VRF Route Filtering with Import and Export Path Editing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network technologies face challenges in efficiently managing and filtering routes between virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instances, particularly in internet service provider (ISP) deployments, where customer-side VRFs need to communicate without crossing traffic from different domains, and there is a lack of effective methods for importing and exporting routes while maintaining domain independence.
Innovation Solution
A path manager is implemented in PE routers to manage routes between customer-side and provider-side VRFs, utilizing filters and editors to selectively import and export routes based on attributes, ensuring domain independence and efficient communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If routes are exported from customer-side VRFs to populate the PE VRF, then the PE VRF gains routing information to encapsulate packets with customer identifiers, but this creates complexity in managing route propagation and filtering between multiple VRF instances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary filtering mechanism that mediates between customer-side VRFs and the PE VRF. Filters are applied during route export/import operations to selectively control which routes are propagated, acting as an intermediary layer that simplifies management while maintaining reliability through controlled route exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of route management by introducing filter criteria that modify how routes are exported and imported between VRFs. By parameterizing the route exchange process with filtering conditions, the system achieves reliable route management without proportionally increasing complexity, as the filters provide structured control over route propagation.
2Reliability
If customer-side VRFs are configured to maintain domain independence, then traffic isolation between customers is ensured, but this limits the ability to efficiently share routing information across the network
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing domain independence at the customer-side VRF level while allowing efficient route exchange at the PE VRF level. Each customer VRF maintains its isolated routing domain with specific filtering characteristics, while the PE VRF aggregates routes from multiple customers efficiently through standardized filter mechanisms, achieving both isolation and efficiency at appropriate levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the routing system into customer-side VRFs that maintain strict domain independence and a PE VRF that handles aggregated routing information. This segmentation allows each segment to operate independently with its own filtering rules, while the overall system achieves efficient route exchange through the structured segmentation of routing responsibilities.
3Manufacturing precision
If comprehensive filtering is applied during route import and export operations, then precise control over route propagation is achieved, but this increases the computational overhead and processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial filtering action by implementing filters that selectively process only the necessary routes during import/export operations. Rather than applying comprehensive filtering to all possible routes, the system applies filters judiciously to achieve precise control over critical route propagation while minimizing unnecessary processing overhead and time loss.
Data Source
AI summary
User commands to export and import routes between a customer-facing VRF and a core-facing VRF in a PE device can include two filters. An export command installs VPN paths in the core-facing VRF based on VRF paths in a customer VRF. An export command includes a filter that selects VRF paths in the customer VRF from which VPN paths are generated. An editor function edits the generated VPN paths prior to being stored in the core-facing VRF. Conversely, an import command includes a filter that selects VPN paths in the core-facing VRF from which VRF paths are generated. An edit function edits the generated VRF paths prior to being stored in the customer VRF.