System and Method for Using a Path Control Element as a Central Controller for Local Protection of Label Switched Path (LSP)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016006609-A1
Application number	US-201514790153-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A path control element (PCE) is provided, including a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor. The storage medium stores programming for execution by the processor, wherein the programming, when executed by the processor, configures the PCE to receive a request for a path of a unicast or multicast label switching path (LSP), determine a primary path and a secondary/local protection path through a plurality of nodes in a label switched network, and provide the primary path and the secondary/local protection path to the plurality of nodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A path control element (PCE) comprising:
a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor and storing programming for execution by the processor, wherein the programming, when executed by the processor, configures the PCE to:
receive a request for a path of a unicast or multicast label switching path (LSP);
determine a primary path and a secondary/local protection path through a plurality of nodes in a label switched network; and
provide the primary path and the secondary/local protection path to the plurality of nodes.

2 . The PCE of claim 1 , wherein the PCE calculates the primary path and the secondary/local protection path in response to a request from a first label edge node.

3 . The PCE of claim 1 , wherein the PCE comprises a PCE central controller (PCECC).

4 . The PCE of claim 1 , wherein the PCE comprises a software defined device in a virtual machine.

5 . The PCE of claim 1 , wherein the label switched network comprises a multiprotocol network.

6 . The PCE of claim 1 , wherein the PCE communicates with the plurality of nodes using a path control element protocol.

7 . The PCE of claim 1 , wherein the PCE communicates with the plurality of nodes using a software defined network (SDN) protocol.

8 . The PCE of claim 1 , wherein the primary path and the secondary/local protection path provide a point to point (P2P) path, a point to multi-point (P2MP) path, or a multi-point to multi-point (MP2MP) path.

9 . The PCE of claim 8 , further comprising the PCE computing and downloading a secondary/local protection path to each node in a multicast tree.

10 . The PCE of claim 8 , wherein the primary and the secondary/local protection path are explicit, disjoint paths including node and link adjacencies from a root to each leaf of a multicast tree.

11 . A method for local protection comprising:
a path control element (PCE) receiving a request for a path of a unicast or multicast label switching path (LSP); the PCE determining a primary path and a secondary/local protection path through a plurality of nodes in a label switched network; and the PCE providing the primary path and the secondary/local protection path to the plurality of nodes.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the PCE calculates the primary path and the secondary/local protection path in response to a request from a first label edge node.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the PCE comprises a PCE central controller (PCECC).

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the PCE comprises a software defined device in a virtual machine.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the label switched network comprises a multiprotocol network.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the PCE communicates with the plurality of nodes using a path control element protocol.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the PCE communicates with the plurality of nodes using a software defined network (SDN) protocol.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the primary path and the secondary/local protection path provide a point to point (P2P) path, a point to multi-point (P2MP) path, or a multi-point to multi-point (MP2MP) path.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising the PCE computing and downloading a secondary/local protection path to each node in a multicast tree.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the primary and the secondary/local protection path are explicit, disjoint paths including node and link adjacencies from a root to each leaf of a multicast tree.

Assignees

• Futurewei Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Zhao Qianglin Quintin

Classifications

• H04L45/22

  Alternate routing · CPC title

• H04L41/0895

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

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04L45/50 Primary

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

• H04L41/0806 Primary

  for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play · CPC title