Data link layer-based communication method, device, and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10560378-B2
Application number	US-201815875028-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 22, 2015
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

A method includes: a first network device generates a data link layer-based autonomic control plane (L2 ACP) packet, wherein the first network device is an autonomic device in the autonomic network; encapsulates, based on a frame at a data link layer, the L2 ACP packet, wherein the frame at the data link layer comprises a source data link layer address and a destination data link layer address, and the source data link layer address is a data link layer address of the first network device; and sends, according to the destination data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to a second network device, wherein the second network device is also an autonomic device in the autonomic network, and the second network device is a neighboring device of the first network device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data link layer-based communication method, wherein the communication method is applied to an autonomic network, and the method comprises:
generating, by a first network device, a data link layer-based autonomic control plane (L2 ACP) packet, wherein the first network device is an autonomic device in the autonomic network;
encapsulating, by the first network device based on a frame at a data link layer, the L2 ACP packet, wherein the frame at the data link layer comprises a source data link layer address and a destination data link layer address, and the source data link layer address is a data link layer address of the first network device; and
sending, by the first network device according to the destination data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to a second network device, wherein the second network device is also an autonomic device in the autonomic network, and the second network device is a neighboring device of the first network device;
wherein the frame at the data link layer is a frame that conforms to a definition in the Ethernet protocol, and a type value of a type field of the frame at the data link layer indicates that a data load field of the frame at the data link layer carries the L2 ACP packet.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the generating, by a first network device, a data link layer-based autonomic control plane (L2 ACP) packet comprises:
generating, by the first network device, the L2 ACP packet when the first network device needs to communicate with a target device in the autonomic network and determines that a neighbor list of the first network device comprises a match item for a device identifier of the target device, wherein a packet header of the L2 ACP packet comprises a flag bit field, a value of the flag bit field is used to indicate that the L2 ACP packet is a neighbor unicast packet, and the neighbor list of the first network device comprises a device identifier and a data link layer address of a neighboring device of the first network device;
the encapsulating, by the first network device based on a frame at a data link layer, the L2 ACP packet comprises:
encapsulating, by the first network device based on the frame at the data link layer, the L2 ACP packet, wherein the destination data link layer address of the frame at the data link layer is a data link layer address of the target device; and
the sending, by the first network device according to the destination data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to a second network device comprises:
sending, by the first network device according to the data link layer address of the target device, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to the target device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the generating, by a first network device, a data link layer-based autonomic control plane (L2 ACP) packet comprises:
generating, by the first network device, the L2 ACP packet when the first network device needs to communicate with a target device in the autonomic network and determines that a neighbor list does not comprise a match item for a device identifier of the target device, wherein a packet header of the L2 ACP packet comprises a flag bit field, and a value of the flag bit field is used to indicate that the L2 ACP packet is a non-neighbor unicast packet;
the encapsulating, by the first network device based on a frame at a data link layer, the L2 ACP packet comprises:
encapsulating, by the first network device based on the frame at the data link layer, the L2 ACP packet, wherein the destination data link layer address of the frame at the data link layer is a broadcast data link layer address; and
the sending, by the first network device according to the destination data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to a second network device comprises:
sending, by the first network device according to the broadcast data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to the second network device.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the packet header of the L2 ACP packet further comprises a packet ID used to uniquely indicate the L2 ACP packet.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the packet header of the L2 ACP packet further comprises timing information, and the timing information is used to instruct a receiving device of the L2 ACP packet to clear the L2 ACP packet when a time for buffering the L2 ACP packet exceeds preset duration.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the generating, by a first network device, an L2 ACP packet comprises:
generating, by the first network device, the L2 ACP packet when the first network device needs to broadcast a control message in an ACP, wherein a packet header of the L2 ACP packet comprises a flag bit field, and a value of the flag bit field is used to indicate that the L2 ACP packet is a broadcast packet;
the encapsulating, by the first network device based on a frame at a data link layer, the L2 ACP packet comprises:
encapsulating, by the first network device based on the frame at the data link layer, the L2 ACP packet, wherein the destination data link layer address of the frame at the data link layer is a broadcast data link layer address; and
the sending, by the first network device according to the destination data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to a second network device comprises:
sending, by the first network device according to the broadcast data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to the second network device.

7. A network device, wherein the network device serves as a first network device, and the first network device is applied to an autonomic network and comprises:
a processor, configured to generate a data link layer-based autonomic control plane (L2 ACP) packet, wherein the first network device is an autonomic device in the autonomic network; and
encapsulate, based on a frame at a data link layer, the L2 ACP packet, wherein the frame at the data link layer comprises a source data link layer address and a destination data link layer address, and the source data link layer address is a data link layer address of the first network device;
and
a transmitter, configured to send, to a second network device according to the destination data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet that is encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer, wherein the second network device is also an autonomic device in the autonomic network, and the second network device is a neighboring device of the first network device;
wherein the frame at the data link layer is a frame that conforms to a definition in the Ethernet protocol, and a type value of a type field of the frame at the data link layer indicates that a data load field of the frame at the data link layer carries the L2 ACP packet.

8. The first network device according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is specifically configured to generate the L2 ACP packet when the first network device needs to communicate with a target device in the autonomic network, determines that a neighbor list of the first network device comprises a match item for a device identifier of the target device, wherein a packet header of the L2 ACP packet comprises a flag bit field, a value of the flag bit field is used to indicate that the L2 ACP packet is a neighbor unicast packet, and the neighbor list of the first network device comprises a device identifier and a data link layer

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Du Zongpeng
• Jiang Sheng
• Liu Bing

Classifications

• H04L2212/00

  Encapsulation of packets · CPC title

• H04L69/324

  in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC · CPC title

• H04L45/66 Primary

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

• H04L41/12 Primary

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title