Conveying the VLAN/L2 VSN/bridging-domain of the incoming interface (IIF) when transporting multicast traffic over a shortest path bridged (SPB) network
View Patent ↗Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for improving multicast traffic operations in a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) network by conveying bridging domain information of an incoming interface (IIF) when transporting multicast traffic over the SPB network. Techniques disclosed herein include modifying encapsulation packet header information of existing Mac-In-Mac fields to convey additional information that can be interpreted at edge nodes by modifying edge node interpretation of multicast data. Specifically, the value of the I-SID in the BMAC-DA field can be set to be different from the I-SID value in the I-TAG field. Carrying the L2 VSN I-SID value in the I-TAG allows the Egress BEBs to determine which VLAN/L2 VSN/Bridging-Domain of the IIF is in use, and then modify or preserve underlying header information accordingly.
1. A computer-implemented method for packet switching in a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) network, the computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a multicast data packet at a first data switching device, the first data switching device functioning as a first Backbone Edge Bridge within a transport network using Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) protocol, the multicast data packet having a Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header added by a second data switching device, the second data switching device functioning as a second Backbone Edge Bridge within the transport network, the multicast data packet received via the transport network from the second data switching device, the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header carrying a data Backbone Service Instance Identifier (I-SID) set in a Backbone Media Access Control Destination Address (BMAC-DA) field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header, the data I-SID identifying a multicast data stream corresponding to the multicast data packet, the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header also carrying a Layer 2 I-SID set in a Backbone Service Instance Tag (I-TAG) field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header, the Layer 2 I-SID identifying a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the multicast data packet, the Layer 2 I-SID carrying a different value as compared to a value of the data I-SID;
executing a lookup at the first data switching device, the lookup identifying Layer 2 bridging domain information of an incoming interface of the multicast data packet and Layer 2 bridging domain information of an outgoing interface of the multicast data packet, the incoming interface connecting a sender of the multicast data stream with the second data switching device, the outgoing interface connecting a receiver of the multicast data stream with the first data switching device;
removing the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header;
in response to identifying that a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the outgoing interface is different than a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the incoming interface, modifying a Customer Media Access Control (MAC) Source Address carried in a Customer MAC header field of the multicast data packet; and
forwarding the multicast data packet on the outgoing interface without the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein executing the lookup includes comparing Layer 2 bridging domain information of the incoming interface with Layer 2 bridging domain information of the outgoing interface, and identifying that a VLAN corresponding to the incoming interface does not match a VLAN corresponding to the outgoing interface.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein executing the lookup includes comparing Layer 2 bridging domain information of the incoming interface with Layer 2 bridging domain information of the outgoing interface, and identifying that a VLAN corresponding to the incoming interface matches a VLAN corresponding to the outgoing interface.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein executing the lookup includes:
identifying the incoming interface by executing a lookup using the Layer 2 I-SID set in the I-TAG field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header;
identifying the outgoing interface by executing a lookup using values from a Backbone Virtual Local Area Network field and from the BMAC-DA field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header; and
determining whether the incoming interface and the outgoing interface belong to a same Layer 2 broadcast domain.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the Customer MAC Source Address includes setting the Customer MAC Source Address based on a system identifier of the first data switching device.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein in response to identifying that the Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the outgoing interface matches the Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the incoming interface, preserving a Customer Media Access Control (MAC) Source Address carried in a Customer MAC header field of the multicast data packet.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a second multicast data packet from a second incoming interface connected to the first data switching device;
allocating a second data I-SID to a second multicast data stream corresponding to the second multicast data packet;
selecting a second Layer 2 I-SID based on a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the second multicast data packet;
encapsulating the second data packet using Mac-in-Mac encapsulation including setting a second data I-SID in the (BMAC-DA) field, and setting a second Layer 2 I-SID in the I-TAG field, the second data I-SID and the second Layer 2 I-SID being different values; and
forwarding the second multicast data packet via the transport network.
8. A computer program product including a non-transitory computer-storage medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform the operations of:
receiving a multicast data packet at a first data switching device, the first data switching device functioning as a first Backbone Edge Bridge within a transport network using Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) protocol, the multicast data packet having a Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header added by a second data switching device, the second data switching device functioning as a second Backbone Edge Bridge within the transport network, the multicast data packet received via the transport network from the second data switching device, the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header carrying a data Backbone Service Instance Identifier (I-SID) set in a Backbone Media Access Control Destination Address (BMAC-DA) field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header, the data I-SID identifying a multicast data stream corresponding to the multicast data packet, the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header also carrying a Layer 2 I-SID set in a Backbone Service Instance Tag (I-TAG) field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header, the Layer 2 I-SID identifying a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the multicast data packet, the Layer 2 I-SID carrying a different value as compared to a value of the data I-SID;
executing a lookup at the first data switching device, the lookup identifying Layer 2 bridging domain information of an incoming interface of the multicast data packet and Layer 2 bridging domain information of an outgoing interface of the multicast data packet, the incoming interface connecting a sender of the multicast data stream with the second data switching device, the outgoing interface connecting a receiver of the multicast data stream with the first data switching device;
removing the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header;
in response to identifying that a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the outgoing interface is different than a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the incoming interface, modifying a Customer Media Access Control (MAC) Source Address carried in a Customer MAC header field of the multicast data packet; and
forwarding the multicast data packet on the outgoing interface without the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header.
