Layer-2 to MPLS service mediation architecture
An architecture for providing service mediation in a network having a Layer-2 domain and an MPLS domain includes at least one Layer-2 provider edge device in communication with a first customer site; at least one Layer-2 edge device in communication with the Layer-2 provider edge device; at least one MPLS mediation edge device in communication with the Layer-2 edge device; and at least one MPLS provider edge device in communication with both the MPLS mediation edge device and a second customer site. An end-to-end connection is established using native Layer-2 signaling, if any, in the Layer-2 domain and PWE3 signaling protocols in the MPLS domain. The MPLS mediation edge device resolves associations between Layer-2 edge devices and MPLS provider edge devices. The service is “mediated” in the sense that native Layer-2 signaling is terminated at the MME, and a new domain, i.e., pseudowire, is established across the MPLS domain.
1. A system for providing service mediation in a network having a first domain and a second domain, the system comprising:
an edge device of the second domain, the edge device of the second domain being in communication with an edge device of the first domain; and
a mediation edge device of the second domain, the mediation edge device being in communication with the edge device of the second domain and configured to resolve an association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain without reference to an address encoded by the edge device of the first domain to thereby identify a destination in the second domain for a connection that traverses both the first domain and the second domain.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mediation edge device is further configured to resolve the association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain using a VPN auto-discovery mechanism.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first domain is a Layer-2 domain and the second domain is a Multi-Protocol Layer Switching (MPLS) domain.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first domain is one of a frame relay domain, an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) domain and an Ethernet domain.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the mediation edge device is further configured to resolve an association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain by resolving at least one association between connection endpoint information and a Source Attachment Individual Identifier/Target Attachment Individual Identifier MPLS provider edge address (SAII/TAII, MPE-IP address).
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mediation edge device is further configured to resolve an association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain by reading a pre-configured table of associations.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the pre-configured table of associations comprises at least one mapping based on connection source information.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the pre-configured table of associations comprises at least one mapping based on connection destination information.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mediation edge device is further configured to configure a primary attachment circuit and a backup attachment circuit.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the mediation edge device is further configured to dynamically build a backup table comprising primary attachment identifiers, backup attachment identifiers and address information for primary and backup edge devices of the second domain.
11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
in the first domain:
a provider edge device of the first domain in communication with a first customer site; and
at least one other edge device of the first domain in communication with the provider edge device of the first domain; and
in the second domain:
a provider edge device of the second domain in communication with the mediation edge device of the second domain and with a second customer site.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the mediation edge device of the second domain is configured to resolve an association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain by resolving an association between the provider edge device of the first domain and the provider edge device of the second domain.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first domain is a Layer-2 domain and the second domain is a Layer-x domain where “x” is greater than 2.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first domain is a Layer-2 domain and the second domain is a Multi-Protocol Layer Switching (MPLS) domain.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first domain is one of a frame relay domain and an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) domain.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the mediation edge device of the second domain is configured to resolve an association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain by resolving at least one association between connection endpoint information and a Source Attachment Individual Identifier/Target Attachment Individual Identifier MPLS provider edge address (SAII/TAII, MPE-IP address).
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the mediation edge device comprises a pre-configured table of associations.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the pre-configured table of associations defines at least one primary attachment circuit and at least one backup attachment circuit.
19. A mediation device for providing service mediation in a network having a first domain and a second domain, an edge device of the second domain being in communication with an edge device of the first domain, the mediation device being in communication with the edge device of the second domain and configured to resolve an association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain without reference to an address encoded by the edge device of the first domain to thereby identify a destination in the second domain for a connection that traverses both the first domain and the second domain.
20. The mediation device of claim 19 , wherein the mediation device is further configured to resolve the association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain using a VPN auto-discovery mechanism.
21. The mediation device of claim 19 , wherein the mediation device is further configured to resolve an association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain by resolving at least one association between connection endpoint information and a Source Attachment Individual Identifier/Target Attachment Individual Identifier MPLS provider edge address (SAII/TAII, MPE-IP address).
22. The mediation device of claim 19 , wherein the mediation device is further configured to resolve an association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain by reading a pre-configured table of associations.
23. The mediation device of claim 22 , wherein the pre-configured table of associations comprises at least one mapping based on connection source information.
24. The mediation device of claim 22 , wherein the pre-configured table of associations comprises at least one mapping based on connection destination information.
25. The mediation device of claim 19 , wherein the mediation edge device is further configured to configure a primary attachment circuit and a backup attachment circuit.
26. The mediation device of claim 25 , wherein the mediation device is further configured to dynamically build a backup table comprising primary attachment identifiers, backup attachment identifiers and address information for primary and backup edge devices of the second domain.
27. The mediation device of claim 19 , wherein the mediation device is further configured to resolve an association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain by resolving an association between a provider edge device of the first domain and a provider edge device of the second domain.
28. The mediation device of claim 27 , wherein the mediation device is further configured to resolve the association between the provider edge device of the first domain and the provider edge device of the second domain.
29. The mediation device of claim 28 , wherein the mediation device is further configured to resolve an association between the edge device of the first domain and the edge device of the second domain by resolving at least one association between connection endpoint information and a Source Attachment Individual Identifier/Target Attachment Individual Identifier MPLS provider edge address (SAII/TAII, MPE-IP address).