System for avoiding traffic flooding due to asymmetric MAC learning and achieving predictable convergence for PBB-EVPN active-active redundancy

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first provider edge (PE) router included in an Ethernet segment of a Provider-Backbone Bridging Ethernet Virtual Private Network (PBB-EVPN) and from a second PE router included in the Ethernet segment, a layer two (L2) control message, the L2 control message comprising a Customer MAC (C-MAC) address learned from a customer edge (CE) router and a first Bridging MAC (B-MAC) address that is configured at the second PE router but not at the first PE router;

storing, by the first PE router and based on the L2 control message, an association between the C-MAC address and the first B-MAC address based at least in part on the first PE router and the second PE router each being configured for a second B-MAC address associated with the Ethernet segment; and

sending, by the first PE router and to the second PE router, an L2 data message as unicast traffic that includes the C-MAC address, the L2 data message to be forwarded by the first PE router to the CE router.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first PE router is not associated with the first B-MAC address, and wherein the second PE router and the CE router are each associated with the first B-MAC address.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first PE router and the second PE router are each configured with a common Ethernet Segment Identifier that is associated with the second B-MAC address.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the L2 control message includes an extended community, wherein the extended community comprises:

the C-MAC address;

the first B-MAC address;

an operand that indicates an addition or deletion operation for the C-MAC address at first PE router;

a service instance identifier (ISID) indicating a service instance that includes the first B-MAC address; and

a list of Ethernet segment identifiers (ESIs).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the C-MAC address indicates a destination for the L2 data message.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first B-MAC address is a source B-MAC address, and wherein storing the association between the C-MAC address and the first B-MAC address comprises:

in response to determining, by the first PE router, that the C-MAC address is not stored within a MAC routing table of the first PE router, installing the C-MAC address in association with the first B-MAC address within the MAC routing table of the first PE router.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the L2 data message as unicast traffic that includes the C-MAC address comprises:

retrieving, by the first PE router, the C-MAC address from a C-MAC table of the first PE router, wherein the C-MAC address corresponds to a destination of the L2 data message;

retrieving, by the first PE router and based at least in part on the C-MAC address, the first B-MAC address from the C-MAC table; and

generating, by the first PE router, the L2 data message with an extended community that comprises the C-MAC address and the first B-MAC address; and

sending the L2 data message as unicast traffic to the second PE router.

8. A first provider edge (PE) router of a Provider-Backbone Bridging Ethernet Virtual Private Network (PBB-EVPN), the first PE router comprising:

a control unit having at least one processor coupled to a memory, wherein the control unit executes software configured to:

receive, from a second PE router included in the Ethernet segment, a layer two (L2) control message, the L2 control message comprising a Customer MAC (C-MAC) address learned from a customer edge (CE) router and a first Bridging MAC (B-MAC) address that is configured at the second PE router but not at the first PE router;

store, based on the L2 control message, an association between the C-MAC address and the first B-MAC address based at least in part on the first PE router and the second PE router each being configured for a second B-MAC address associated with the Ethernet segment; and

send, to the second PE router, an L2 data message as unicast traffic that includes the C-MAC address, the L2 data message to be forwarded by the first PE router to the CE router.

9. The first PE router of claim 8 , wherein the first PE router is not associated with the first B-MAC address, and wherein the second PE router and the CE router are each associated with the first B-MAC address.

10. The first PE router of claim 9 , wherein the first PE router and the second PE router are each configured with a common Ethernet Segment Identifier that is associated with the second B-MAC address.

11. The first PE router of claim 8 , wherein the L2 control message includes an extended community, wherein the extended community comprises:

the C-MAC address;

the first B-MAC address;

an operand that indicates an addition or deletion operation for the C-MAC address at first PE router;

a service instance identifier (ISID) indicating a service instance that includes the first B-MAC address; and

a list of Ethernet segment identifiers (ESIs).

12. The first PE router of claim 8 , wherein the C-MAC address indicates a destination for the L2 data message.

13. The first PE router of claim 8 , wherein the first B-MAC address is a source B-MAC address, and wherein, to store the association between the C-MAC address and the first B-MAC address, the first PE router is further configured to:

in response to determining that the C-MAC address is not stored within a MAC routing table of the first PE router, install the C-MAC address in association with the first B-MAC address within the MAC routing table of the first PE router.

14. The first PE router of claim 8 , wherein, to send the L2 data message as unicast traffic that includes the C-MAC address, the first PE router is further configured to:

retrieve the C-MAC address from a C-MAC table of the first PE router, wherein the C-MAC address corresponds to a destination of the L2 data message;

retrieve, based at least in part on the C-MAC address, the first B-MAC address from the C-MAC table;

generate the L2 data message with an extended community that comprises the C-MAC address and the first B-MAC address; and

send the L2 data message as unicast traffic to the second PE router.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one programmable processor of a first provider edge (PE) router of a Provider Backbone Bridging (PBB) Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) to:

receive, from a second PE router included in the Ethernet segment, a layer two (L2) control message, the L2 control message comprising a Customer MAC (C-MAC) address learned from a customer edge (CE) router and a first Bridging MAC (B-MAC) address that is configured at the second PE router but not at the first PE router;

store, based on the L2 control message, an association between the C-MAC address and the first B-MAC address based at least in part on the first PE router and the second PE router each being configured for a second B-MAC address associated with the Ethernet segment; and

send, to the second PE router, an L2 data message as unicast traffic that includes the C-MAC address, the L2 data message to be forwarded by the first PE router to the CE router.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first PE router is not associated with the first B-MAC address, and wherein the second PE router and the CE router are each associated with the first B-MAC address.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first PE router and the second PE router are each configured with a common Ethernet Segment Identifier that is associated with the second B-MAC address.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the L2 control message includes an extended community, wherein the extended community comprises:

the C-MAC address;

the first B-MAC address;

an operand that indicates an addition or deletion operation for the C-MAC address at first PE router;

a service instance identifier (ISID) indicating a service instance that includes the first B-MAC address; and

a list of Ethernet segment identifiers (ESIs).

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the C-MAC address indicates a destination for the L2 data message.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first B-MAC address is a source B-MAC address, and wherein, to store the association between the C-MAC address and the first B-MAC address, the instructions further cause the first PE router to:

in response to determining that the C-MAC address is not stored within a MAC routing table of the first PE router, install the C-MAC address in association with the first B-MAC address within the MAC routing table of the first PE router.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein, to send the L2 data message as unicast traffic that includes the C-MAC address, the instructions further cause the first PE router to:

retrieve the C-MAC address from a C-MAC table of the first PE router, wherein the C-MAC address corresponds to a destination of the L2 data message;

retrieve, based at least in part on the C-MAC address, the first B-MAC address from the C-MAC table;

generate the L2 data message with an extended community that comprises the C-MAC address and the first B-MAC address; and

send the L2 data message as unicast traffic to the second PE router.