PE MAC Address Storage via Route Reflector Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing EVPN solution requires each PE to store all MAC address tables, leading to high demands for capacity and performance as the scale of data centers expands and the number of MAC addresses increases significantly.
Innovation Solution
A method and device where a PE sends a packet to a route reflector (RR) to determine and receive only the required MAC address entry from a pre-stored MAC address table, reducing the need for the PE to store all MAC address entries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each PE stores all MAC address tables of all VPN sites, then complete L2VPN forwarding capability is achieved, but capacity and performance demands on PE increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized MAC address table storage function from individual PEs and places it in a dedicated MAC address table server. PEs only store and manage their local MAC address tables, while the server stores and manages MAC address tables for all VPN sites. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing complete forwarding capability through server assistance while dramatically reducing PE storage capacity requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a MAC address table server as an intermediary between PEs and the centralized MAC address database. This server mediates MAC address table management by receiving MAC address information from PEs, storing it centrally, and providing it back to PEs when needed for forwarding decisions. This intermediary approach enables complete L2VPN capability while reducing PE storage demands to only local table maintenance.
2Reliability
If each PE stores all MAC address tables, then full MAC address lookup capability is achieved, but PE processing performance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the MAC address table management workload by separating local table operations (performed by individual PEs) from global table operations (performed by the dedicated server). PEs only perform lookups in their small local tables, while the server handles the comprehensive MAC address database. This segmentation maintains full lookup capability while dramatically reducing PE processing performance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The MAC address table server acts as an intermediary that handles the computationally intensive tasks of maintaining and querying the complete MAC address database. PEs communicate with this server to obtain MAC address information needed for forwarding, rather than maintaining and searching large tables locally. This intermediary approach preserves complete lookup capability while reducing PE processing power demands.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and a device for storing and sending a MAC address entry, and a system. The method includes: sending, by a PE, a first packet to an RR, so that the RR determines a MAC address entry required by the PE according to the first packet, where the RR pre-stores a MAC address table, and the MAC address table includes the required MAC address entry; and receiving, by the PE, a packet which includes the required MAC address entry and is sent by the RR, and storing the required MAC address entry.