EVPN inter-subnet multicast forwarding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10116464-B2
Application number	US-201514675202-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Mar 18, 2015
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

The techniques of this disclosure may improve multicast forwarding in an Ethernet Virtual Private Network when delivering multicast traffic to receivers on a different IP subnet than the multicast source. A method may include configuring first and second layer-2 domains to forward network traffic; configuring a first layer-3 Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB) interface for the first layer-2 domain and a second layer-3 IRB interface for the second layer 2 domain; receiving a multicast packet from a multicast source device, the multicast source device being included in the first layer-2 domain, the multicast packet having a multicast receiver device in the second layer-2 domain; and forwarding, using the first and second layer-3 IRB interfaces, the multicast packet to the multicast receiver device, without receiving the multicast packet from another provider edge router that has been elected as the designated router on the second IRB interface for the second layer-2 domain.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
configuring, by a first provider edge router, first and second layer-2 domains to forward network traffic;
configuring, by the first provider edge router, a first layer-3 Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB) interface for the first layer-2 domain and a second layer-3 IRB interface for the second layer-2 domain;
receiving, by the first provider edge router, a multicast packet from a multicast source device, the multicast source device being included in the first layer-2 domain, the multicast packet having a multicast receiver device in the second layer-2 domain, wherein a second provider edge router is elected as a designated router for forwarding multicast traffic on the second layer-3 IRB interface of the second layer-2 domain, and wherein the first provider edge router is a non-designated router for the second layer-3 IRB interface of the second layer-2 domain; and
forwarding, by the first provider edge router and using the first and second layer-3 IRB interfaces, the multicast packet to the multicast receiver device, without receiving the multicast packet from the second provider edge router that has been elected as the designated router for the second layer-3 IRB interface of the second layer-2 domain.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the multicast receiver device is directly coupled to the first provider edge router by an attachment circuit of the plurality of attachment circuits, and
wherein forwarding the multicast packet to the multicast receiver device comprises forwarding, by the first provider edge router and using the attachment circuit, the multicast packet to the multicast receiver device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
configuring the first layer-3 IRB interface at the first provider edge router to send and receive multicast traffic in the first layer-2 domain;
configuring the second layer-3 IRB interface at the first provider edge router to send and receive multicast traffic in the second layer-2 domain;
determining the multicast receiver device is included in a customer network that is directly coupled to the first provider edge router by an attachment circuit; and
installing at least one next hop in a forwarding unit of the first provider edge router that causes the multicast packet received by the second layer-3 IRB interface to be forwarded by the forwarding unit to the multicast receiver device using the attachment circuit.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
snooping, by the first provider edge router, for multicast join messages that are received from multicast receivers in the second layer-2 domain; and
suppressing, by the first provider edge router, forwarding of the multicast join messages to other provider edge routers included in the second layer-2 domain.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first provider edge router is configured in a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) aware bundle service.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the multicast receiver device is a first multicast receiver device, wherein a second multicast receiver device is multi-homed in an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) to the second provider edge router and a third provider edge router,
wherein the second provider edge router is the designated router in the EVPN for forwarding multicast traffic for the second layer-2 domain, and
wherein the multicast packet is forwarded by the second provider edge router to the multicast receiver device, without being forwarded by the third provider edge router.

7. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the first provider edge router is configured in an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) with the second provider edge router and a third provider edge router, wherein the second provider edge router is the designated router on the second layer-3 IRB interface for the second layer-2 domain;
wherein the multicast receiver device is a first multicast receiver device attached to the first provider edge router, and wherein a second multicast receiver device is attached in the EVPN to the second provider edge router;
wherein the third provider edge router does not include an IRB interface, and the second provider edge router tunnels multicast traffic from the first provider edge router to the third provider edge router, without forwarding the multicast traffic back to the first provider edge router.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first provider edge router is configured in an EVPN.

9. A first provider edge router comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one module, operable by the at least one processor to:
configure first and second layer-2 domains to forward network traffic;
configure a first layer-3 Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB) interface of the first layer-2 domain and a second layer-3 IRB interface of the second layer 2 domain;
receive a multicast packet from a multicast source device, the multicast source device being included in the first layer-2 domain, the multicast packet having a multicast receiver device in the second layer-2 domain, wherein a second provider edge router is elected as a designated router for forwarding multicast traffic on the second layer-3 IRB interface of the second layer-2 domain, and wherein the first provider edge router is a non-designated router for the second layer-3 IRB interface of the second layer-2 domain; and

at least one forwarding unit operable to:
forward, using the first and second layer-3 IRB interfaces, the multicast packet to the multicast receiver device, without receiving the multicast packet from the second provider edge router that has been elected as the designated router for the second layer-3 IRB interface of the second layer-2 domain.

10. The first provider edge router of claim 9 ,
wherein the multicast receiver device is directly coupled to the first provider edge router by an attachment circuit of the plurality of attachment circuits, and
wherein forwarding the multicast packet to the multicast receiver device comprises forwarding, by the first provider edge router and using the attachment circuit, the multicast packet to the multicast receiver device.

11. The first provider edge router of claim 9 , wherein the at least one module is operable by the at least one processor to:
configure the first layer-3 IRB interface at the first provider edge router to send and receive multicast traffic in the first layer-2 domain;
configure the second layer-3 IRB interface at the first provider edge router to send and receive multicast traffic in the second layer-2 domain;
determine the multicast receiver device is included in a customer network that is directly coupled to the first provider edge router by an attachment circuit; and
install at least one next hop in a forwarding unit of the first provider edge router that causes the multicast packet received by the second layer-3 IRB interface to be forwarded by the forwarding unit to the multicast receiver device using the attachment circuit.

12. The first provider edge router of claim 11 , wherein the at least one forwarding unit is operable to:
snoop for multicast join messages that are received from multicast receivers in the second layer-2 domain; and
suppress forwarding of the multicast join messages to other provider edge routers included in the second layer-2 domain.

13. The first provider edge router of claim 9 , wherein the first provider edge router is configured in a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) aware bundle service.

14. The first provider edge router of claim 9 ,
wherein the multicast receiver is a first multicast receiver device, wherein a second multica

Assignees

• Juniper Networks Inc

Inventors

• Lin Wen
• Drake John E
• Zhang Zhaohui

Classifications

• H04L12/4641

  Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272) · CPC title

• H04L45/66

  Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's · CPC title

• H04L45/50

  using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS] · CPC title

• H04L12/1886

  with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains · CPC title

• H04L45/16 Primary

  Multipoint routing · CPC title