Border gateway protocol extended community attribute for layer-2 and layer-3 virtual private networks
View Patent ↗Described are a network, computer program product, and method of distributing routing information for a virtual private network (VPN) application through a packet-switched network (PSN) having fully meshed provider edge (PE) routers through Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnels. A PE router is configured to participate in a VPN and to run a BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) as an auto-discovery process for finding one or more other PE routers participating in the VPN. The VPN is associated with a PBB tunnel. A service instance identifier (I-SID) is assigned to the VPN. The PE router advertises membership in the VPN by including the I-SID assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery process.
1. A method of distributing routing information for a virtual private network (VPN) application through a packet-switched network (PSN), the method comprising:
configuring a provider edge (PE) router of the PSN to support a VPN and to run a BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) as an auto-discovery process for finding one or more other PE routers participating in the VPN;
associating the VPN with a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnel;
assigning an I-component service instance identifier (I-SID) to the VPN;
advertising, by the PE router, membership in the VPN by including the I-SID assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery process.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute for carrying the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising encapsulating packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising encapsulating the PBB tunnel associated with the VPN in a PBT (Provider Backbone Transport) tunnel.
7. A packet-switched network comprising a provider edge (PE) router, the PE router being configured to participate in a virtual private network (VPN) and to run a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) as an auto-discovery mechanism for finding one or more other PE routers in the VPN, the VPN being associated with a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnel and having an assigned I-component service instance identifier (I-SID), the PE router advertising membership in the VPN by including the I-SID assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery process.
8. The network of claim 7 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute for carrying the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
9. The network of claim 7 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
10. The network of claim 7 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
11. The network of claim 7 , wherein the PE router encapsulates packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.
12. The network of claim 7 , wherein the PE router encapsulates the PBB tunnel associated with the VPN in a PBT (Provider Backbone Transport) tunnel.
13. A computer program product for distributing routing information for a virtual private network (VPN) application through a packet-switched network (PSN), the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code comprising:
computer-readable program code configured to configure a provider edge (PE) router of the PSN to support a VPN and to run a BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) as an auto-discovery process for finding one or more other PE routers in the VPN;
computer-readable program code configured to associate the VPN with a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnel;
computer-readable program code configured to assign an I-component service instance identifier (I-SID) to the VPN;
computer-readable program code configured to advertise, by the PE router, membership in the VPN by including the I-SID assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery process.
14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute for carrying the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
15. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
16. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community, and wherein the value field carries the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
17. The computer program product of claim 13 , further comprising computer-readable program code configured to encapsulate packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.
18. The computer program product of claim 13 , further comprising computer-readable program code configured to encapsulate the PBB tunnel associated with the VPN in a PBT (Provider Backbone Transport) tunnel.
19. A method of distributing routing information for a virtual private network (VPN) application through a packet-switched network (PSN) having a plurality of provider edge (PE) routers, the method comprising:
configuring each PE router to support at least one VPN and to run a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) as a VPN auto-discovery mechanism for finding one or more other PE routers attached to the same VPN;
associating a given VPN with a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnel; and
advertising, by each PE router, membership in the VPN by including a Service Instance Identifier (I-SID) assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery mechanism.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the BGP message includes a BGP route target attribute having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of PE routers are fully meshed through PBB tunnels.
23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
25. The method of claim 19 , further comprising the step of encapsulating packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.
26. The method of claim 19 , further comprising the step of encapsulating the PBB tunnel associated with the VPN in a Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) tunnel.
27. A packet-switched network comprising a plurality of provider edge (PE) routers, each PE router being configured to support a virtual private network (VPN) and to run a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) as an auto-discovery mechanism for finding one or more other PE routers in the same VPN, the VPN being associated with a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnel and having an assigned I-component Service Instance Identifier (I-SID), each PE router advertising membership in the VPN by including the I-SID assigned to the VPN in a BGP message issued during the auto-discovery process.
28. The network of claim 27 , wherein the plurality of PE routers are fully meshed through PBB tunnels.
29. The network of claim 27 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
30. The network of claim 27 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
31. The network of claim 27 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
32. The network of claim 27 , wherein one of the PE routers encapsulates packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.
33. The network of claim 27 , wherein one of the PE routers encapsulates the PBB tunnel associated with the VPN in a Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) tunnel.
34. A provider edge (PE) router configured to support a virtual private Network (VPN) over a packet-switched network through a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB) tunnel, the PE router comprising:
a processor assigning an I-component Service Instance Identifier (I-SID) to the VPN;
a memory storing a mapping of the VPN to the PBB tunnel and program code with computer-readable instructions for performing a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) auto-discovery mechanism for finding one or more other PE routers in the same VPN; and
a processor executing the computer-readable instructions to produce a BGP message that includes the I-SID assigned to the VPN in order to advertise membership in the VPN during the BGP auto-discovery mechanism.
35. The PE router of claim 34 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
36. The PE router of claim 34 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a Route Target and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
37. The PE router of claim 34 , wherein the BGP message includes an Extended Community attribute having a type field and a value field, the type field having a value signifying that the Extended Community is a PBB Community and the value field having the I-SID assigned to the VPN.
38. The PE router of claim 34 , further comprising a processor encapsulating packets belonging to the VPN for forwarding through the PBB tunnel in a PBB header that includes the I-SID.
39. The PE router of claim 34 , further comprising a processor encapsulating packets belonging to the VPN in a PBT (Provider Backbone Transport) header.