Systems and methods for supporting host devices with a single network address when multiple prefixes are delegated

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11973739-B2
Application number	US-202117304207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2021
Priority date	Jun 16, 2021
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

A network device may delegate a first prefix length to a primary WAN interface and delegate a second prefix length to a backup WAN interface. The network device may assign a first primary prefix and a first backup prefix to a first VLAN interface and may assign a second primary prefix and a second backup prefix to a second VLAN interface. The network device may provide egress traffic from host devices, connected to the first VLAN interface and to the second VLAN interface, to the primary WAN interface and without prefix translation, when the primary WAN interface is available. The network device may provide ingress traffic to the host devices, via the primary WAN interface and without prefix translation, when the primary WAN interface is available.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
delegating, by a network device, a first prefix length to a primary wide area network (WAN) interface of the network device;
delegating, by the network device, a second prefix length to a backup WAN interface of the network device,
wherein each of the first prefix length and the second prefix length is an Internet protocol version 6 prefix length, and
wherein the second prefix length is different than the first prefix length;

assigning, by the network device and based on delegating the first prefix length and the second prefix length, a first primary prefix and a first backup prefix to a first virtual local area network (VLAN) interface of the network device;
assigning, by the network device and based on delegating the first prefix length and the second prefix length, a second primary prefix and a second backup prefix to a second VLAN interface of the network device,
wherein each of the first primary prefix, the first backup prefix, the second primary prefix, and the second backup prefix is a unique prefix;

providing, by the network device, egress traffic from host devices, connected to the first VLAN interface and to the second VLAN interface, to the primary WAN interface and without prefix translation, when the primary WAN interface is available; and
providing, by the network device, ingress traffic to the host devices, via the primary WAN interface and without prefix translation, when the primary WAN interface is available.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
assigning a primary prefix to the primary WAN interface; and
assigning a backup prefix to the backup WAN interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein network addresses for first host devices connected to the first VLAN interface are derived from the first primary prefix, and
wherein network addresses for second host devices connected to the second VLAN interface are derived from the second primary prefix.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
translating the first primary prefix, for egress traffic received from first host devices associated with the first VLAN interface, to the first backup prefix and to generate translated egress traffic, when the primary WAN interface is unavailable; and
providing the translated egress traffic to the backup WAN interface.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining that the primary WAN interface is available after being unavailable; and
providing additional egress traffic from the first host devices to the primary WAN interface, without prefix translation.

6. A network device, comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
delegate a first prefix length to a primary wide area network (WAN) interface of the network device;
delegate a second prefix length to a backup WAN interface of the network device,
wherein each of the first prefix length and the second prefix length is an Internet protocol version 6 prefix length, and
wherein the second prefix length is different than the first prefix length;

assign, based on deleting the first prefix length and the second prefix length, a first primary prefix and a first backup prefix to a first virtual local area network (VLAN) interface of the network device;
assign, based on delegating the first prefix length and the second prefix length, a second primary prefix and a second backup prefix to a second VLAN interface of the network device,
wherein each of the first primary prefix, the first backup prefix, the second primary prefix, and the second backup prefix is a unique prefix;

provide egress traffic from host devices, connected to the first VLAN interface and to the second VLAN interface, to the primary WAN interface and without prefix translation, when the primary WAN interface is available; and
provide ingress traffic to the host devices, via the primary WAN interface and without prefix translation, when the primary WAN interface is available.

7. The network device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
translate the second primary prefix, for egress traffic received from second host devices associated with the second VLAN interface, to the second backup prefix and to generate translated egress traffic, when the primary WAN interface is unavailable; and
provide the translated egress traffic to the backup WAN interface.

8. The network device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine that the primary WAN interface is available after being unavailable; and
provide additional egress traffic from the second host devices to the primary WAN interface, without prefix translation.

9. The network device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
translate the first backup prefix, for ingress traffic destined for first host devices associated with the first VLAN interface, to the first primary prefix and to generate translated ingress traffic, when the primary WAN interface is unavailable; and
provide the translated ingress traffic to the first VLAN interface, via the backup WAN interface.

10. The network device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine that the primary WAN interface is available after being unavailable; and
provide additional ingress traffic to the first VLAN interface, via the primary WAN interface and without prefix translation.

11. The network device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
translate the second backup prefix, for ingress traffic destined for second host devices associated with the second VLAN interface, to the second primary prefix and to generate translated ingress traffic, when the primary WAN interface is unavailable; and
provide the translated ingress traffic to the second VLAN interface, via the backup WAN interface.

12. The network device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine that the primary WAN interface is available after being unavailable; and
provide additional ingress traffic to the second VLAN interface, via the primary WAN interface and without prefix translation.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network device, cause the network device to:
delegate a first prefix length to a primary wide area network (WAN) interface of the network device;
delegate a second prefix length to a backup WAN interface of the network device,
wherein the second prefix length is different than the first prefix length;

assign, based on delegating the first prefix length and the second prefix length, a first primary prefix and a first backup prefix to a first virtual local area network (VLAN) interface of the network device;
assign, based on delegating the first prefix length and the second prefix length, a second primary prefix and a second backup prefix to a second VLAN interface of the network device,
wherein each of the first primary prefix, the first backup prefix, the second primary prefix, and the second backup prefix is a unique Internet protocol version 6 prefix;

provide egress traffic from host devices, connected to the first VLAN interface and to the second VLAN interface, to the primary WAN interface and without prefix translation, when the primary WAN interface is available; and
provide ingress traffic to the host devices, via the primary WAN interface and without prefix translation, when the primary WAN interface is available.

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Joshi Kiritkumar
• Verger Jose M
• Patel Samirkumar

Classifications

• H04L61/5007 Primary

  Internet protocol [IP] addresses · CPC title

• 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

• H04L61/2503

  Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses · CPC title

• H04L2101/35

  containing special prefixes · CPC title

• H04L2101/668

  Internet protocol [IP] address subnets · CPC title