9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein executing the lookup includes comparing Layer 2 bridging domain information of the incoming interface with Layer 2 bridging domain information of the outgoing interface, and identifying that a VLAN corresponding to the incoming interface does not match a VLAN corresponding to the outgoing interface.
10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein executing the lookup includes comparing Layer 2 bridging domain information of the incoming interface with Layer 2 bridging domain information of the outgoing interface, and identifying that a VLAN corresponding to the incoming interface matches a VLAN corresponding to the outgoing interface.
11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein executing the lookup includes:
identifying the incoming interface by executing a lookup using the Layer 2 I-SID set in the I-TAG field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header;
identifying the outgoing interface by executing a lookup using values from a Backbone Virtual Local Area Network field and from the BMAC-DA field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header; and
determining whether the incoming interface and the outgoing interface belong to a same Layer 2 broadcast domain.
12. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein modifying the Customer MAC Source Address includes setting the Customer MAC Source Address based on a system identifier of the first data switching device.
13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein in response to identifying that the Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the outgoing interface matches the Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the incoming interface, preserving a Customer Media Access Control (MAC) Source Address carried in a Customer MAC header field of the multicast data packet.
14. The computer program product of claim 8 , having further instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the further instructions, when carried out by the processing device, cause the processing device to perform the operations of:
receiving a second multicast data packet from a second incoming interface connected to the first data switching device;
allocating a second data I-SID to a second multicast data stream corresponding to the second multicast data packet;
selecting a second Layer 2 I-SID based on a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the second multicast data packet;
encapsulating the second data packet using Mac-in-Mac encapsulation including setting a second data I-SID in the (BMAC-DA) field, and setting a second Layer 2 I-SID in the I-TAG field, the second data I-SID and the second Layer 2 I-SID being different values; and
forwarding the second multicast data packet via the transport network.
15. A system for packet switching in a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) network, the system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform the operations of:
receiving a multicast data packet at a first data switching device, the first data switching device functioning as a first Backbone Edge Bridge within a transport network using Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) protocol, the multicast data packet having a Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header added by a second data switching device, the second data switching device functioning as a second Backbone Edge Bridge within the transport network, the multicast data packet received via the transport network from the second data switching device, the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header carrying a data Backbone Service Instance Identifier (I-SID) set in a Backbone Media Access Control Destination Address (BMAC-DA) field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header, the data I-SID identifying a multicast data stream corresponding to the multicast data packet, the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header also carrying a Layer 2 I-SID set in a Backbone Service Instance Tag (I-TAG) field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header, the Layer 2 I-SID identifying a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the multicast data packet, the Layer 2 I-SID carrying a different value as compared to a value of the data I-SID;
executing a lookup at the first data switching device, the lookup identifying Layer 2 bridging domain information of an incoming interface of the multicast data packet and Layer 2 bridging domain information of an outgoing interface of the multicast data packet, the incoming interface connecting a sender of the multicast data stream with the second data switching device, the outgoing interface connecting a receiver of the multicast data stream with the first data switching device;
removing the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header;
in response to identifying that a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the outgoing interface is different than a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the incoming interface, modifying a Customer Media Access Control (MAC) Source Address carried in a Customer MAC header field of the multicast data packet; and
forwarding the multicast data packet on the outgoing interface without the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein executing the lookup includes comparing Layer 2 bridging domain information of the incoming interface with Layer 2 bridging domain information of the outgoing interface, and identifying that a VLAN corresponding to the incoming interface does not match a VLAN corresponding to the outgoing interface.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein executing the lookup includes comparing Layer 2 bridging domain information of the incoming interface with Layer 2 bridging domain information of the outgoing interface, and identifying that a VLAN corresponding to the incoming interface matches a VLAN corresponding to the outgoing interface.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein executing the lookup includes:
identifying the incoming interface by executing a lookup using the Layer 2 I-SID set in the I-TAG field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header;
identifying the outgoing interface by executing a lookup using values from a Backbone Virtual Local Area Network field and from the BMAC-DA field of the Mac-in-Mac encapsulation header; and
determining whether the incoming interface and the outgoing interface belong to a same Layer 2 broadcast domain.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein in response to identifying that the Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the outgoing interface matches the Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the incoming interface, preserving a Customer Media Access Control (MAC) Source Address carried in a Customer MAC header field of the multicast data packet.
20. The system of claim 15 , the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform the operations of:
receiving a second multicast data packet from a second incoming interface connected to the first data switching device;
allocating a second data I-SID to a second multicast data stream corresponding to the second multicast data packet;
selecting a second Layer 2 I-SID based on a Layer 2 bridging domain corresponding to the second multicast data packet;
encapsulating the second data packet using Mac-in-Mac encapsulation including setting a second data I-SID in the (BMAC-DA) field, and setting a second Layer 2 I-SID in the I-TAG field, the second data I-SID and the second Layer 2 I-SID being different values; and
forwarding the second multicast data packet via the transport network.