Automatic MEP provisioning in a link state controlled ethernet network

1. A method of automatically provisioning a set of Ethernet OAM maintenance endpoint Identifiers (MEP-IDs) in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network, the method comprising:

producing an MEP-ID of a node of the network related to a system identifier;

including the MEP-ID of the node in a link state protocol data unit (LSP); and

transmitting the LSP over an Ethernet link according to the link state protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein including the MEP-ID of the node in a LSP comprises:

copying the MEP-ID into a type length value (TLV) element; and

generating a LSP comprising the TLV element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein producing an MEP-ID of a node of the network related to a system identifier comprises hashing the system identifier to produce the MEP-ID.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the LSP at another node;

detecting the MEP-ID in the received LSP; and

storing the MEP-ID at the other node.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the LSP further comprises an Ethernet media access control (MAC) identifier associated with the MEP-ID, the method further comprising updating a forwarding table at the other node to indicate the association between the MEP-ID and the MAC identifier.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving an OAM command comprising a MAC identifier;

querying the forwarding table to resolve a maintenance end point from the MAC identifier in the received OAM command; and

forwarding the OAM command on the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network toward the maintenance end point.

7. A system for automatically provisioning a set of Ethernet OAM maintenance endpoint Identifiers (MEP-IDs) in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network, the apparatus comprising:

link state protocol data unit generator logic configured to produce an MEP-ID of a node of the network related to a system identifier, and to include the MEP-ID in a link state protocol data unit (LSP); and

a transmitter configured to transmit the LSP over an Ethernet link according to the link state protocol.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the link state protocol data unit generator logic is configured to include the MEP-ID in a LSP by:

copying the MEP-ID into a type length value (TLV) element; and

generating a LSP comprising the TLV element.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the link state protocol data unit generator logic is configured to hash the system identifier to produce the MEP-ID.

10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a LSP; and

link state protocol data unit decoding logic configured:

to detect a MEP-ID in the received LSP; and

to store the MEP-ID.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the LSP further comprises an Ethernet media access control (MAC) identifier associated with the MEP-ID, the system further comprising forwarding table updating logic configured to update a forwarding table at the other node to indicate the association between the MEP-ID and the MAC identifier.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the receiver is further configured to receive an OAM command comprising a MAC identifier; and

the system further comprises:

forwarding table querying logic configured to query the forwarding table to resolve a maintenance end point from the MAC identifier in the received OAM command; and

forwarding logic configured to forward the OAM command on the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network toward the maintenance end point.

13. The system of claim 7 , further comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory processor-readable storage medium storing instructions for execution by the at least one processor, wherein the link state protocol generator logic comprises instructions executable by the processor to include the MEP-ID in a LSP.

14. The system of claim 10 , further comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory processor-readable storage medium storing instructions for execution by the at least one processor, wherein the link state protocol decoding logic comprises instructions executable by the processor to:

detect a MEP-ID in the received LSP; and

store the MEP-ID.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein:

the link state protocol data unit generator and the transmitter are at a first node; and

the receiver and the link state protocol data unit decoder are at a second node coupled to the first node by a communication network.

16. A link state protocol controlled Ethernet network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node comprising:

maintenance end point producing logic configured to produce a maintenance end point identifier associated with the node and related to a system identifier;

forwarding logic configured to forward the maintenance end point identifier over the network in a link state protocol data unit;

an input configured to receive a link state protocol data unit containing a maintenance end point identifier associated with an Ethernet media access control node identifier of another node of the network; and

forwarding table update logic configured to update a forwarding table of the node to indicate an association between the maintenance end point identifier and the Ethernet media access control identifier of the other node.

17. The network of claim 16 , wherein each input is further configured to receive an operations-administration-maintenance (OAM) command; and each node further comprises:

forwarding table query logic configured to query the forwarding table to resolve the maintenance end point from the Ethernet media access control node identifier in the received OAM command; and

forwarding logic configured to forward the OAM command on the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network toward the maintenance end point.

18. A method of operating a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network comprising a plurality of nodes, the method comprising at each node:

producing a maintenance end point identifier associated with the node and related to a system identifier;

forwarding the maintenance end point identifier over the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network in a link state protocol data unit;

receiving a link state protocol data unit containing a maintenance end point identifier associated with an Ethernet media access control node identifier of another node of the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network; and

updating a forwarding table of the node to indicate the association between the maintenance end point identifier and the Ethernet media access control identifier of the other node.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving an operations-administration-maintenance (OAM) command at a node;

querying the forwarding table at the node to resolve the maintenance end point from the Ethernet media access control node identifier in the received OAM command; and

forwarding the OAM command on the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network toward the maintenance end point.