Method for configuring media access control address aging time and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12363033-B2
Application number	US-202217830999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2022
Priority date	Dec 6, 2019
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

In a method for configuring a MAC address aging time, a first device generates a first Ethernet virtual private network EVPN protocol packet. The first EVPN protocol packet includes aging time information indicating a media access control (MAC) address aging time for an EVPN. The first device sends the first EVPN protocol packet to a second device. The second device configures the MAC address aging time based on the first EVPN protocol packet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A second device comprising:
a memory configured to store instructions; and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to enable the second device to:
receive an Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) protocol packet from a first device, wherein the EVPN protocol packet comprises aging time information indicating a first media access control (MAC) address aging time of the first device for an EVPN;
compare the first MAC address aging time to a locally configured MAC address aging time;
maintain the locally configured MAC address aging time when the first MAC address aging time is less than the locally configured MAC address aging time; and
configure the locally configured MAC address aging time to the first MAC address aging time when the first MAC address aging time is greater than the locally configured MAC address aging time.

2. The second device according to claim 1 , wherein the EVPN protocol packet lacks route information for generating a forwarding entry.

3. The second device according to claim 1 , wherein a route type of the EVPN protocol packet indicates that the EVPN protocol packet is for configuring the MAC address aging time, and wherein the route type is a route in an EVPN type 1 route.

4. The second device according to claim 1 , wherein the aging time information is carried in an extended community attribute field in the EVPN protocol packet.

5. The second device according to claim 1 , wherein a route type of the EVPN protocol packet indicates that the EVPN protocol packet is for configuring the MAC address aging time.

6. The second device according to claim 1 , wherein a route type of the EVPN protocol packet is a MAC/Internet Protocol (IP) route type, and wherein the aging time information is carried in an extended community attribute field of the EVPN protocol packet.

7. The second device according to claim 1 , wherein the second device is a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) neighbor device of the first device.

8. A method comprising:
receiving an Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) protocol packet from a first device, wherein the EVPN protocol packet comprises aging time information indicating a first media access control (MAC) address aging time of the first device for an EVPN;
comparing the first MAC address aging time to a locally configured MAC address aging time;
maintaining the locally configured MAC address aging time when the first MAC address aging time is less than the locally configured MAC address aging time; and
configuring the locally configured MAC address aging time to the first MAC address aging time when the first MAC address aging time is greater than the locally configured MAC address aging time.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the EVPN protocol packet lacks route information for generating a forwarding entry.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a route type of the EVPN protocol packet indicates that the EVPN protocol packet is for configuring the MAC address aging time, and wherein the route type is a route in an EVPN type 1 route.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the aging time information is carried in an extended community attribute field in the EVPN protocol packet.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a route type of the EVPN protocol packet indicates that the EVPN protocol packet is for configuring the MAC address aging time.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a route type of the EVPN protocol packet is a MAC/Internet Protocol (IP) route type, and wherein the aging time information is carried in an extended community attribute field of the EVPN protocol packet.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the first device is a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) neighbor device.

15. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-executable instructions when executed by one or more processors of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to:
receive an Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) protocol packet from a first device, wherein the EVPN protocol packet comprises aging time information indicating a first media access control (MAC) address aging time of the first device for an EVPN;
compare the first MAC address aging time to a locally configured MAC address aging time;
maintain the locally configured MAC address aging time when the first MAC address aging time is less than the locally configured MAC address aging time; and
configure the locally configured MAC address aging time to the first MAC address aging time when the first MAC address aging time is greater than the locally configured MAC address aging time.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein the EVPN protocol packet lacks route information for generating a forwarding entry.

17. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein a route type of the EVPN protocol packet indicates that the EVPN protocol packet is for configuring the MAC address aging time, and wherein the route type is a route in an EVPN type 1 route.

18. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein the aging time information is carried in an extended community attribute field in the EVPN protocol packet.

19. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein a route type of the EVPN protocol packet indicates that the EVPN protocol packet is for configuring the MAC address aging time.

20. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein a route type of the EVPN protocol packet is a MAC/Internet Protocol (IP) route type, and wherein the aging time information is carried in an extended community attribute field of the EVPN protocol packet.

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sun Chunxia
• Zhang Yaokun

Classifications

• H04L45/745

  Address table lookup; Address filtering · CPC title

• H04L69/324

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

• H04L41/0895

  Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements · CPC title

• H04L45/52

  Multiprotocol routers · CPC title

• H04L12/4633

  Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling · CPC title