Data mirroring in a service
Data mirroring in a service such as a virtual private LAN service is disclosed. Data packets, segments, frames, or other forms of encapsulation may be mirrored off of a core network (e.g., IP, TCP) to one or more mirroring destinations without using a parallel network. Encapsulation techniques are provided that enable packets to be mirrored and transmitted across services such as VPLS, MPLS, and others to a mirror destination. Once received at the mirror destination, mirrored packets may be used for troubleshooting in a more efficient and less resource and time-consuming manner.
1. A method for packet mirroring, comprising:
selecting a packet to mirror from a plurality of packets received at a node based on a mirroring criterion, the selected packet being associated with a service provided through a network;
selecting one of a plurality of mirror points of the node based on the mirroring criterion, each of the mirror points being within a transport path for the service;
preparing a mirrored packet of the selected packet at the selected mirror point;
sending the mirrored packet to a mirror destination from the selected mirror point using a mirror service provided through the network at least via a transport tunnel; and
fulfilling a quality of service guarantee for the service provided through the network and associated with the selected packet to mirror at least in part by truncating the selected packet prior to sending it via the mirror service, wherein the selected packet is an Internet Protocol packet, truncating the selected packet includes alleviating packet mirroring induced increased network congestion interfering with a fulfilment of the quality of service guarantee by truncating content included in the Internet Protocol packet as being oversized to fulfill the quality of service guarantee for the service provided through the network and associated with the selected packet to mirror, and truncating the selected packet includes truncating the Internet Protocol packet that has been received at the node;
wherein fulfilling the quality of service guarantee includes limiting a rate at which mirrored packets are sent via the mirror service and limiting the rate includes dynamically adjusting a rate limit based on the fulfilment of the quality of service guarantee interfered by packet mirroring; and
wherein selecting the selected packet further includes identifying the selected packet based on one or more of the following: a user-specified criterion, a system-specified criterion, a set of criteria, port information, a delimiter, a protocol, a label, a service or other tag, a list, an address, an option value, and a protocol command.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 further including encapsulating the mirrored packet for transmission to the mirror destination.
3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein encapsulating the mirrored packet includes adding information for routing the mirrored packet via the mirror service.
4. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein encapsulating the mirrored packet includes adding a header to the mirrored packet.
5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein preparing the mirrored packet further includes copying the original packet.
6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein preparing the mirrored packet further includes performing mirror processing on the packet.
7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein sending the mirrored packet to the mirror destination includes sending the mirrored packet to a far end router associated with the mirror service.
8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein sending the mirrored packet to the mirror destination includes sending the mirrored packet to a service distribution point associated with the mirror service.
9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the mirror destination translates the mirrored packet.
10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the service includes a service path.
11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the service includes a service tunnel.
12. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mirror points comprise a first mirror point at an ingress point where the selected packet enters the node.
13. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mirror points comprise a first mirror point at an egress point where the selected packet exits the node.
14. A system for packet mirroring, comprising:
a processor configured to
select a packet to mirror from a plurality of packets received at a node based on a mirroring criterion, the selected packet being associated with a service provided through a network;
select one of a plurality of mirror points of the node based on the mirroring criterion, each of the mirror points being within a transport path for the service;
prepare a mirrored packet of the selected packet at the selected mirror point;
send the mirrored packet to a mirror destination from the selected mirror point using a mirror service provided through the network at least via a transport tunnel; and
fulfil a quality of service guarantee for the service provided through the network and associated with the selected packet to mirror at least in part by truncate the selected packet prior to sending it via the mirror service, wherein the selected packet is an Internet Protocol packet, truncating the selected packet includes alleviating packet mirroring induced increased network congestion interfering with a fulfilment of the quality of service guarantee by truncating content included in the Internet Protocol packet as being oversized to fulfill the quality of service guarantee for the service provided through the network and associated with the selected packet to mirror, and truncating the selected packet includes truncating the Internet Protocol packet that has been received at the node, and wherein fulfilling the quality of service guarantee includes limiting a rate at which mirrored packets are sent via the mirror service and limiting the rate includes dynamically adjusting a rate limit based on the fulfilment of the quality of service guarantee interfered by packet mirroring; and
wherein selecting the selected packet further includes identifying the selected packet based on one or more of the following: a user-specified criterion, a system-specified criterion, a set of criteria, port information, a delimiter, a protocol, a label, a service or other tag, a list, an address, an option value, and a protocol command; and
a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.
15. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to encapsulate the mirrored packet for transmission to the mirror destination.
16. A system as recited in claim 15 wherein encapsulating the mirrored packet includes adding to the mirrored packet one or more of the following: a header; and information for routing the mirrored packet via the mirror service.
17. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the mirroring criterion comprises one or more of the following: a user-specified criterion; a system-specified criterion; a set of criteria; port information; a delimiter; a protocol; a label; a service or other tag; a list; an address; an option value; and a protocol command.
18. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the service includes a service path.
19. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the service includes a service tunnel.
20. A computer program product for packet mirroring, the computer program being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
selecting a packet to mirror from a plurality of packets received at a node based on a mirroring criterion, the selected packet being associated with a service provided through a network;
selecting one of a plurality of mirror points of the node based on the mirroring criterion, each of the mirror points being within a transport path for the service;
preparing a mirrored packet of the selected packet at the selected mirror point;
sending the mirrored packet to a mirror destination from the selected mirror point using a mirror service provided through the network at least via a transport tunnel; and
fulfilling a quality of service guarantee for the service provided through the network and associated with the selected packet to mirror at least in part by truncating the selected packet prior to sending it via the mirror service, wherein the selected packet is an Internet Protocol packet, truncating the selected packet includes alleviating packet mirroring induced increased network congestion interfering with a fulfilment of the quality of service guarantee by truncating content included in the Internet Protocol packet as being oversized to fulfill the quality of service guarantee for the service provided through the network and associated with the selected packet to mirror, and truncating the selected packet includes truncating the Internet Protocol packet that has been received at the node;
wherein fulfilling the quality of service guarantee includes limiting a rate at which mirrored packets are sent via the mirror service and limiting the rate includes dynamically adjusting a rate limit based on the fulfilment of the quality of service guarantee interfered by packet mirroring; and
wherein selecting the selected packet further includes identifying the selected packet based on one or more of the following: a user-specified criterion, a system-specified criterion, a set of criteria, port information, a delimiter, a protocol, a label, a service or other tag, a list, an address, an option value, and a protocol command.
21. A computer program product as recited in claim 20 , further comprising computer instructions for encapsulating the mirrored packet for transmission to the mirror destination.