Bit index explicit replication egress protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12483465-B2
Application number	US-202318308273-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2023
Priority date	Oct 27, 2020
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A method implemented by a network node in a Bit Index Explicit Replication (BIER) domain is used to provide fast egress protection. The method includes receiving a type length value (TLV) structure that identifies a backup egress node for a destination network node and includes an entry that indicates whether a primary egress node and the backup egress node transmit a packet to a same customer edge (CE) or to different customer edges (CEs), generating an egress protection bit index forwarding table (EP-BIFT) including the backup egress node and the entry that indicates whether the primary egress node and the backup egress node transmit the packet to the same CE or to different CEs, and forwarding the packet in accordance with the EP-BIFT when the primary egress node has failed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method implemented by a network node neighboring a primary egress node in a Bit Index Explicit Replication (BIER) domain, comprising:
receiving a type length value (TLV) structure that identifies a backup egress node for the primary egress node and includes an entry that indicates whether the primary egress node and the backup egress node transmit a packet to a same customer edge (CE) receiver or to different CE receivers; generating an egress protection bit index forwarding table (EP-BIFT) including the backup egress node and the entry that indicates whether the primary egress node and the backup egress node transmit the packet to the same CE receiver or to different CE receivers; and forwarding the packet in accordance with the EP-BIFT when the primary egress node has failed.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the TLV structure is received from the primary egress node.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the TLV structure is received from a neighbor network node.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the EP-BIFT includes a backup entry active (BEA) field, and wherein an entry in the BEA field is set to indicate whether the primary egress node is working or has failed.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the entry that indicates whether the primary egress node and the backup egress node transmit the packet to the same CE receiver or to the different CE receivers is disposed in a same CE receiver (SC) field in the EP-BIFT.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the backup egress node is identified in a backup egress bit forwarding edge router (BE-BFER) field in the EP-BIFT.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the EP-BIFT includes generating a backup forwarding bitmask (BF-BM) for a destination network node in the EP-BIFT by applying a logical OR operation to a bitstring of the destination network node and bitstrings of other destination nodes whose BFR-NBRs are the same as a backup BFR-NBR (BBFR-NBR) for the destination network node.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the EP-BIFT includes a backup bit forwarding router neighbor (BBFR-NBR) field, and wherein an entry in the BBFR-NBR field indicates a next hop on a shortest path to the backup egress node without using the primary egress node.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a next hop identified in a backup bit forwarding router neighbor (BBFR-NBR) field for the primary egress node of the EP-BIFT is a basic loop-free alternate (LFA) bit forwarding router (BFR) for the backup egress node.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a next hop identified in a backup bit forwarding router neighbor (BBFR-NBR) field for the primary egress node of the EP-BIFT is a remote loop-free alternate (LFA) bit forwarding router (BFR) for the backup egress node.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a next hop identified in a backup bit forwarding router neighbor (BBFR-NBR) field for the primary egress node of the EP-BIFT is a topology independent loop-free alternate (LFA) bit forwarding router (BFR) for the backup egress node.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a next hop identified in a backup bit forwarding router neighbor (BBFR-NBR) field for the primary egress node of the EP-BIFT is the backup egress node through a tunnel to the backup egress node without going through the primary egress node.

13 . A network node neighboring a primary egress node in a Bit Index Explicit Replication (BIER) domain, comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the network node to:
receive a type length value (TLV) structure that identifies a backup egress node for the primary egress node and includes an entry that indicates whether the primary egress node and the backup egress node transmit a packet to a same customer edge (CE) receiver or to different CE receivers;
generate an egress protection bit index forwarding table (EP-BIFT) including the backup egress node and the entry that indicates whether the primary egress node and the backup egress node transmit the packet to the same CE receiver or to different CE receivers; and
forward the packet in accordance with the EP-BIFT when the primary egress node has failed.

14 . The network node of claim 13 , wherein the TLV structure is received from the primary egress node.

15 . The network node of claim 13 , wherein the TLV structure is received from a neighbor network node.

16 . The network node of claim 13 , wherein the EP-BIFT includes a backup entry active (BEA) field for the primary egress node, and wherein an entry in the BEA field is set to indicate whether the primary egress node is working or has failed.

17 . The network node of claim 13 , wherein the entry that indicates whether the primary egress node and the backup egress node transmit the packet to the same CE or to the different CE receivers is disposed in a same CE receiver (SC) field in the EP-BIFT.

18 . The network node of claim 13 , wherein the backup egress node is identified in a backup egress bit forwarding edge router (BE-BFER) field in the EP-BIFT.

19 . The network node of claim 13 , wherein generating the EP-BIFT includes generating a backup forwarding bitmask (BF-BM) for a destination network node in the EP-BIFT by applying a logical OR operation to a bitstring of the destination network node and bitstrings of other destination nodes whose BFR-NBRs are the same as a backup BFR-NBR (BBFR-NBR) for the destination network node.

20 . The network node of claim 13 , wherein the EP-BIFT includes a backup bit forwarding router neighbor (BBFR-NBR) field for the primary egress node, and wherein an entry in the BBFR-NBR field indicates a next hop on a shortest path to the backup egress node without using the primary egress node.

21 . The network node of claim 13 , wherein a next hop identified in a backup bit forwarding router neighbor (BBFR-NBR) field for the primary egress node of the EP-BIFT is a basic loop-free alternate (LFA) bit forwarding router (BFR) for the backup egress node.

22 . The network node of claim 13 , wherein a next hop identified in a backup bit forwarding router neighbor (BBFR-NBR) field for the primary egress node of the EP-BIFT is a remote loop-free alternate (LFA) bit forwarding router (BFR) for the backup egress node.

23 . The network node of claim 13 , wherein a next hop identified in a backup bit forwarding router neighbor (BBFR-NBR) field for the primary egress node of the EP-BIFT is a topology independent loop-free alternate (LFA) bit forwarding router (BFR) for the backup egress node.

24 . The network node of claim 13 , wherein a next hop identified in a backup bit forwarding router neighbor (BBFR-NBR) field for the primary egress node of the EP-BIFT is the backup egress node through a tunnel to the backup egress node without going through the primary egress node.

25 . A method implemented by a network node in a Bit Index Explicit Replication (BIER) domain, comprising:
generating a type length value (TLV) structure, wherein the TLV structure identifies a backup egress node for a primary egress node and includes an entry that indicates whether the primary egress node and the backup egress node transmit a packet to a same customer edge (CE) or to different customer edges (CEs); and transmitting the TLV structure to a neighbor network node of the primary

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Huaimo

Classifications

• H04L45/22

  Alternate routing · CPC title

• H04L41/0654 Primary

  using network fault recovery (ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437) · CPC title

• H04L45/16 Primary

  Multipoint routing · CPC title