting a PBB-EVPN service.