Method for operating multi-domain provider ethernet networks
A method of enabling extension of a network service of a first domain to a remote customer site hosted by an Access Gateway (AG) in a Provider Ethernet domain. In the first domain, the remote customer site is represented as being hosted by a border gateway (BG) connected to the Provider Ethernet domain, such that subscriber packets associated with the network service are forwarded to or from the remote customer site via the BG. In the Provider Ethernet domain, a trunk connection is instantiated through the Provider Ethernet domain between the host AG and the BG. A trunk cross-connection function is installed in the host AG, for transferring subscriber packets associated with the network service between a respective attachment virtual circuit (AVC) through which the remote customer site is connected to the host AG and an extended AVC tunnelled through the trunk connection. A common service instance identifier (I-SID) is used to identify both the AVC between the host AG and the remote customer site and the extended AVC between the host AG and the BG.
1. A system for providing access to a network service instance hosted in a home network domain to customer site in a foreign network domain, the system comprising:
a border gateway in the foreign network domain having a packet transport link to the home network domain;
an access gateway in the foreign network domain; and
a packet trunk extending from the home network domain over the packet transport link through the border gateway in the foreign network domain to the access gateway in the foreign network domain;
wherein the access gateway is configured:
to receive from the customer site in the foreign network domain a request to access the network service instance;
to request authentication of the customer site from the home network domain; and
in response to receiving authentication of the customer site from the home network domain, to establish an attachment virtual circuit between the customer site and the access gateway and to extend the attachment virtual circuit over the packet trunk, the extended attachment virtual circuit being identified within the packet trunk by a service instance identifier and being configured:
to forward, on the extended attachment virtual circuit through the foreign network domain to the customer site, packet traffic received from the home network domain tagged with the service instance identifier, the forwarding being based, at least in part, on the service instance identifier; and
to tag with the service instance identifier and then forward, on the extended attachment virtual circuit through the foreign network domain to the home network domain, packet traffic received from the customer site.
2. The system of claim 1 , comprising an access multiplexer connected between the customer site and the access gateway of the foreign network domain, the access multiplexer being configured to assign the service instance identifier.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access gateway is configured to assign the service instance identifier.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access gateway is configured to receive the service instance identifier associated with the extended attachment virtual circuit from an authentication server of the home network domain.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access gateway is configured to receive the service instance identifier associated with the extended attachment virtual circuit in at least one authentication and authorization reply message.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the same service instance identifier is associated with the extended attachment virtual circuit from the border gateway of the foreign network domain to an attachment point of the customer site in the foreign network domain.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the access gateway is the attachment point of the customer site in the foreign network domain.
8. The system of claim 6 , comprising an access multiplexer coupled to the access gateway in the foreign network domain, the access multiplexer being configured to be the attachment point of the customer site in the foreign network domain.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the packet transport link is an Ethernet link.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the packet transport link is a multi-hop trunk traversing a network domain other than the foreign network domain and the home network domain.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the packet transport link is a provider backbone transport (PBT) trunk.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the packet transport link is a provider backbone bridging (PBB) source-destination flow over an Ethernet link.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the packet transport link is a provider backbone bridging (PBB) source-destination flow over a PBB network.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the border gateway comprises a policy enforcement point (PEP).
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the PEP is configured to determine compliance with a service agreement between a network operator of the foreign network domain and a network operator of the home network domain.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the PEP is configured to determine compliance with the service agreement between the network operator of the foreign network domain and the network operator of the home network domain based on traffic management information received from the home network domain.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the PEP is configured based on traffic management information received in at least one authentication and authorization reply message.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the PEP is configured to set up monitoring and accounting measurement capture mechanisms for the attachment virtual circuit.