IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,863,350
Granted Patent B2
US 11,863,350 · App. 17/470,315 · Granted Jan 2, 2024

Fast convergence of E-Tree with a dual homed root node

Inventors: Sami Boutros (Union City, CA); Muthurajah Sivabalan (Kanata, CA); David Gilson (Honolulu, HI)
Assignee: Ciena Corporation
H04L12/4641H04L12/44H04L45/48H04L45/66H04L49/15H04L2012/445
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,863,350
App. No.
17/470,315
Granted
Jan 2, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A Provider Edge (PE) node includes a plurality of ports including an inter-chassis port to a second PE node, a port connected to a root node, and one or more ports connected to leaf nodes, wherein the plurality of ports are in an Ethernet Tree (E-Tree), and wherein the root node is dual-homed to the PE node and the second PE node; switching circuitry configured to switch traffic between the plurality of ports; and circuitry configured to designate the inter-chassis port as one of a leaf node and a root node in the E-Tree instance, and manage a designation of the inter-chassis port based on a status of the port connected to the root node. The designation is changed in a data plane instead of in a control plane.

Claims (29)

1. A Provider Edge (PE) node comprising:

a plurality of ports including an inter-chassis port to a second PE node, a port connected to a root node, and one or more ports connected to leaf nodes, wherein the plurality of ports are in an Ethernet Tree (E-Tree) where Ethernet frames from a root node are received by any other root node or leaf node, and Ethernet frames from a leaf node are received only by a root node, and wherein the root node is dual-homed to the PE node and the second PE node;

switching circuitry configured to switch traffic between the plurality of ports; and

circuitry configured to

designate the inter-chassis port as one of a leaf node and a root node in the E-Tree, wherein the inter-chassis port forms a connection between the PE node and the second PE node with the connection being a link in the E-Tree, and

manage a designation of the inter-chassis port based on a status of the port connected to the root node.

2. The Provider Edge (PE) node of claim 1 , wherein the designation is changed in a data plane instead of in a control plane.

3. The Provider Edge (PE) node of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to a failure on the port connected to the root node, the designation of the inter-chassis port is changed.

4. The Provider Edge (PE) node of claim 1 , wherein the dual-homed is Active/Standby.

5. The Provider Edge (PE) node of claim 1 , wherein the dual-homed is Active/Active.

6. The Provider Edge (PE) node of claim 1 , wherein the inter-chassis port is a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) interface.

7. The Provider Edge (PE) node of claim 1 , wherein the inter-chassis port utilizes an Inclusive Multicast Ethernet Tag (IMET).

8. A method, implemented in a Provider Edge (PE) node comprising a plurality of ports including an inter-chassis port to a second PE node, a port connected to a root node, and one or more ports connected to leaf nodes, wherein the plurality of ports are in an Ethernet Tree (E-Tree) where Ethernet frames from a root node are received by any other root node or leaf node, and Ethernet frames from a leaf node are received only by a root node, and wherein the root node is dual-homed to the PE node and the second PE node, wherein the method comprises steps of:

designating the inter-chassis port as one of a leaf node and a root node in the E-Tree, wherein the inter-chassis port forms a connection between the PE node and the second PE node with the connection being a link in the E-Tree; and

managing a designation of the inter-chassis port based on a status of the port connected to the root node.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the designation is changed in a data plane instead of in a control plane.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein, responsive to a failure on the port connected to the root node, the designation of the inter-chassis port is changed.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the dual-homed is Active/Standby.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the dual-homed is Active/Active.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the inter-chassis port is a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) interface.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the inter-chassis port utilizes an Inclusive Multicast Ethernet Tag (IMET).

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor in a Provider Edge (PE) node, which includes a plurality of ports including an inter-chassis port to a second PE node, a port connected to a root node, and one or more ports connected to leaf nodes, wherein the plurality of ports are in an Ethernet Tree (E-Tree) where Ethernet frames from a root node are received by any other root node or leaf node, and Ethernet frames from a leaf node are received only by a root node, and wherein the root node is dual-homed to the PE node and the second PE node, to perform steps comprising:

designating the inter-chassis port as one of a leaf node and a root node in the E-Tree, wherein the inter-chassis port forms a connection between the PE node and the second PE node with the connection being a link in the E-Tree; and

managing a designation of the inter-chassis port based on a status of the port connected to the root node.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the designation is changed in a data plane instead of in a control plane.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein, responsive to a failure on the port connected to the root node, the designation of the inter-chassis port is changed.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the dual-homed is Active/Standby.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the dual-homed is Active/Active.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the inter-chassis port one of i) is a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) interface, and ii) utilizes an Inclusive Multicast Ethernet Tag (IMET).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 9, 2021
From: BOUTROS, SAMI; SIVABALAN, MUTHURAJAH; GILSON, DAVID
To: CIENA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057428/0279 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230073266A1 · Mar 9, 2023